[Thought Piece] Developing university competitiveness through human capital development, collaborations and entrepreneurship

Universities, private and public, are responsible for teaching, research, publishing, consultancy services and advancing human development. Over the years, funding of public universities through the Exchequer has been the Government’s prerogative, and was possible when the demand for university education was low. However, the increase in demand for university education has led to establishment of more universities, with governments of many African countries struggling to fund them. Limited funding has led to financial constraints that have affected their operations and growth. This begs the question, what is the future of funding for universities? With the increase in the number of universities, competition is rife, and universities need to up their game through a paradigm shift from teaching only to become more developmental and entrepreneurial.

For a university to do well, it needs to have a productive human capital comprising of academic, administrative, technical, and support staff. This begins by selecting the right people regarding skills, competencies, knowledge and attitudes. Proper selection of employees will reduce training costs and time taken in their supervision. As universities, we need to support employees’ individual goals that are in tandem with the goals of the universities. Fostering a culture of inclusivity, collaboration, and career advancement will enable our staff to effectively deliver on their responsibilities. Read more here

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