Conceptualizing a Win-Win in the Refugee and Higher Education Enigma

2021 ◽  
pp. 328-348
Author(s):  
Alice Ncube ◽  
Faith Mkwananzi
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Social Mobility ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Brain Drain ◽  
Brain Gain ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Collective Development ◽  
Economic Assets

Focusing on the subject of brain drain/brain gain in South Africa, the authors argue that as refugees flee their home countries, they possess, or have the opportunity to acquire, skills and knowledge necessary for individual and collective development through higher education. Consequently, such refugees may be seen to possess capabilities necessary for decent economic and social mobility in the host country. On the contrary, to their home country, they are viewed as lost assets as they leave with skills and knowledge. Drawing on the discourse of brain drain/brain gain, the argument in this chapter moves beyond focusing on the individuals as economic assets to focus on other valued dimensions as a result of higher education. The authors adopt the human development informed capability approach which focuses on the freedoms and opportunities that individuals have to pursue the lives they have reason to value.

scholarly journals Brain Circulation, the Phenomenon and Challenges

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 158
Author(s):  
Lajda Bana
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Brain Drain ◽  
Political Instability ◽  
Mechanical Action ◽  
Brain Circulation ◽  
Brain Gain ◽  
Political Consequences ◽  
The People ◽  
The Brain

The world of today which seeks globalization, while the economic inequality, corruption, political instability, and moreover wars prevail, it is always associated with the movement of people towards what might be called the ‘best for their future’. This movement is not just a mechanical action, but is a phenomenon associated with social, economic and political consequences not only to the country of origin but also for the host country. The departure of the people from their land is a well-known and proven phenomenon mainly of the developing countries. This phenomenon includes also the so-called brain drain emigration, the departure of skilled people, professionals and researchers from their own country to other places. The brain drain is not only a phenomenon that belongs to developing countries, or former communist states, or those countries in war, but it can also affect the developed Western countries. Brain drain does not always constitute a brain gain in the host country. In most of the cases, people who have to leave the countries in political instability or former communist countries, even if they are qualified and holders of university degrees, they are obliged to work in humble jobs which can be simply exercised by persons without university qualifications. Consequently, the brain drain phenomenon is not automatically turned into a benefit 'brain gain' for the host country; on the contrary, it might even be turned into the so-called brain-waste. A social challenge in this context remains the turn of "brain drain" into "brain gain" or "brain circulation". Therefore, one of the current priorities for governments is to create effective economic and social conditions which would enhance the integration of the graduates, researchers and professionals into their national and regional markets

scholarly journals Rage, loss and other footpaths: Subjectification, decolonisation and transformation in higher education

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Becker
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Three Phases

The need to transform higher education in South Africa is indisputable. This article explores how the recent #mustfall protests, as an Event, could inform transformation. An Event follows three phases: reframing (shattering the frame through which we understand reality), the fall (the loss of a primordial unity which is a retroactive illusion) and enlightenment (subjectivity itself as an eventuality). In conclusion, I pose that a shift towards who comes into presence in higher education and not (a pre-determined) what comes into presence, could provide possible footpaths to decolonialisation and transformation. Through processes of subjectification, the subject(s) of higher education could reframe historic ontological othering and actively take part in the process(es) of becoming and being human in higher education in (post)colonial South Africa.

scholarly journals Effective strategies in new curricula development at Higher Education Institutions in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-34
Author(s):  
Wilfred Fritz ◽  
Toni Stringer ◽  
Anthony Staak
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Curriculum Planning ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Life Long Learning ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Learning ◽  
Planning Methods ◽  
The Subject

AbstractRe-curriculation is currently the most talked about topic in Higher Education in South Africa because of the new Higher Education Qualification Sub-Framework alignment process required by all Higher Education Institutions. However, the lecturer in the classroom, especially new lecturers, are also faced with the task of designing the actual curricula of a subject once the new qualification is to be implemented, in terms of achieving the aims and objectives of the subject area. In other words, ensuring that the outcomes of the subject are achieved by the student. Ideally all lecturers at institutions of higher learning should develop strategies for their “own” curricula. Developing the aforementioned strategies might be challenging to first time lecturers. The methodologies of developing a new qualification and strategies for building curricula is discussed in this paper are different curriculum planning methods and strategies. The aforementioned strategies are focusing on students, mentoring, supportive tools such as software programmes, feedback and assessments. The findings of this paper are proper curricula development to enhance the ability to understand, recall and apply information. The main objective is to use proper curricula development to empower students with a diversity of cultures to understand the material presented by the lecturer. This paper concludes that curricula planning should allow students to be given space to grow and interact and ultimately attain deep life-long learning.

Xenophobia in Higher Education in South Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 173-187
Author(s):  
Tshimangadzo Selina Mudau ◽  
Fumane Portia Khanare
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Human Development ◽  
South African ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Foreign Students ◽  
International Institutions ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Family ◽  
Inside Out

Naturally, universities are international institutions. In the event of reports of xenophobic attacks across the South African communities, the universities were not spared. Imperial study results have confirmed such tendencies globally with great concern especially its effects on safety, growth, and development of countries. The aim of the chapter is to explore and describe the extent of xenophobic attacks within the higher education institutions in South Africa. This is presented from an inside-out approach aligned with the bio-ecological systems theory of human development. The theory provided a lens to view the biological factors of development within the family, the outside environment such as the community, universities, and government as influences of continuation and the stopping of xenophobic attacks in the higher education. Continuous stakeholder awareness and education on the acceptance and integration of foreign students is recommended. Additionally, strategies to enhance the integration of foreign students by the international offices in the universities is recommended.

