Societal relevance of higher education: An Afrocentric theoretical framework

• An Afrocentric framework of higher education societal relevance is proposed. • African indigenous knowledge systems can rejuvenate higher education relevance. • Higher education relevance as multidimensional, multiscalar and dynamic. • An alternative to the colonial higher education model proposed. • Aligns with decolonization movements, Pan Africanism and sustainable development. Recognizing the colonial legacy of African higher education, which predominantly embraced Western knowledge systems, this study calls for a paradigm shift toward incorporating African Indigenous knowledge systems to rejuvenate and sustain the sector's societal relevance. Employing philosophical methods of explication and conceptual re-engineering on African individual and communal epistemologies, an Afrocentric framework of higher education societal relevance is proposed. The framework acknowledges the multidimensional, multiscalar and dynamic nature of the phenomenon. The core thesis is that higher education societal relevance is ubiquitous- all university missions and support structures embody it. The framework is conceived around five domains each highlighting different aspects of higher education societal relevance: substantive (attuning to the what of education), methodological (the how of education), teleological (the why of education), procedural (university governance), and relational (university-society engagements). Overall, the framework aims to foster a comprehensive understanding of higher education that is responsive to Africa's unique cultural, economic, historical, and social contexts and emerging needs. It signifies a critical first step towards redefining higher education to ensure its relevance and contribution to human and societal development, and to the transformation as well as preservation of African knowledge systems. This original and novel approach challenges the conceptual and philosophical underpinnings of the colonial higher education model and aligns with decolonization movements, discourses of Pan Africanism and African renaissance, and sustainable development. Further scholarship is warranted to further qualify the framework across diverse African contexts, thereby contributing to a more contextually relevant higher education landscape on the continent.