SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SKILLS FOR AFRIC A’S DE VELOPMENT MARCH 2014 85807 Mozambique’s Sustained Efforts on Higher Education, Science and Technology Country Context Mozambique’s economic KEY MESSAGES performance over the past two n Mozambique has prioritized the development of higher decades has been strong. The education with a focus on science and technology. government pursued a structural n Building a higher education system from scratch requires long- reform program focused on term external technical and financial support and government facilitating private-sector-led growth commitment. in a context of macroeconomic n Strong policies and visible progress have attracted international stability, more efficient fiscal policy and significant donor support. funding. Mozambique’s economy registered n Further efforts are needed to expand science and technology an average annual growth rate of programs. nearly 8 percent between 2001 n The momentum must be maintained so students are prepared and 2012. Agriculture, which employs about 78 percent of the for jobs in Mozambique’s emerging economy. active population, accounts for about 25 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), followed by trade skills development of graduates, not campaigns were initiated and and retail services at 12 percent. only to respond to a fast emerging heavy investments made in primary Manufacturing declined in relative economy that requires highly and secondary education. To staff terms and accounted for just 10 specialized skills but also to improve the country’s single university, productivity in the informal sector Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) percent of GDP in 2012, compared to and reduce poverty. Programs that lecturers were hired from abroad 17 percent ten years ago. focus on skills development and and national staff sent overseas for Mozambique is fast becoming a technology transfer play a key role education and training. A distinct world-class destination for mining in generating long-term social and international foundation was thus and gas; it already plays an important economic benefits. Such programs laid for Mozambique’s higher role in aluminum production and will improve productivity in agriculture education system. soon be a major exporter of gas and and aid the implementation of coal. The extractive sector accounts transparent measures to convert The Evolution of for 5 percent of GDP but is expected extractive industry revenues into Higher Education in to contribute 10 percent in the next sustainable economic activities. Mozambique 5 to 10 years. Mozambique is set to continue its good macroeconomic In 1985, the government created Starting from Scratch the Pedagogical University (known management and an overall policy of When Mozambique became as UP) specifically for the training inclusive development. independent in 1975, 93 percent of secondary school teachers. This In spite of the recent boom in of the population lacked an move revitalized higher education. extractive industries, most of the education and the country had Recognizing the importance of new entrants into the labor force virtually no education system for international partnerships for the have not been absorbed by capital its citizens. The government was development of the country, the intensive projects. The government faced with an immense challenge: government opened a third higher has realized that there is a skills to build education and, in particular, education institute in 1986, the mismatch and is fast implementing higher education up from scratch. Higher Institute of International concerted programs to address Massive countrywide literacy Relations, also known as Instituto Superior de Relações Internacionais universities—UEM, UP and ISRI— of scientific councils; it also paved (ISRI), which focused on training people geographically concentrated in the way for scientific research as a in diplomacy and foreign affairs. Mozambique’s capital city, Maputo— viable career. Recognizing the need to the country’s capacity to deliver focus on science and technology, the From the late 1980s to 2000, the higher education accelerated after a government approved the science higher education system was legal reform in 1993 allowed private policy in 2003 and in 2006 laid out plagued by inefficiencies. There were higher education institutions to the National Strategy for Science not enough universities to absorb operate. Since then, the number and Technology. These instruments students eager to pursue their studies of private and public institutions laid the foundation for a regulatory in higher education. The outdated has increased to 39 with a student framework conducive to building, curricula produced graduates population above 123,000 (Table 1). whose skills and knowledge did in close partnership with the region not meet employers’ demands. The and other international partners, an SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY innovative system adjusted to the university staff was overwhelmed by COME INTO FOCUS context and development priorities of bureaucratic administration. Scarce funds and weak governance meant Government-appointed commissions the country. that higher education institutions brainstormed about the issues in As of 2005, with the dissolution of could not offer their students a quality higher education