(Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 2021) Bekele Teklu Abate; Ofoyuru Denis Thaddeus
Due mainly to globalization, knowledge economies, liberalization, and regulation and accountability
regimes, higher education institutions are under increasing pressure to demonstrate their relevance and
significance to society. European and North American universities have rearticulated their profiles and
adopted entrepreneurial and engaged mandates. The extent to which and how African universities are
strategically repositioning themselves in that respect remains obscure. Using relevant theoretical
frameworks, this study explores emerging modalities of university-society engagements and linkages in
Africa through a critical analysis of the current strategic plans of 30 universities from 14 countries.
Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the strategic plans reveal that universities have explicitly
identified strategies for the production and transfer of knowledge; for creating networks and
partnerships; and for engaging varied stakeholders in decision making at various levels. Implications for further research are identified