1. ACADEMIA-PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP FORUM & EXHIBITION 2016
THEME:
“Quality Education, Research and Innovation as Drivers of New Economies in the East African Community”
SUMMARY, EMERGING ISSUES & RESOLUTIONS FROM THE FORUM
Dar es Salaam, 23rd and 24th November 2016

2. BACKGROUND
Since 2012, IUCEA, EADB and EABC have partnered to jointly organise forums and exhibition for academia, public and private sectors in the region to discuss on issues related to development of relevant human resources.
Each year, the APPP Forum and Exhibition focuses on a particular Theme and is held in one of the Partner States on a rotational basis.
These Forums have provided the opportunity for partners to network, dialogue on key issues and to shape the higher education Policy framework in the region.

3. History of Academia-Public-Private Partnerships
Research and innovation
History of Academia-Public-Private Partnerships
2016
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Quality education, research and innovation as drivers of new economies in the EAC
Employability of graduates
2015
Entebbe, Uganda
Developing the ideal graduate through APPP
Complete the triple helix
2014
Kigali, Rwanda
Leaves out the public sector
Harnessing East Africa’s innovation potential
2013
Nairobi, Kenya
Bridging the academia and the private sector through engagement with the public sector
Highly academic
2012
Arusha, Tanzania
Linking universities to industries for knowledge-based economies and regional integration

4. THE 2016 APPP FORUM This year’s Forum has been guided by the Theme:
“Quality Education, Research and Innovation as Drivers of New Economies in the East African Community”
Presentation from one of the partners to set the stage was made on Employability of Graduates from EAC Universities – Private Sector Perspective by Ms. Lilian Awinja, the Executive Director of EABC.

5. PANEL PRESENTATIONS & DISCUSSIONS
The Forum this year was guided by opening presentations and Panel Discussions on the following sub-themes:
The role of the African Centers of Excellence in creating synergies for the new economies; and
Implications of the Declaration of East Africa as a Common Higher Education Area
Emergence and implications of the new economies within the EAC (ICT, tourism, agro-industry, financial services, oil and gas)

6. The Role of the African Centers of Excellence in creating synergies for the new economies
The ACE were conceived to strengthen selected African higher education institutions to deliver quality post-graduate education and build collaborative research capacity in the regional priority areas
The key priority areas include ICT, Agriculture, oil and gas, water resource management, among others.
It is hoped that these ACE will lead to:
Linking development challenges with high-level skills training
Strengthening institutional capacity: high quality training and applied research
Focusing on the limited availability of quality faculty and developing best talent with concentration
Piloting effective research and market-relevant programs
Supporting emerging higher education systems in our countries
Sharing knowledge and best practice regionally

7. Implications of the Declaration of East Africa as a Common Higher Education Area
The Declaration of EAST Africa as a Common Higher Education Area entails that Higher Education in the Region is operating under a regionally comparable, compatible, coherent and harmonised framework that provides an objective basis for undertaking mutual recognition of qualifications attained therefrom
Such a Framework is useful for providing benchmarking among the Partner States’ higher education systems for the purpose of promoting comparability and international competitiveness
The operational framework for EAC as a Common Higher Education Area consists of the following drivers:
Regional Quality Assurance System
East African Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (EAQFHE)
Framework for facilitating staff and student mobility
EAC to establish a regional accreditation system based on the higher education harmonisation framework already developed by IUCEA

8. Emergence and implications of the new economies within the EAC (ICT, tourism, agro-industry, financial services, oil and gas)
It was noted that education, innovations and research in the key areas of ICT, Tourism, Agro-industry, Financial services, Oil and Gas are already taking place in the region.
The integration of ICT as a tool for enhancing quality of education is faced with the challenge of ICT infrastructure in the region.
Tourism contributes up to 8.9% to the region’s GDP but it is still critically underdeveloped.
Agriculture remains key in the development of EAC. Developing appropriate technologies in this sector would facilitate increased productivity thereby improving the livelihoods of famers in the region.
A sound banking system will increase opportunities for access to credit for development in this region

9. Emerging Issues
The development of skilled and professional employees in EAC needs to start from the primary education level and go on through the secondary and tertiary levels of education to the workplace.
There is therefore, need to review the education system in the EAC partner states to develop the skilled and professional human resources needed for the socio-economic development of the region.
The is need for career guidance at all levels of the education level to enhance the development of needed human resources
Manpower surveys to be conducted to determine the human resources gaps of the region and for universities to respond accordingly.

