Higher education governance and accountability in developing economies: the case of Sierra Leone

While the literature is replete with studies of higher education (HE) governance and accountability in developed economies, remarkably little is known about HE contexts, governance systems and accountability processes in developing economies. Yet the latter may differ from developed country settings quite significantly, reflecting a wide diversity of institutional, socio-cultural and politico-economic contexts. In an African context case study, this chapter offers an examination of HE governance and accountability processes at the University of Sierra Leone in Sierra Leone on the west coast of Africa. It examines university governance structures, coalface governance processes and the accompanying accountability implications. The pervasive social, institutional, political, economic, cultural and regulatory environmental influences in Sierra Leone are also considered. Based on the case of Sierra Leone, the chapter reveals implications for African and developing country HE governance and accountability in general. In doing so, it offers a specific analysis of governance and accountability challenges in a crucial national sector set in the context of the developing African continent.