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| Journal of Higher Education in Africa | |
|---|---|
| Title | Journal of Higher Education in Africa |
| Discipline | Higher education; African studies |
| Abbreviation | JHEA |
| Publisher | Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa |
| Country | Senegal |
| History | 2003–present |
| Frequency | Biannual |
Journal of Higher Education in Africa is a peer-reviewed scholarly periodical concentrating on tertiary instruction, policy, institutional development, and research in African contexts. It publishes research articles, policy analyses, and book reviews that engage with universities, colleges, research councils, and international funders across the African continent. The journal situates African higher learning within comparative frameworks that reference global institutions, regional organizations, and historical trajectories.
The journal was founded in the early 2000s by the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa alongside partnerships with African universities and research institutes in Dakar, Lagos, and Nairobi. Founding editors drew on networks involving University of Cape Town, Makerere University, University of Ibadan, University of Dar es Salaam, and Université Cheikh Anta Diop to consolidate scholarship previously dispersed across national publications. Early issues featured dialogues referencing initiatives such as the New Partnership for Africa's Development, the African Union Higher Education Ministers’ meetings, and programs by UNESCO and the World Bank. Over successive editorial tenures the journal expanded collaborations with publishing houses, regional associations like the Association of African Universities and international partners including Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies and Institute of Development Studies.
The journal addresses institutional governance, academic staffing, curriculum reform, research capacity, funding mechanisms, and transnational partnerships. Articles contextualize subjects within policy documents from bodies like the African Development Bank, the European Union, and the Commonwealth of Nations while engaging case studies from countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Ghana. Interdisciplinary work links to scholarship from the African Studies Association, the Royal African Society, and disciplinary centers at Columbia University, London School of Economics, and Sorbonne University. The scope includes comparative analyses that juxtapose African institutions with counterparts like University of Oxford, Harvard University, Peking University, and University of Melbourne to discuss rankings, accreditation, and internationalization.
An editorial board typically comprises scholars and policy practitioners affiliated with universities and agencies, including representatives from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, national ministries of science and technology, and research councils such as the National Research Foundation (South Africa). The editor-in-chief coordinates peer review, relying on external reviewers drawn from institutions like Stanford University, University of Michigan, University of Toronto, Heinrich Böll Stiftung, and regional centers in Accra and Addis Ababa. Governance arrangements adhere to ethical guidelines promoted by organizations such as the Committee on Publication Ethics and institutional review panels at partner universities including University of Pretoria and Stellenbosch University. Advisory boards have included members linked to foundations like the Ford Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation, and donors such as DFID.
Published biannually, the journal is produced in partnership with the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa and distributed to libraries at institutions including the Library of Congress, British Library, and major African university libraries. The access model has evolved to incorporate open-access options in alignment with mandates from funders such as the Wellcome Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation while maintaining subscription arrangements with academic consortia. Print runs are complemented by digital archives accessible through platforms used by JSTOR, DOAJ, and institutional repositories hosted by universities like University of Ghana, University of Nairobi, and Université Cheikh Anta Diop.
The journal is indexed in regional and international databases overseen by organizations such as Scopus, EBSCO, and the Emerging Sources Citation Index. Citation metrics reference connections to scholarship cited in journals like African Affairs, Comparative Education Review, Higher Education, and policy briefs produced by OECD and African Union Commission. Its impact is measured by uptake among ministries of higher education in countries including Uganda, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Rwanda and via inclusion in course reading lists at institutions such as University of Lagos and Makerere University.
Contributions have examined massification of tertiary enrollment in South Africa, academic labor precarity in Nigeria, research funding ecosystems in Kenya and Ethiopia, and the role of language policy at institutions like Université Cheikh Anta Diop and University of Ibadan. Special issues have foregrounded topics tied to continent-wide agendas such as the African Continental Free Trade Area implications for research mobility, the Sustainable Development Goals debates connected to United Nations frameworks, and partnerships with networks like African Research Universities Alliance. Influential pieces have been cited by reports from World Bank, the African Union, and the Association of African Universities.
Scholars and policymakers have praised the journal for consolidating African-focused higher education scholarship and for fostering networks between universities and development agencies like UNICEF and WHO. Critiques have centered on representational balance, arguing for greater inclusion of francophone and lusophone scholarship from regions such as Mali, Angola, and Mozambique, and calls for expanded engagement with practitioners from technical universities and polytechnics like Nelson Mandela University and Nnamdi Azikiwe University. Debates persist regarding editorial independence when navigating funding relationships with entities including the World Bank and philanthropic organizations.
Category:Academic journals