10. Emerging Issues
That workplaces have become more complex and globalized, and managers expect their workers to get up to speed much faster than in the past.
When workplaces receive graduates from Universities they expect them to get in with at least some basic workplace proficiencies, like adaptability, communication skills, and the ability to solve problems.
Many young graduates today have problems with interpersonal skills, the ability to deal with ambiguity and professionalism.
It was observed that there is a growing number of lousy and lazy graduates coming out of the higher education institutions.

11. Emerging Issues
The role of internships in preparing graduates for the world of work is critical but often given too short a period.
For EAC to become a knowledge-based economy, we should increase our capacities for research, Innovation and knowledge production.
Over dependence on external funding for research and innovation. Therefore, there is need to increase national funding for research, innovation and talent development
The dynamics of today demand graduates who can demonstrate strong leadership; leaders with clear vision for development and are capable of harnessing the skills potentials around them for development

12. Emerging Issues
The introduction of ACE is a welcome development in the efforts to develop the human resource capacity in the region. However, concern of sustainability and multiplication of these centres remain an issue to be looked at.
With the increasing use of mobile telephone communication in Africa, innovations in ICT will be a key accelerator to economic development and integration in the EAC. What is needed is to transform the traditional economy to digital economy.
EAC has a significant tourism potential with cultural tourism as one of the major resource. But the lack of information (data) on tourism in the region is significantly affecting its contribution to the region’s development. Sharing tourism information is critical. Moreover, the limited research in tourism in the region remains an issue. “What you cannot measure, you cannot manage.”

13. RESOLUTIONS & WAY FORWARD

14. Resolutions & Way Forward …
IUCEA to coordinate the establishment of a Regional Committee to monitor implementation of recommendations made in this Forum composed of the representatives of the partners and experts from the key themes taking into consideration country representation. There should also be sub-committees set to address specific thematic areas (ICT, Agro-industry, Tourism, Finance services and Oil & Gas). An action plan should be developed to implement these recommendations.
IUCEA should create a system that can document best practices from the Centres of Excellence to facilitate sharing of knowledge to non participating institutions and to inform future initiatives.
The ACE Initiative should be used to foster South-South collaboration to address the existing collaborations which are skewed towards Europe and North America at 60% - 70%, as compared to W. Africa about 2% and Southern Africa 6% - 7%.
IUCEA should develop a clear and comprehensive policy framework to guide the partnership between academia, public and private sectors in the region.

15. Resolutions & Way Forward …
Universities should commit to engage in research that can be translated to business ideas. They should use research to support knowledge and innovative ideas
Universities should be proactive in identifying problems in society and come with solutions through research and innovations instead of waiting for the private sector to bring out research issues.
Universities should align education to current demands in the region in relation to major projects like railway and oil & gas projects
Universities should research on appropriate technologies to address local challenges e.g. agriculture mechanization technologies
Universities should integrate the use of ICT in the teaching, research and administrative work to enhance delivery of quality education.

16. Resolutions & Way Forward …
The Council of Ministers should direct Partner States to conduct manpower surveys to inform decision makers of the skills gaps in the region and therefore to support universities in promoting student training in the relevant disciplines.
EAC Partner States to harmonise their higher education systems so that they are aligned (but not necessarily made identical) to the regional framework, including alignment of the national qualifications frameworks of the individual Partner States to the East African Qualifications Framework for Higher Education, that was approved by the EAC Council of Ministers
Partner States should establish/increase national research and innovations fund to promote sustainability of externally funded projects

17. Resolutions & Way Forward …
EAC/IUCEA to establish a regional accreditation system based on the higher education harmonisation framework already developed by IUCEA and now operational in the Partner States, as this will strengthen the current system of mutual recognition of accreditation decisions by individual Partner States
EAC/IUCEA to strengthen the administrative arrangements for coordination, and monitoring and evaluation of the process of transforming EAC into a Common Higher Education Area
EAC Partner States should undertake strategic public investments to initiate and expand the use of ICT and Agricultural technologies to propel economic development of the region.
EAC Partner States should pay great attention to language challenges to facilitate full integration of the people of the region.

18. Resolutions & Way Forward …
Forum Partners (IUCEA, universities, governments and the private sectors) should Implement the recommendations of the current and previous Forums
IUCEA, National Commissions and Councils should ensure that forum resolutions contribute to shaping the future of higher education in the region
EABC should establish job fairs to bring together employers and potential employees (graduates) to interact and share expectations.
In the next Forum, the Regional Committee should update the forum on what has been implemented on the recommendations.

19. Thank You