Scholarships and its Impact on Economic Development
On 16 March 2009 it will be organised a conference in Luanda to commemorate 25 years of existence of Chevening scholarships. These scholarships are prestigious awards offered by the British government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office to international students for study in the United Kingdom.
Accordingly, as a former Chevening scholar, I find opportune to explore why and how scholarship matter for an economy development. Generally, a scholarship programme is a financial assistance available to students to support their studies within the country or overseas. Hence, the attempt to explain the necessity of scholarship requires an understanding of why education matter. Education contributes to Economic Growth and Social Stability. No country can achieve sustainable economic development without substantial investment in human capital.
Education raises people’s productivity and creativity. It promotes entrepreneurship and technological advances. Moreover, education plays a very crucial role in securing social progress and improving income distribution. Achieving universal primary education is the second Millennium Develop Goal (MDG) and is directly related to achievement of each of the other seven MDGs. Scholars and practitioners argue that the promotion of education and research can be useful strategy to fight poverty in Africa.
To respond to this preoccupation there have been accelerating demand for basic and higher levels of education in most African countries. However, the key challenge for Africa is how universities can be aligned to support economic development, the eradication of poverty and sustainable use of natural resources. In general, this growing demand for education has exceeded the rate of growth of resources available to satisfy it. An empirical research by DFID shown that despite public expenditure restraint under different programmes of macroeconomic adjustment, there has been a sound increase in government expenditure on education in many African countries.
Although public expenditures on education expressed as shares of per capita growth (GDP) have remained more or less constant, they have declined after debt costs are taken into account. Substantially, average public expenditures per student are declining in real terms or are stagnant at low absolute levels because of population growth and increased participation.
The natures of major problems of education in many developing countries, mainly in Africa, are both quantitative and qualitative. Limited number of universities and research centre – poor academic facilities and restraint number of qualified lecturers affect the quality of education system in these countries.
The process of restoring educational infrastructure that suffered widespread destruction during the armed conflict will take long time. For example, the sole University public in Angola, Agostinho Neto as well as the existing private universities have only few post-graduate programmes and limited field of specialisation and research centre. Moreover, their quality in term of facilities and services requires constant improvement. These difficulties justify the extent to which scholarships for study abroad are hardly needed.
Moreover, studying in developed world enables students from developing world to acquire new scientific knowledge and skills that can be hardly found in their countries – enable students from developing countries to be in a multicultural environment, to meet and live with people from all over the world. During his presentation for professorship’s defence, his Excellency Angolan Minister of Economy, Professor Manuel Junior was right to state that developing countries shall take advantage of globalisation to send much more students to the developed World in order to learn new skills that can be used to boost their economies. Arguing about Angola, the Minister of Economy insisted on the fact that, apart from building physical infrastructures, education is key to achieve a sustaining of economic development in our country.
However, it is important to bear in mind that pursuing an academic or vocational programme, mainly abroad, is often costly and requires steady financial support. Thus, scholarships are useful as they enable people to undertake studies they could otherwise not afford. Hence in principle one shall argue that scholarships are crucial for economic development as they provide opportunities for people to develop their potential through improved skills and knowledge to achieve transformation of their countries.
However, it is crucial to point out that in some circumstances scholarship programmes can be misused and therefore presenting more harms than benefit to economy. This acquire when selection of candidate for scholarship is done in unclear manners to satisfy informal relations or when recipients use their awards as a way to escape their countries and live quality life in developed countries. As a result there waste of resources and brain-drain that break economic prosperity.
Accordingly, following are three criteria for scholarship to play a positive role for economic development. First a scholarship shall be awarded on basis of merit: the selection of candidates must be transparent and rigorous. Recipients shall demonstrate intellectual capability to conduct their studies and vision for their countries. In addition of being able to conduct their selected fields of study, beneficiaries must define their perspective about the role they can play for socio-economic development of their countries. Second, the information about scholarships must be opened to all in order to allow widespread applications. The criteria for selection must be clearly explained to avoid disappointment for the non-selected candidates.
The more there is high numbers of applicants for a scholarship programme, the better chance there is to select best candidates who, after conclusion of their studies, can provide fruitful human capabilities for sustainable economic development of their countries. Third, there must be follow up of scholars after their studies. Scholarship organizations must find out how the people they sponsored evolve. The better understanding of their success and challenges in their countries may enable scholarship organisations to redefine their selection criteria.
