Research as an Imperative in a Quality Higher Education System

Abstract

There is no doubt that research has been one of the key areas of engagement in higher education. However, literature indicates that research in higher education in East Africa in general and in Ethiopia in particular is declining rather than growing. This paper highlights the link between quality education and the role of research in addressing the needs of stakeholders and some of the problems that causes staggering development of research in the region. The paper also examines how quality of the higher education is viewed by various stakeholders and how higher education institutions reconcile the needs of stakeholders. Following this, the second section of the study reviews briefly the research culture in East Africa in general and in Ethiopia in particular and presents a brief summary of the result of HERQA external quality audit reports on research activities of 8 public higher education institutions. It also identifies some of the prominent problems, their causes and their resultant effects on the research culture of higher education institutions.