In the context of globalisation and the world’s complexities, the need for sharing knowledge between higher learning institutions and community has become increasingly evident in recent years. 

Historically, higher learning institutions were perceived as a source of new ideas and community offered a natural route to maximising the use of these ideas.

Proper utilisation of any research and evidence from university in development and practice were perceived to help save lives, reduce poverty and improve the quality of life.

Universities were viewed to be core drivers of any problem-solving entity of academia that provides solutions to real world problems.

This was definitely achieved by basic and applied research, thus bringing the most advanced knowledge base to the field, the ultimate test bed of theories, hypotheses developed in the research and teaching environment in these academic institutions.

Today, Africa registers the highest rate of higher learning institutions’ establishment by governments, individuals and even organizations.

The proprietors of these universities and colleges tend to focus on different needs of the society: technology, agriculture, community development, among others.

Indeed, when a new university is set up, it marks another milestone presenting a knowledge and skills hub within our community.

We also see expansion of the existing higher learning institutions, public and private, opening campuses in remote areas.

This as well brings lots of expectations as far as changing lives is concerned that include employment opportunities, offering useful information through college research centres for the community, initiating projects that utilise new technology or implementing creative solutions to varied problems in the immediate neighborhoods.

Consequently, higher education fraternity, which include our learned professors, are critical institutional actors that supply and use skills, research and other innovative approaches in making life better.

Therefore, it would be of no use having a university specialized in agricultural disciplines while the community around it is overburdened by archaic methods of cultivation, perennial livestock diseases, and uncontrollable farm pests, among other challenges.

Think of a school of medicine situated somewhere on the outskirts of an urban centre while children in the vicinity suffer from Kwashiorkor and other malnutrition disorders.

This, of course, might be one of the challenges our higher learning institutions live up to while they are expected to provide practical solutions to a host of major societal problems such as energy, security, transport, health, climate change, food security and so on.

While the policymakers could be regarding these as outside the immediate purview of the tertiary education system, they should begin using such dimensions in formulating policies to improve higher education, thus keeping reforms consistent with any emerging issues.

Ignoring this trend is what contributes to a disconnect between the academia and the policymakers or the low livelihoods that might be seen in the neighborhood of higher learning institutions.

The public and our policymakers need to be aware that our universities play a unique role in many areas: in educating and training students who become the next generation of informed and engaged citizens, scholars in all disciplines, professionals and leaders in all fields, and, of course, the scientists and engineers who help us solve the complex issues in our society.

Policymakers should also promote the emergence of think-tanks within and outside of universities by efficiently assessing the vast array of knowledge available at their disposal to design practical and robust policies.

They can best use research from our scholars and move towards evidence-based policy-making hence eliminating the disconnect between them and the researchers.

The recently signed collaborative research MoU between the Ministry of Natural Resources and the University of Rwanda is a typical example of what ought to be. Linking Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) policy making with research activities carried out in the country will ensure that there is synergy between policy and regulatory frameworks and new generated knowledge.

The collaboration between the two institutions will greatly facilitate building of knowledge and skills within the Environment and Natural Resources Sector.

Such are key incubators of the innovation and creativity that will enhance national productivity and competitiveness; they provide skills to future high-level research, technical, managerial, and administrative personnel who will lead government institutions and businesses.

As American historian and political science professor Howard Zinn once said, "the resources of a university, of a college, should not be wasted in merely academic pursuits.”

oscar.kimanuka@yahoo.co.uk