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The vision of 'Africa's Impressive Growth' has been espoused to great excitement and acclaim in recent years, a reigniting of the euphoria of the independence era of African nations in the 1950s and 1960s. Geci Karuri-Sebina, Alioune Sall, Rasigan Maharajh and Alinah Segobye test the credibility of the claim and reflect it against six key developmental dimensions: political, economic, social, technological, learning, and ecological. They suggest that Africa needs a more grounded perspective on her future prospects, one that could be bright depending on improved education and leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective in this paper is to review the technology stations program at Tshwane University of Technology. The technology stations are a product of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) policy objectives. The DST's policy is aimed at strengthening and expanding mutually beneficial links between universities of technology and small, medium-sized and micro enterprises (SMMEs). The analysis disclosed the contribution of the technology stations to technology transfer in the SMME economy of the electronics and chemicals sub-sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The third mission encompasses all activities of universities beyond their first and second missions, education and research. An analysis of various countries with different economic, political and geographic features reveals an increased demand for such activities in particular with regard to technology transfer, but also as to the support of the civil society in more general terms. Therefore the universities have to find a new balance between education, research and transfer/extension. However, suitable solutions are often complicated by the orientation of the universities and the policy actors on non-scrutinized paradigms originating in other contexts. The strategies in different countries are embedded in their specific context, making it impossible to determine a best practice. Nonetheless, many interesting approaches can be observed, and mutual learning can be fruitful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a synthesis of the July 2005 Development Report published by the Development Bank of Southern Africa, Human Sciences Research Council and United Nations Development Programme (DBSA, HSRC and UNDP). The Report asks why, if the origins of economic dualism are rooted in the cheap, forced, migrant labour introduced by the mining industry and reinforced during apartheid, does dualism persist under democracy when all the relevant laws and many of the practices of the past have been abolished? The breakdown of apartheid did not immediately translate into improved material conditions for the majority of South Africans: 300 years of colonialism and 50 of internal colonialism had hard-wired a duality into the system. Two worlds, which may be conceptualised as the first and second economies, coexisted: a globally integrated world of production, exchange and consumption, and a constrained world of informality, poverty and marginalisation. This synthesis sheds light on the origin and nature of the ‘second economy’ metaphor, and suggests solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two time-honoured tasks of universities are teaching and research which have long provided society with specific skills and new knowledge and ideas. Expectations have increased exponentially and demands are originating from a much wider range of stakeholders. Universities are now given progressively more important roles in economic expansion, social development, better forms of political organization and governance, plus providing education for more students, and developing and transferring technology to industry. The capacity of universities to respond is insufficient, in both the developed and developing worlds. New models to guide the evolution of universities include the triple helix, the creation of entrepreneurial or specialized universities, large-scale excellence-driven environments or the concept of developmental universities. Most of these ultimately suggest that the universities move towards technology-oriented third missions, thus a closer interaction with enterprises. This special issue of Science and Public Policy explores such issues in 12 countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]