Challenges facing higher education governance practices on the African continent : editorial

In this article we argue that higher education institutions on the African continent are faced with a dilemma in their patterns of governance. This dilemma arises from particular conceptions and expectations of higher education, on the one hand, and the relationship between higher education and society, on the other hand. Higher education institutions on the continent, particularly public institutions, are in many ways put in a corner in having to choose between serving the public interest and fulfilling the core business of higher education. This position is further complicated by the demands of globalisation and neoliberalism. In view of these challenges, we state that the claims to higher education autonomy have become more complicated, hence making such claims can be more difficult to understand at face value. The article mainly uses an interpretive / critical philosophical approach towards higher education practices.