ETHIOPIA-GERMANY

Some of the key questions it raised included: How are partners selected? Which partnership models are preferred? What are the strategies partner countries and institutions often refer to?

In this article, we focus on German transnational education (TNE) and draw from an Ethiopian example to showcase achievements, perspectives and challenges typical of such cooperation. The alignment with existing policy frameworks will also be discussed briefly.

Top-down or bottom-up?

It goes without saying that in Germany, as well as in many other countries, the political agenda can play a decisive role in shaping partnerships in higher education and research largely manifestations of what is generally referred to as knowledge diplomacy. In most cases, this implies a top-down approach which defines partner countries and articulates overall strategies.

The traditional and predominant approach though is different, especially in TNE where activities, such as the design and implementation of a joint study programme, are usually based on existing cooperation in teaching and research which have already proven their success.

This bottom-up approach allows a balance of interest between the foreign and the German higher education institution and is likely to build up a sustainable partnership due to shared visions and objectives. Mutual benefits lie, for instance, in the internationalisation of the partnering higher education institutions, the support for young scientists, as well as other forms of joint capacity building.

Long-time partners beyond HE

The TNE project we are focusing on is built on an already existing town-twinning relationship between the cities of Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Leipzig (Germany) as well as between the two universities. This long-term relationship has been instrumental in promoting mutual trust, which paves the way for a deeper cooperation.

The collaboration between Addis Ababa University and the University of Leipzig began as a medical partnership. Subsequently, this university cooperation enabled the implementation of two social science study courses in Addis Ababa, as discussed later. Based on this successful experience, both universities are currently developing interdisciplinary programmes collaboratively.

Addis Ababa University and the University of Leipzig offer a joint masters and doctoral programme in global and area studies in Addis Ababa, with a special emphasis on peace and security in Africa. The programmes are based on independently implemented courses of study at the respective universities.

In comparison with the regular programme, the cooperative programmes are substantially supported by blended learning, a semester stay at the University of Leipzig, and the special focus on issues of peace and conflict on the African continent.

The study programme combines social, cultural and historical perspectives on current globalisation processes and includes comparisons of different world regions in order to investigate causes of conflict at different levels. Besides the international orientation of the topics and the transnational orientation of the teaching, the programme has a strong local anchoring.

With the introduction of a pre-doctoral phase and a post-doctoral programme, the extent of this university cooperation is currently being scaled up. The regional orientation, the international character, the local embedding and networking, and the connection to Germany create a broad spectrum of job opportunities for the graduates. Its appeal is proven by the constant demand from students, the vast majority of whom come from the East African region.

Major challenges: equal access and focus on STEM

Regardless of the projects undeniable success, one aspect raises concern: the tuition fees are based on comparable international offshore study programmes in Eastern Africa, but are significantly higher than national programmes in this field of study.

The requisite high tuition fees, to ensure financial independence and to maintain the high quality of teaching, often result in discrimination of students of a certain social class. The balancing act between equal access and the establishment of excellent educational opportunities for high-performing students remains one of the main challenges of such a project.

A second challenge, more general, lies in the disciplinary scope of TNE projects. Even if university cooperation across all academic disciplines can engage in transnational education, there is a relatively strong focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in German TNE. This tendency is perfectly understandable with regard to questions of employability, innovation and economic growth, but bears the risk of marginalising other disciplines.

The example of the Addis-Leipzig cooperation, however, clearly shows the potential and importance of cooperation in social science and humanities in African countries. A strategic focus on specific local or regional subjects need not exclude international contexts, but rather opens up fruitful synergies.

Policy frameworks as a guideline

Ideally, continental or national policy frameworks such as the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 16-25) or the Ethiopian Education Development Roadmap serve as guidelines to help (re-)define the thematic orientation and the general objectives of co-operation. Moreover, they help create the sense of ownership for the partnering countries in the Global South.

For instance, in the case of CESAs Strategic Objective 9 which stipulates Revitalise and expand tertiary education, research and innovation to address continental challenges and promote global competitiveness, the specific context and implications for Ethiopia, which is home to a large number of international organisations such as the African Union and different UN agencies, are evident.

This local anchorage does not only provide interesting job opportunities for graduates, but also allows a practice-oriented exchange in relevant research fields between the university and local stakeholders. The aim of enhancing community services of higher education, as defined in Ethiopias Education Development Roadmap, could hence be supported in the field of peace and security, taking the Leipzig-Addis research partnership as a nucleus.

The long-term success of such an endeavour remains to be seen, but it can at least be considered as a first step towards a more integrated vision of research, society and global challenges.

Benjamin Schmling is head of German transnational education projects in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America at the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). E-mail: schmaeling@daad.de. Hanna Odenbach is programme officer for German transnational education projects in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America at DAAD. E-mail: odenbach@daad.de.

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Sustainable partnerships through bottom-up projects? - University World News