A task as large as Africa itself

In some nations, such as Somalia, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, many postsecondary institutions have been completely or partially destroyed by political unrest and war.

Even in a country such as Kenya, one of the few African nations that can boast something of a comprehensive higher- education system, things are very bad.

Charles Ngome, a lecturer at Kenyatta University and author of the handbook's chapter on Kenya, writes that "declining public expenditures,... decaying infrastructure,... and a high rate of unemployment among graduates" have combined to throw higher education in Kenya into a deep crisis.

Severe "brain drain" is another problem. For example, 50 percent of all Ghanaian doctors practice outside the country, leaving a depleted training force at the university level.

In many African nations, all of these problems are compounded by long- standing economic and political crises, the legacy of colonialism, and HIV/AIDS.

And yet there is also much in the book that inspires admiration.

Take the case of Liberia, which in 1997 saw the end of an eight-year civil war. "The mere fact that higher education goes on in such countries, even in difficult circumstances, is in many ways so impressive," Dr. Altbach says.

Altbach says he hopes that the publication of "African Higher Education" will be the first step toward renewed support for the continent's universities. Both interest and funding have waned during the past several decades as attention has gravitated toward primary and secondary education.

Experts say support will be particularly crucial in the coming decade. Across the continent, demand for postsecondary training is growing rapidly.

At the same time, African governments are beginning to recognize the vital link between higher education and sustainable development.

That's why African educators and administrators need to have access to the information in the handbook, Altbach says. Toward that end, it will be distributed for free to universities and research institutions across the continent.

Education officials in African governments will also receive copies. "The hope," Altbach says, "is that ministers of education can turn to this book when thinking about higher-education reform, and find out what other African countries have done, not what the US has done."

For his part, Teferra is just glad to see it finished. "I've already lost two Christmases and two New Years to it," he says with a smile.

But he's not taking much of a break. He's already at work on a related project - the launch of a quarterly journal covering higher-education in Africa.

Excerpts from the forthcoming book, "African Higher Education," edited by Damtew Teferra

Up to the end of 1980s, there existed in Liberia a sort of higher education "system." However ... Liberia's war of 1989-1997 left the university in total ruins.... Estimates of necessary repairs and renovations made in 1991 put the cost at over $20 million, and the current government ... has paid very little attention to the needs of the institution.... The war-related damage to the institution has set it back for at least a half-century, maybe more. Many of the senior scholars who fled the country due to the war are unlikely to return. The current staff work six to eight months before they receive one month's pay, which is less than $50....

In all policy statements issued by the Angolan government, high priority is given to education in general, and higher education in particular. However, the actual investment in this field lags far behind declared intentions, and has even been decreasing since 1992, ranging at present well below the averages of sub-Saharan Africa and developing countries in general. The quality of education in Angola is very low. Three-quarters of the students do not pass their annual exams, have to repeat greater or lesser parts of the programs, or drop out. The role the university plays in the development of the country is highly questionable.

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