Devon DickWHILE THE nation was celebrating Emancipation Day, I was making a presentation on how to strengthen African universities at the Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF), Africa's premier literary festival. But based on the presentations of the other panellists, the three African female professors, and the reaction by some leading academics to my presentation, African and Caribbean universities collaboration is a far way off.
I thought, based on the ZIBFs focus of 2004 on African Studies in and outside Africa and the specific theme of Indaba on Voices: Dialogue across the Nations, that the emphasis would be on how to strengthen African universities through collaboration between African universities and Caribbean universities.
Hope Sadza, a panellist, made an excellent presentation, and stated that she was coming from a different angle. Her presentation could be a model for the development of universities worldwide. She spoke about getting funding from other sources apart from government because once government is the major source they tend to want to dictate. She spoke about the need to emphasise research and not just teaching. This was a jab at both students and lecturers. Sadza also mentioned that the challenge is to graduate persons who would become great leaders, competent managers and useful citizens. There was also a case study done on Zimbabwe Open University, which caters for older persons but has problems associated with absentee lecturers, course content plagued with errors and late starting of term. Ruby Magosvongwe of the University of Zimbabwe spoke more to how universities in Zimbabwe could be strengthened.
CENTRAL POINT
My central point was that to strengthen African universities there is a need to establish Caribbean Studies Departments. There is, however, an inherent challenge to individuals, academics and organisations in trying to disseminate information on the Caribbean in African universities, through the formation of Caribbean Studies Departments. The reality is that in addition to physical distance, there is a disconnect between the land of our ancestors and its children, who are now scattered throughout the wider parts of the world and more Caribbean peoples live outside of the Caribbean region than in it. Coupled with the fact of the vastness of the area and the widespread nature of the Caribbean Diaspora are the complexities of its histories. The societies of the Anglo-phone, Franco-phone and Spanish Caribbean are peopled by the descendants of enslaved Africans, Europeans, descendants of indentured servants (Chinese, Indian, German, Irish) and of course, the product of inter-racial relationships.
To support Caribbean Studies Departments, there needs to be student exchanges between African and Caribbean universities, whereby, these institutions respect and accept the accreditation of each other's programmes and courses, and as such student exchanges are facilitated. One high official asked why it is that no student from the Caribbean has asked for that transfer. To which I replied that it cannot be done on a personal student basis but rather on the basis that the administrators in Africa and the Caribbean putting in structures to facilitate that exchange.
Furthermore, the establishment of Writer-In-Residence programmes whereby authors and poets of Africa and the Caribbean are encouraged to cross borders and share their works and cultural expressions with each other. To strengthen African universities there needs to be an exchange of ideas, writings, culture between Africa and the Caribbean, a South/South encounter. However, the length of time to travel to the destination is a hindrance and also costly when it need not be so. Strangely, South African Airlines flies over Barbados to get to Miami, USA but it never stops in Barbados. Therefore, academics in Africa and the Caribbean must become scholar activists and challenge their governments and investors to have direct flights so that there can be quick, affordable trade in ideas, writings, goods and services.
OTHER IDEAS
Other ideas to strengthen African universities include regular symposia on issues related to the Caribbean within African universities and more use of publications from the Caribbean and Caribbean research thereby enhancing their library offerings. One professor was annoyed that the contact he has made between Africa and the Caribbean was not recognised. However, I had acknowledged that there have been formal contacts between Jamaica and educational institutions and universities in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Ethiopia. Also a formal association was entered into with the Institute of African Studies of the University of Ghana and Jamaica, which fostered an exchange of ideas and the discussion of matters relating to language, archaeology and dance. But much more needs to be done.
African universities will be strengthened when there is a greater appreciation of the contribution of the Caribbean to African history and heritage and the establishment of a structure such as a Caribbean Studies Department to investigate interpret and evaluate this relationship.
However, it is clear that not only on the African side is there this disinterest but also on the Caribbean side. With all the Emancipation celebrations (notice that Jamaican Overseas Missions only celebrate our independence), all the wearing of African garb, all the eating of African food, all the talk of repatriation and all the black consciousness and pride there is no serious political, spiritual, and economic will to make a more meaningful collaboration between African and Caribbean universities a reality.
Rev Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church and author of 'Rebellion to Riot: The Jamaican Church in nation-building'