and presented MHEST and the establishment of the education. Overall, a strong common reports in 1998 and 1999. In 2000, Ministry of Science and Technology vision for higher education was sorely the country’s first Higher Education (MST), higher education is under the needed. Strategic Plan 2000-2010 was Ministry of Education and science and formulated and its implementation technology is under MST. became the responsibility of the INSTITUTIONS MULTIPLY specially created Ministry of Higher AFTER REFORMS EQUITY INCREASES Education, Science and Technology The demand for higher education (MHEST). The plan resulted in With strong policies and governance prompted the government to updated curricula, the expansion and in place, Mozambique’s higher develop a strategic approach. diversification of higher education education system has become more Having begun with three public institutions, and the establishment robust, equitable and self-sustaining. Table 1. The evolution of higher education in Mozambique since independence Year Students Enrolled Number of Institutions Public Private TOTAL Public Private Total 1975 2,433 0 2,433 1 0 1 1980 1,016 0 1,016 1 0 1 1985 1,442 0 1,44 2 2 0 2 1990 3,750 0 3,750 3 0 3 1995 6,890 0 6,890 4 0 4 2000 9,817 3,606 13,423 5 5 10 2004 15,113 7,143 22,256 6 6 12 2005 18,863 9,435 28,298 7 9 16 2010 75,705 29,778 105,483 17 19 36 2012 81,576 42.203 123,779 17 22 39 (There are 18 public and 26 private institutions but not all had students and/or presented data) 2 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SKILLS FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT Table 2. System indicators Parameter Indicator 2003 2012 Access Number enrolled 17,225 123,779 Access Number admitted 3,626 35,741 Equity Percentage enrolled not from Maputo city 40% 57% Equity Percentage enrolled female 32% 40% Relevance Percentage in Science, Engineering and Health 35% 35% Efficiency Graduation as percentage of admission 39% 33% Efficiency Graduation as percentage of enrollment 4% 9.1% Quality Number of lecturers per student 0.12 0.07 Together, UP and UEM account for funds—the Institutional Development 80 percent of the beneficiaries are approximately 79 percent of the Fund (IDF) for higher education and from households that earn less than students in the public system. The the National Research Fund (NRF) for US$ 270 per month; 39 percent are apparent decrease in efficiency (see science, technology and innovation. female and 42 percent are enrolled in Table 2) is a result of the ongoing science, engineering and health. Over the past three years, the IDF has expansion of the system, which financed a range of projects among implies that admissions are high public and private higher education The World Bank compared to graduation. as Partner institutions. The total allocated funds By 2006, both UP and UEM had amount to approximately US$ 5.3 The World Bank has supported the increased their revenues to 28 million. About 60 percent of this development of higher education percent of the total budget mostly amount was allocated to higher in Mozambique for over 25 years. due to the introduction of fee-paying education institutions outside Maputo. The Bank’s overall support to courses. Higher education access higher education and science and to youth from low-income families From 2006 to 2012, the NRF financed 233 research projects by students technology has amounted to over increased substantially. Students US$ 160 million. Starting with one from households in the first, second, at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The fund has also institution, the Bank gradually and third income quintiles increased extended its support to the entire from about 3 percent, 6 percent and financed several activities designed to promote the visibility and acceptance higher education subsystem and 6 percent in 2002-2003 to about 11 started to build a linkage towards percent, 13 percent and 18 percent, of science in society. The NRF disbursed US$ 7.4 million from the scientific research and technological respectively in 2008-2009. Access for innovation under the HEP. The women increased from 32 percent World Bank (69 percent), Sweden (27 subsequent project, Higher Education, in 2003 to 38 percent in 2009-2010 percent) and Finland (4 percent). Science and Technology (HEST), is and 40 percent in 2012 (which is The Provincial Scholarship Fund still ongoing. As part of technical consistent with the trends in the (PSF) was launched by the Higher assistance to the government in number of girls graduating from Education Project (HEP) in 2002 as a drafting various strategies, an indicator senior secondary school). way to encourage underprivileged system has been set up to monitor academic achievers from provinces higher education in the country. The QUALITY, INNOVATION, AND outside Maputo to pursue higher World Bank’s long-running system EXCELLENCE RECEIVE ATTENTION education. The scheme provided approach support to the entire In 2002, the government set up a the basis for the establishment of higher education subsystem and the competitive fund called the Quality the Institute for Scholarship (IBE), a mechanisms needed to build linkages Enhancement and Innovation government program, which started towards scientific research and Fund (QIF), which was designed to to operate in 2008. Currently, through technological innovation has played encourage