The developmental university

Abstract

This chapter outlines the model of university that provides the best fit with the role proposed in the SDGs. The developmental university emerged in Africa in the post-independence period, but has its roots in the nineteenth-century land grant institutions in the USA, with other antecedents in Latin America. It has four primary characteristics: service to society, egalitarianism, non-academic impact and application of knowledge. Examples of developmental universities in practice are discussed, including the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Ghana, and the ‘thematic’ federal universities in Brazil. Finally, the challenges facing these institutions are assessed, including resource constraints and the possible encroachment on autonomy from the close relationship with the state.