donors have a great interest in catalysing ambitious and high-value partnerships to
transform the quality, relevance, inclusiveness and value of Higher Education (HE)
(Chap. 5 Vol. 1). For example, the UK Department for International Development
(DFID) supports a GBP 45 million fund through its Strategic Partnerships for Higher
Education Innovation and Reform (SPHEIR) programme.
In this respect, HEIs in SSA have the potential to generate the knowledge and
practical solutions to solve many of the prevailing sustainability challenges
discussed throughout these two volumes. However, despite the current pledges to
promoting sustainability through education and research, an online survey of
73 HEIs across SSA highlighted the very low number of related research and
outreach projects and academic involvement in sustainable development initiatives
(GUNi et al. 2011). The top two barriers include the insufficient funding levels
(mainly due to low state support for higher education), followed by the lack of
human resources due to the prevailing shortage of staff development opportunities
(GUNi et al. 2011). Other key barriers include the lack of awareness and information
and inadequate university research agendas on programmes and activities related to
sustainability (GUNi et al. 2011).
Despite its significant progress
2 , Ghana still grapples with major sustainability
challenges including a rapidly increasing population, persistent poverty, climate
change, environmental degradation and urbanization (Thompson 2015) (see
Chap. 6 Vol. 1). These sustainability challenges have led to ecosystem degradation
and biodiversity loss, with important ramifications for critical sectors such as water,
energy, food, health, shelter and security (e.g. Cobbinah et al. 2015a, b). Despite the
multitude of policies, strategies and plans in place to tackle these sustainability
challenges, there are still major challenges in their effective implementation and in
achieving good performance (e.g. Domfeh et al. 2012; Fuseini and Kemp 2015).
January 2016, Ghana adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
prioritizing issues such as climate change, economic equality, sustainable consumption, peace and justice. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have become a
key element of the national development agenda seeking to address in a sustainable
manner domestic challenges related to economic development including food security, health, sustainable energy, and natural resource management
3
. Although Ghana
currently ranks 109th (out of 157 countries with a score of 59.9) in its overall SDG
performance, it ranks sixth best in SSA (Sachs et al. 2017). Ghana aims at achieving
2 Ghana achieved lower-middle income status in 2010, but still ranks 55th (out of 79 developing
economies) in the Inclusive Development Index (IDI), exhibiting exceedingly high debt-to-GDP
ratio, high poverty rate and insufficient protection of its natural capital (WEF 2017). A recurring
theme within the national short- and medium-term development plans is to transform the economy
to (a) achieve annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of at least 8 and 10% (non-oil- and
oil-inclusive averages, respectively), and (b) sustain per capita income levels of at least USD 3,000
by 2020 (GoG-NDPC 2014). These figures would require substantial improvements compared to
the 2016 levels of non-oil-inclusive GDP (4.9%) and per capita income (USD 1507) (GSS 2017).
3 These goals have been integrated into the current Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social
Development Policies (2017–2024) and the draft of the national Long-Term Development Plan.
8 Strategic Partnerships Between Universities and Non-academic Institutions for. . .
247
transform the quality, relevance, inclusiveness and value of Higher Education (HE)
(Chap. 5 Vol. 1). For example, the UK Department for International Development
(DFID) supports a GBP 45 million fund through its Strategic Partnerships for Higher
Education Innovation and Reform (SPHEIR) programme.
In this respect, HEIs in SSA have the potential to generate the knowledge and
practical solutions to solve many of the prevailing sustainability challenges
discussed throughout these two volumes. However, despite the current pledges to
promoting sustainability through education and research, an online survey of
73 HEIs across SSA highlighted the very low number of related research and
outreach projects and academic involvement in sustainable development initiatives
(GUNi et al. 2011). The top two barriers include the insufficient funding levels
(mainly due to low state support for higher education), followed by the lack of
human resources due to the prevailing shortage of staff development opportunities
(GUNi et al. 2011). Other key barriers include the lack of awareness and information
and inadequate university research agendas on programmes and activities related to
sustainability (GUNi et al. 2011).
Despite its significant progress
2 , Ghana still grapples with major sustainability
challenges including a rapidly increasing population, persistent poverty, climate
change, environmental degradation and urbanization (Thompson 2015) (see
Chap. 6 Vol. 1). These sustainability challenges have led to ecosystem degradation
and biodiversity loss, with important ramifications for critical sectors such as water,
energy, food, health, shelter and security (e.g. Cobbinah et al. 2015a, b). Despite the
multitude of policies, strategies and plans in place to tackle these sustainability
challenges, there are still major challenges in their effective implementation and in
achieving good performance (e.g. Domfeh et al. 2012; Fuseini and Kemp 2015).
January 2016, Ghana adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
prioritizing issues such as climate change, economic equality, sustainable consumption, peace and justice. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have become a
key element of the national development agenda seeking to address in a sustainable
manner domestic challenges related to economic development including food security, health, sustainable energy, and natural resource management
3
. Although Ghana
currently ranks 109th (out of 157 countries with a score of 59.9) in its overall SDG
performance, it ranks sixth best in SSA (Sachs et al. 2017). Ghana aims at achieving
2 Ghana achieved lower-middle income status in 2010, but still ranks 55th (out of 79 developing
economies) in the Inclusive Development Index (IDI), exhibiting exceedingly high debt-to-GDP
ratio, high poverty rate and insufficient protection of its natural capital (WEF 2017). A recurring
theme within the national short- and medium-term development plans is to transform the economy
to (a) achieve annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of at least 8 and 10% (non-oil- and
oil-inclusive averages, respectively), and (b) sustain per capita income levels of at least USD 3,000
by 2020 (GoG-NDPC 2014). These figures would require substantial improvements compared to
the 2016 levels of non-oil-inclusive GDP (4.9%) and per capita income (USD 1507) (GSS 2017).
3 These goals have been integrated into the current Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social
Development Policies (2017–2024) and the draft of the national Long-Term Development Plan.
8 Strategic Partnerships Between Universities and Non-academic Institutions for. . .
247