Development Co-operation and Linkages in Higher Education: Key Issues Concerning Policy and Organisation

The term linkage is used to indicate co-operation between an institution in the North and an institution in the South. Donor organisations have generally used linkages to support the development of higher education and research in developing countries. Over time, there has been a trend away from co-operation on individual academic projects towards broader development co- operation and concentration on selected institutions. This shift raises questions about organisation, procedures and support mechanisms, and about the mandate and capabilities of universities in the North, given the frequently asymmetrical relationship between Northern institutions with their own research agendas and Southern beneficiaries. The recent restructuring of Canadian, Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish support for higher education and research is the result of a search for new, more appropriate models of co-operation. This paper examines the evolution of key issues of policy and organisation within the international donor community.