Opinion piece by Prof. Ushotanefe Useh, deputy dean for community engagement and stakeholder relations in the Faculty of Health Sciences of the North-West University.
Universities, as seats of knowledge, are tasked with developing conceptual abilities and producing graduates who can contribute meaningfully to society.
However, the modern university faces the challenge of aligning its outputs with societal and economic needs. Many graduates require re-skilling to meet industry demands, highlighting the urgent need to revisit and re-engineer higher education curricula to minimise unemployment gaps across Africa.
Over centuries, universities have evolved from medieval schools into institutions that aim to educate students to understand their world creatively and constructively. To achieve these objectives, a new cadre of academic leaders must emerge. Yet, higher education continues to struggle with human capacity challenges, ranging from the lack of professionalisation to insufficient intentional development of effective academic leadership.
The need for academic leadership
Producing students who are “fit for purpose” requires strong academic leadership. Unfortunately, many academics enter the higher education ecosystem by default, often without adequate preparation for the demands of the industry. Leadership development in academia – from junior lectureships to professorial positions – remains largely unstructured, relying on a “trial and error” approach. This gap becomes even more critical in senior management roles such as heads of departments, directors of schools, deans of faculties, and other executive positions.
The African Institute for Academic Leadership seeks to bridge this gap by fostering intentional leadership development and professionalisation in higher education.
Design of the fellowship
The fellowship is envisioned as a structured programme to:
Develop leadership competencies: Equip academics with skills in strategic thinking, governance, and institutional management.
Promote professionalisation: Establish clear pathways for academic leadership, moving away from ad hoc appointments.
Encourage innovation: Train leaders to re-engineer curricula that respond to Africa’s socio-economic realities.
Build networks: Create a community of academic leaders across Africa to share best practices and collaborate on solutions.
Mentorship and coaching: Pair emerging leaders with experienced mentors to ensure sustainable leadership pipelines.
The challenge
Graduate unemployment: Misalignment between university training and labour market needs.
Leadership deficit: Academic leaders often progress without structured preparation.
Governance weaknesses: Ineffective management in senior university roles.
Capacity gaps: Lack of professionalisation hinders innovation and curriculum reform.
The solutions
Professionalise academic leadership: Structured pathways for leadership development.
Strengthen governance: Equip leaders with policy, accountability, and management skills.
Align higher education with societal needs: Re-engineer curricula to reduce unemployment gaps.
Foster local and regional collaborations: Build networks of leaders across Africa.
Ensure sustainability: Mentorship and coaching pipelines for future leaders.
Expected outcomes
Certified cohorts of professionalised academic leaders.
Universities producing graduates aligned with Africa’s socio-economic priorities.
Strengthened governance structures enhancing accountability.
Sustainable leadership pipelines supported by mentorship and collaboration.
Conclusion
The African Institute for Academic Leadership Fellowship represents a bold step toward transforming higher education in Africa. By intentionally cultivating academic leaders, universities can better fulfil their mission of producing graduates who are not only knowledgeable, but also capable of driving societal and economic growth by providing solutions to real life community problems.
Prof. Ushotanefe Useh