Most importantly, beneficiary countries shall take advantage and set up institutions channel qualified workforce for sustainable socio-economic developments.
Accordingly, as a former Chevening scholar, I find opportune to explore why and how scholarship matter for an economy development. Generally, a scholarship programme is a financial assistance available to students to support their studies within the country or overseas. Hence, the attempt to explain the necessity of scholarship requires an understanding of why education matter. Education contributes to Economic Growth and Social Stability. No country can achieve sustainable economic development without substantial investment in human capital.
Education raises people’s productivity and creativity. It promotes entrepreneurship and technological advances. Moreover, education plays a very crucial role in securing social progress and improving income distribution. Achieving universal primary education is the second Millennium Develop Goal (MDG) and is directly related to achievement of each of the other seven MDGs. Scholars and practitioners argue that the promotion of education and research can be useful strategy to fight poverty in Africa.
To respond to this preoccupation there have been accelerating demand for basic and higher levels of education in most African countries. However, the key challenge for Africa is how universities can be aligned to support economic development, the eradication of poverty and sustainable use of natural resources. In general, this growing demand for education has exceeded the rate of growth of resources available to satisfy it. An empirical research by DFID shown that despite public expenditure restraint under different programmes of macroeconomic adjustment, there has been a sound increase in government expenditure on education in many African countries.
Although public expenditures on education expressed as shares of per capita growth (GDP) have remained more or less constant, they have declined after debt costs are taken into account. Substantially, average public expenditures per student are declining in real terms or are stagnant at low absolute levels because of population growth and increased participation.
The natures of major problems of education in many developing countries, mainly in Africa, are both quantitative and qualitative. Limited number of universities and research centre – poor academic facilities and restraint number of qualified lecturers affect the quality of education system in these countries.
The process of restoring educational infrastructure that suffered widespread destruction during the armed conflict will take long time. For example, the sole University public in Angola, Agostinho Neto as well as the existing private universities have only few post-graduate programmes and limited field of specialisation and research centre. Moreover, their quality in term of facilities and services requires constant improvement. These difficulties justify the extent to which scholarships for study abroad are hardly needed.
Moreover, studying in developed world enables students from developing world to acquire new scientific knowledge and skills that can be hardly found in their countries – enable students from developing countries to be in a multicultural environment, to meet and live with people from all over the world. During his presentation for professorship’s defence, his Excellency Angolan Minister of Economy, Professor Manuel Junior was right to state that developing countries shall take advantage of globalisation to send much more students to the developed World in order to learn new skills that can be used to boost their economies. Arguing about Angola, the Minister of Economy insisted on the fact that, apart from building physical infrastructures, education is key to achieve a sustaining of economic development in our country.
However, it is important to bear in mind that pursuing an academic or vocational programme, mainly abroad, is often costly and requires steady financial support. Thus, scholarships are useful as they enable people to undertake studies they could otherwise not afford. Hence in principle one shall argue that scholarships are crucial for economic development as they provide opportunities for people to develop their potential through improved skills and knowledge to achieve transformation of their countries.
However, it is crucial to point out that in some circumstances scholarship programmes can be misused and therefore presenting more harms than benefit to economy. This acquire when selection of candidate for scholarship is done in unclear manners to satisfy informal relations or when recipients use their awards as a way to escape their countries and live quality life in developed countries. As a result there waste of resources and brain-drain that break economic prosperity.
Accordingly, following are three criteria for scholarship to play a positive role for economic development. First a scholarship shall be awarded on basis of merit: the selection of candidates must be transparent and rigorous. Recipients shall demonstrate intellectual capability to conduct their studies and vision for their countries. In addition of being able to conduct their selected fields of study, beneficiaries must define their perspective about the role they can play for socio-economic development of their countries. Second, the information about scholarships must be opened to all in order to allow widespread applications. The criteria for selection must be clearly explained to avoid disappointment for the non-selected candidates.
The more there is high numbers of applicants for a scholarship programme, the better chance there is to select best candidates who, after conclusion of their studies, can provide fruitful human capabilities for sustainable economic development of their countries. Third, there must be follow up of scholars after their studies. Scholarship organizations must find out how the people they sponsored evolve. The better understanding of their success and challenges in their countries may enable scholarship organisations to redefine their selection criteria.
Most importantly, beneficiary countries shall take advantage and set up institutions channel qualified workforce for sustainable socio-economic developments.
Education contributes to economic growth. No country can achieve sustainable development without investment in human capital.