Unpacking “Relevance” in North–South Collaboration

Authors

  • Ayenachew A. Woldegiyorgis Center for International Higher Education, Boston College
  • Wondwosen Tamrat St. Mary’s University
  • Damtew Teferra University of KwaZulu-Natal

Keywords:

Relevance, academic collaboration, North–South collaboration, international funding regimes, power dynamics in collaboration

Abstract

“Relevance” is a prevalent term in the lexicon of international academic collaboration. Yet, its true practical meaning remains elusive. Who determines what is relevant? How is relevance assessed? What underpins the notion of relevance in different contexts? These are some of the questions that emphasize the difficulty in having a shared understanding of relevance in academic collaboration. Any attempt to address this challenge will first have to explore the factors contributing to it.

Author Biographies

Ayenachew A. Woldegiyorgis, Center for International Higher Education, Boston College

Ayenachew A. Woldegiyorgis is a postdoctoral research associate, Center for International Higher Education, Boston College, US. Email: woldegiy@bc.edu

Wondwosen Tamrat, St. Mary’s University

Wondwosen Tamrat is associate professor, founder–president of St. Mary’s University, Ethiopia, and PROPHE affiliate. Email: wondwosentamrat@gmail.com or preswond@smuc.edu.et.

Damtew Teferra, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Damtew Teferra is professor of higher education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, director of research and programs at the Association of African Universities, and founding director of the International Network for Higher Education in Africa (INHEA). Email: teferra@ukzn.ac.za.

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Published

2022-10-11

How to Cite

Woldegiyorgis, A. ., Tamrat, W. ., & Teferra, D. . (2022). Unpacking “Relevance” in North–South Collaboration. International Higher Education, (112), 7–9. Retrieved from https://ejournals.bc.edu/index.php/ihe/article/view/15727

Issue

No. 112 (2022): Fall Issue

Section

Articles

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