Educating Tomorrow's Leaders in Developing Countries

As a certified Duncan (n)GoNut (more on this term later today), I often read his blog posts and am tempted to comment. But there are so many thought-provoking posts that I often get caught up in another post before I have time to comment on a previous one. Such was the case with one of Mr. Green's posts from mid-December focusing on tertiary education. Take a look at the post, where he talks about targeting universities in developing countries where leaders emerge from, with the aim of influencing their formation.

This post made me think of another (semi-)related issue in tertiary education in developing countries. In my experience, many university students in developing countries have little experience in the poorest regions in their own countries. They come from wealthier areas and have little in common with the poor (especially the rural poor). At first glance, maybe this does not matter so much, but as I mentioned earlier this week, it is important for development professionals to stay connected to the people they are working for/with. I think this is just as important for any profession.

You may point out that many American students enter university just as disconnected from the rural and urban poor in their own country. I agree, but the difference is that many universities actively work to change this. They offer urban plunge experiences, alternative spring break programs, and other ways to connect with communities they may otherwise not know. After graduation, programs like AmeriCorps and Teach for America aim to provide future leaders with experience in poverty-stricken areas.

It is crucial for the future leaders in developing countries to connect with the poor in their own countries. (One of my colleagues in graduate school recently did this in India). Universities could increase this awareness by: offering internships/externships in rural areas or urban slums; increasing efforts to enroll students from poorer areas in the country through scholarships(*); and increasing the post-graduation service requirements that many countries employ for certain professions (such as teachers and doctors) to serve in rural areas to all graduates. I think some universities/countries are implementing some of these ideas, but it would be great to see them all on a large scale! After all, the measure of the quality of one's education is not limited to the classroom...