Passionate Voices of Those Left Behind: Conversations with Ghanaian Professionals on the Brain Drain and Its Net Gains

2002 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-61
Author(s):  
Kwabena O. Akurang-Parry
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Brain Drain ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Brain Gain ◽  
Extant Literature ◽  
Pressure Groups ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
The Brain

Since the late 1970s, scholars, organizations, pressure groups, conferences, and governments have examined the brain drain phenomenon in Africa. More recently, brain gain, the antithesis of brain drain, has also attracted considerable attention. The focal point of the brain gain across the continent has been postapartheid South Africa, which has witnessed a large influx of professionals from other regions. Considering Africa as a whole, except for South Africa, the extant literature has overemphasized the debit side of the brain drain.

scholarly journals Brain Circulation, the Phenomenon and Challenges

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lajda Bana
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Brain Drain ◽  
Political Instability ◽  
Mechanical Action ◽  
Brain Circulation ◽  
Brain Gain ◽  
Political Consequences ◽  
The People ◽  
The Brain

The world of today which seeks globalization, while the economic inequality, corruption, political instability, and moreover wars prevail, it is always associated with the movement of people towards what might be called the ‘best for their future’. This movement is not just a mechanical action, but is a phenomenon associated with social, economic and political consequences not only to the country of origin but also for the host country. The departure of the people from their land is a well-known and proven phenomenon mainly of the developing countries. This phenomenon includes also the so-called brain drain emigration, the departure of skilled people, professionals and researchers from their own country to other places. The brain drain is not only a phenomenon that belongs to developing countries, or former communist states, or those countries in war, but it can also affect the developed Western countries. Brain drain does not always constitute a brain gain in the host country. In most of the cases, people who have to leave the countries in political instability or former communist countries, even if they are qualified and holders of university degrees, they are obliged to work in humble jobs which can be simply exercised by persons without university qualifications. Consequently, the brain drain phenomenon is not automatically turned into a benefit 'brain gain' for the host country; on the contrary, it might even be turned into the so-called brain-waste. A social challenge in this context remains the turn of "brain drain" into "brain gain" or "brain circulation". Therefore, one of the current priorities for governments is to create effective economic and social conditions which would enhance the integration of the graduates, researchers and professionals into their national and regional markets

Measuring Service Quality in The Context of Higher Education in Vietnam

2013 ◽  
pp. 77-90
Author(s):  
Yen Nguyen Thi Hoang
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Measurement Scale ◽  
Education Service ◽  
The Subject

This paper focuses on the understanding of service quality in the context of Vietnamese universities. It proposes an approach for measuring the quality of the higher education service provided by universities in Vietnam. Firstly, an exploratory study was conducted. Then, the set of items which were generated became the subject of a questionnaire that was then administered to 675 students of a Vietnamese university to determine the dimensions of higher education service quality in this context. The obtained results permit us to appropriate a measurement scale which is slightly different from the SERVQUAL scale widely known as the standard for measuring service quality. The results also show that tangible elements, responsiveness and assurance seem to be three specific dimensions of the higher education service of Vietnamese universities.

Moving Up without Losing Your Way

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Morton
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
College Students ◽  
Social Mobility ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Upward Mobility ◽  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
College Experience ◽  
Career Opportunities ◽  
Community Finding

Upward mobility through the path of higher education has been an article of faith for generations of working-class, low-income, and immigrant college students. While we know this path usually entails financial sacrifices and hard work, very little attention has been paid to the deep personal compromises such students have to make as they enter worlds vastly different from their own. Measuring the true cost of higher education for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, this book looks at the ethical dilemmas of upward mobility—the broken ties with family and friends, the severed connections with former communities, and the loss of identity—faced by students as they strive to earn a successful place in society. The book reframes the college experience, factoring in not just educational and career opportunities but also essential relationships with family, friends, and community. Finding that student strivers tend to give up the latter for the former, negating their sense of self, the book seeks to reverse this course. It urges educators to empower students with a new narrative of upward mobility—one that honestly situates ethical costs in historical, social, and economic contexts and that allows students to make informed decisions for themselves. The book paves a hopeful road so that students might achieve social mobility while retaining their best selves.

USE OF BLENDED LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION – SOME EXPERIENCES

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
R J Singh
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Face To Face Learning ◽  
Made In

This article reports on the use of blended learning in higher education. Blended learning has become popular in higher education in recent years. It is a move beyond traditional lecturing to incorporate face-to-face learning with e-learning, thereby creating a blend of learning experiences. The problem is that learning in higher education is complex and learning situations differ across contexts. Whilst there is face-to-face contact at some institutions, others offer distance learning or correspondence learning. In each context, the mode of learning may differ. The challenge is to cater for various learning opportunities through a series of learning interactions and to incorporate a blended approach. The aim of this study was to examine various ways of defining blended learning in different contexts. This was done through an examination of experiences of the use of blended learning in different higher education contexts. The study presents a case of blended learning in a postgraduate course. The experiences from all these cases are summarised and conclusions and recommendations are made in the context of blended learning in higher education in South Africa.

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