'Divorced universities' could thrive through community bond

Unless African universities address community needs through the kinds of knowledge and graduates they are producing, their sustainability will come under threat as important local sources of funding and popular support are withdrawn, according to participatory research pioneer Rajesh Tandon. The current disconnect is so severe that not only are the universities failing to consider and foster understanding of local development needs, they may even be increasing the gulf between the students and their communities and cultures, says Tandon, who has been a codirector of the Chair in Community-Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education since the position was founded by UNESCO in 2012.