2ND CARTA VICE CHANCELLOR'S MEETING CARTA 2ND VICE CHANCELLORS MEETING REPORT | Page 46

© Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) & University of Nairobi (UoN)
ANNEX II: SUMMARY OF GROUP DISCUSSIONS FOR THE PAPER
GROUP 1: FUNDING AND DIFFERENTIATION
Group one comprised of the following members
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
I.
Prof. Abel Olayinka, Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan – Chairing
Prof. Alfred Mtenje, Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Malawi
Prof. Alex Ezeh, Executive Director, APHRC and Co-Director, CARTA
Prof. Adam Habib, Vice Chancellor, University of the Witwatersrand
Dr. Kafuruki Shubia, Head of Training, Ifakara Health Institute
Dr. Rose Opiyo, CARTA Graduate, University of Nairobi
Prof. Peter Ngure, CARTA Program Manager
Ms. Naomi Nyaboga, Advancement Office, UoN - Rapporteuring
FUNDING
Background on funding
Most African public universities remain underfunded by governments and the funding that is received
pays for basic operating costs requiring the universities to seek for alternative sources of funding.
Funders are not interested in paying for infrastructure development and this is linked to the fact that
there has been immensive growth and mushrooming of universities. This has led to many private
Universities charging high tuition fees.
The members noted that the Government funds most public universities in the United States. For
instance, Berkeley University’s subsidy for research by Government is 7%. About 90% of funding for
most US Universities comes from the Government and alumni contributions; the research is therefore
funded by the US state. Funding of research in the US from the government comes through
institutions like the Center for Disease control (CDC), National Institute of Health and many others.
Faced with declining public funding, African Universities must now look for new models to finance
research and innovation. Universities are also at the risk of losing their academic talent to the private
sector and even to other countries abroad if they are not remunerated adequately and if their
working environment is not conducive for research, teaching and learning.
Current Sources of funding
In Kenya, Government research funding institutions include the National Commission for Science,
Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI) and the National Research Fund (NRF). The Government of
Kenya has set aside 2% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to research and development. In Nigeria
about 2% of the funding for universities comes from the private sector.
Kenya’s interest in the promotion of Science Technology and Innovations (ST&I) has been on for
various initiatives. During the first Medium Term Plan (MTP I), one of the focus areas was to create
deliberate efforts to address intensification of innovation in priority sectors. To address this, in
2008/2009 financial year, the Government consolidated the research funds that were under, the then
Commission of Higher Education (CHE) into a research endowment grants budget line which was
administered by the then National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) on behalf of the then
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. The initial allocation of this grant amounted to KES
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CARTA’s 2 nd Vice Chancellor’s Meeting –Report of meeting proceedings – July 10-11, 2017