innovation in teaching IBE, about 3,000 students benefit from an important role in mobilizing system programs and research projects. QIF scholarships of which 33.7 percent are support from other donors, such as was succeeded by two competitive funded by the HEST project. About Sweden and Finland. MOZAMBIQUE’S SUSTAINED EFFORTS ON HIGHER EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 3 The Bank’s support for higher match skills with the changing skills that can form the foundation for education, science and technology economy. other sectors, for example, mechanical has focused on institutional capacity The World Bank and selected engineering, civil and electrical building, and increasing access and development agencies have stepped engineering, chemistry, accounting, relevance, and quality. business management and law. up support to the government. They At the start of its involvement, the provide technical assistance (i.e., Training in environmental engineering World Bank was mainly concerned development of gas master plan, and geology is also essential. The about relevance (alignment of capacity building of government management of natural resources by educational programs and enrollment instituions) and financial support the public sector requires employees with developmental needs and to implement key programs aimed with skills such as contract negotiation goals), access (small system in to strengthen the provision of and licensing to geological surveying, need of expansion), equity (relative skilled professionals. These include mine and infrastructure inspection, exclusion of women and candidates TVET reform, Higher Education environmental monitoring and from outside the Maputo area), Financial Reform, implementation of revenue management. quality, sustainability, institutional quality assurance and accreditation In order to overcome the current capacity and governance. As Table mechanisms, support to the National insufficiency of qualified professionals 2 shows, higher education has Research Fund and other competitive in these areas and also to respond to expanded tremendously over the funds and promotion of partnerships the current and upcoming needs in last decade and there has been huge in applied science, engineering, and areas such as health, education and progress with regard to enrollment technology with more developed water and sanitation, among others, of students from outside Maputo and countries. a shift is needed in the proportion of gender equity. Despite this progress, students in senior secondary education enrollment in science, engineering Employers are eager to hire quality trained professionals in the areas of and tertiary education willing to study and health remains low, and the science-related subjects or willing number of lecturers per student has agriculture, services and extractive industries. However, smallholder to pursue a technical and vocational markedly decreased. training course. Higher education farming is important for the survival of a large section of the population; institutions are part of the solution Perspectives for to this problem and have been a the transformation of agriculture will the Future require a delicate mix of transmitting strong pillar for the implementation Although Mozambique has knowledge about key elements in of selected government strategies. successfully expanded its higher production and the commodity Among others, greater emphasis has education system, challenges remain value chain. This will help subsistence been placed on the training of faculty with regard to relevance and quality. farmers to increase their income staff and on the training of teachers for These challenges must be met if and simultaneously support the secondary education. Mozambique is to secure a role in the emergence of medium and large The World Bank will continue to focus emerging global knowledge society. scale technology-based agricultural on the key issues of access, quality, Government documents such as enterprises which will liberate labor relevance, equity and sustainability and the Strategic Plan for Education, the from rural areas and create additional bolster interest and capacity in higher Higher Education Strategic Plan, the pressure on the capacity of other education in science and technology. Science and Technology Strategy, sectors to provide employment. As Maintaining this momentum is the ongoing reform of Technical and for the extractive industries, while fundamental for Mozambique to Vocational Education and Training very specialized skills are required, the prepare students for employment in an (TVET) all emphasize the need to bulk of skills needed are transferable emerging economy. MORE ON THE TOPIC • World Bank. 2013. Mozambique economic update. Washington DC ; World Bank. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/07/18100248/ mozambique-economic-update • AFDB (2008) Strategy for Higher Education Science and Technology. • Capacity building in higher education in Mozambique and the role played by co-operating foreign agencies: The case of the World Bank. Paper commissioned by the Regional Scientific Committee for Africa, June 2006, UNESCO Forum Occasional Paper; Series Paper no. 12 ED-2006/WS/69 • MESCT (2000) Strategic Plan of Higher Education in Mozambique for the Period 2000-2010. Ministério do Ensino Superior, Ciência e Tecnologia, República de Moçambique, Maputo.