OMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Patricia Miller
COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR: Dr. Pamela Barber-Freeman

TITLE: DETERMINING IF A BENEFIT RELATIONSHIP EXISTS BETWEEN BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES PARTNERSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

ABSTRACT: The goal of this quantitative study was to determine if a benefit relationship existed, based on enrollment data, between HBCUs and colleges and universities in Ghana, West Africa. The study utilized statistical regression modeling to analyze potential academic, socio-cultural, economic, and political relationships. The study’s target population was identified among Ghanaian institutions engaged in any of the substantive partnerships/alliances outlined in this research. The sample from the target population consisted only of the institutions whose enrollment data could be accessed through archival, open-access means. The study was parameterized using dates that coincide with the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG). The data identified a strong academic benefit from these relationships for both HBCUs and Ghanaian institutions. HBCUs specifically benefit from expanded research collaboration opportunities, the further internationalization of curriculum, the development of joint degree programs, and increased experiential learning, which leads to greater student and faculty mobility. Based on the Ubuntu Framework, there is also a strong socio-cultural benefit relationship. For HBCUs, this manifests in multidisciplinary professional and scholarly networks, the development of intercultural competence, and academic global development through sustainability initiatives. Although the economic implications were assessed using indirect metrics from the data, it was determined that there was a moderate economic benefit relationship between HBCUs and Ghanaian institutional partnerships. For HBCUs, these financial benefits include, but are not limited to, enhanced competitiveness for multilateral fellowships and grants, collaborative research contracts, external awards, scholarships, and transnational block grants. Lastly, the data indicated a limited geopolitical benefit relationship. For HBCUs, this showed up in the form of reinforced communal values through diplomacy and Pan-African engagement strategies, joint research that addresses regional stability and security, the strategic enhancement of global visibility, and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) Subsequent research questions addressed through this study identified a statistically significant increase in female enrollment. The data further indicated that Ghanaian Polytechnics/Technical Colleges increased their enrollment at a statistically significant, greater rate compared to Ghanaian four-year universities. The data identified no statistically significant enrollment increase for four-year universities in Ghana after the implementation of the UN SDG.

Keywords: African Academic Diaspora, global knowledge economy, Ubuntu educational paradigm, Student-centered knowledge networks.

Location Online:

Zoom Link:

https://pvpanther.zoom.us/j/98391708452?pwd=gEzEdDeBSBnJSeTRGYqZUw8typh9UG.1

Meeting ID: 983 9170 8452

Passcode: 246427