This study explored the conditions under which the University of Zambia (UNZA) can make a significant and sustained contribution to economic development. To do so, the study explored four issues, namely, (i) national development policies, governance and coordination; (ii) UNZA institutional policies and activities; (iii) the academic core of UNZA; and (iv) externally funded projects in UNZA.
The study utilized a qualitative research strategy, using principles of case study. Data came from two sources, interviews with respondents and analysis of Zambia’s national and UNZA institutional policy documents. In January and February 2010, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 respondents from UNZA, comprising heads of academic schools, Directorate of Research and Graduate Studies, externally funded projects, and the office of the Vice Chancellor. Both the data collected during the interviews and from policy documents were analyzed under each study questions within the context of the literature review and the analytical framework that was adapted from the HE Research and Advocacy Network in Africa (HERANA) project.

Based on the results, the study suggests that Zambia’s current national development policies on HE depict the role of UNZA in development as being twofold: “traditional development view” and “service enterprise view”. Similarly, UNZA institutional policies seem to depict its own role in development as a producer of high-level human resource for regional and national development, and as a provider of community services.

The study further finds that UNZA academic core appears to be weak. The academic core is characterized by imbalances in student enrollment across fields (more students in humanities and education) and levels of study programs (more students in undergraduate than postgraduate programs); a small number of academic-staff with PhDs; an unimpressive academic-staff to student ratio; research funding, whose proportions by UNZA itself and Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) ministries are not estimated; and lack of institutional records on publications in journals by academic-staff and students. The study, however, acknowledges that UNZA, through its extended periphery activities, such as TDAU, INESOR, and commercial farms, is linked to economic activities in Zambia.

Furthermore, the study finds that lack of coordination and integration of externally funded projects seems to have reduced the possible alignment of projects with the mission of UNZA, thereby contributing minimally to the strengthening of its academic core; and that UNZA´s capacity to sustain externally funded projects seems to have been jeopardized mainly by lack of support from GRZ.


This study explored the conditions under which the University of Zambia (UNZA) can make a significant and sustained contribution to economic development. To do so, the study explored four issues, namely, (i) national development policies, governance and coordination; (ii) UNZA institutional policies and activities; (iii) the academic core of UNZA; and (iv) externally funded projects in UNZA.
The study utilized a qualitative research strategy, using principles of case study. Data came from two sources, interviews with respondents and analysis of Zambia’s national and UNZA institutional policy documents. In January and February 2010, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 respondents from UNZA, comprising heads of academic schools, Directorate of Research and Graduate Studies, externally funded projects, and the office of the Vice Chancellor. Both the data collected during the interviews and from policy documents were analyzed under each study questions within the context of the literature review and the analytical framework that was adapted from the HE Research and Advocacy Network in Africa (HERANA) project.

Based on the results, the study suggests that Zambia’s current national development policies on HE depict the role of UNZA in development as being twofold: “traditional development view” and “service enterprise view”. Similarly, UNZA institutional policies seem to depict its own role in development as a producer of high-level human resource for regional and national development, and as a provider of community services.

The study further finds that UNZA academic core appears to be weak. The academic core is characterized by imbalances in student enrollment across fields (more students in humanities and education) and levels of study programs (more students in undergraduate than postgraduate programs); a small number of academic-staff with PhDs; an unimpressive academic-staff to student ratio; research funding, whose proportions by UNZA itself and Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) ministries are not estimated; and lack of institutional records on publications in journals by academic-staff and students. The study, however, acknowledges that UNZA, through its extended periphery activities, such as TDAU, INESOR, and commercial farms, is linked to economic activities in Zambia.

Furthermore, the study finds that lack of coordination and integration of externally funded projects seems to have reduced the possible alignment of projects with the mission of UNZA, thereby contributing minimally to the strengthening of its academic core; and that UNZA´s capacity to sustain externally funded projects seems to have been jeopardized mainly by lack of support from GRZ.