Boundary crossing between higher education and the world of work: a case study in post-1994 Rwanda

Workplaces abound with knowledge that is different from the knowledge students gain at universities. Crossing the boundary from a university to a workplace can, therefore, be difficult for students. To compensate for the dearth of knowledge on how these issues play out in an African context, this study investigates how knowledge and experiences gained during academic studies were useful in the workplace by interviewing employers from sectors commonly open to university graduates and student representatives from all faculties at a Rwandan University. Open questionnaires were used to ascertain what kinds of changes might lead to more successful boundary crossing. The findings suggest that while domain-specific knowledge is an essential part of a university qualification, a stronger focus on generic skills is needed in order to help students cross the boundary and succeed in the workplace.