Path to World Class University: The African Perspective

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the reasons behind the dismal performance by top ranking of universities in Africa compared to their global counterparts, with an aim of finding ways to improve the performance by African universities. The study sampled the top 15 universities in the world and compared them against the top 15 African universities. The study identified shared characteristics in top universities that catapult them to the top positions. Thus the study was descriptive and comparative in nature. The sampled universities were analysed on the basis of shared characteristics which included the type of university (comprehensive or programme specific, type and number of programmes offered by the universities, common courses across the universities as well as the correlation between the type and number of courses offered and the university’s webometrics ranking. The study used the webometrics ranking. The study identified shared characteristics in top universities that catapult them to the top positions. The analysis of these characteristics allowed the study to make recommendations on how African universities can enhance their webometrics ranking to compete favorably against their global counterparts.