International Journal of Case Studies (ISSN Online 2305-509X)

VOLUME 15, ISSUE 2
IMPACT FACTOR 4.428

1) Increasing Massive Enrolment at African Universities Weakened by a Dismal STEM Content and Miniscule Funding for Research
Author Details: Kato Mahaz, Lecturer Islamic University in Uganda ² Sazir Nsubuga Mayanja, Associate Professor, Islamic Call University College, Uganda
Abstract:
Massification of, especially higher education, characterised by rapid growth in number of students enrolled, is traced to the USA in the 1970s. It is now a global phenomenon, with Africa embracing it.  This study was aimed at establishing the depth and breadth of massification in university education in Africa explore the STEM content in their programs and find out the related progress in research.  By interrogating statistics relating to various aspects of universities on the continent, several conclusions have been made.  This study established that the continent’s Gross Tertiary Enrollment Ratio (GTER), that is, total enrolment in tertiary education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the population in Africa is low. Its Gender Parity Index (GPI), the ratio of female to male enrolment in tertiary education, is also low. The continent has a staff to student ratio in many cases rising up to 1:100 in some departments. Laboratories are poorly equipped and Africa has a lukewarm attitude towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses. Female students are worst affected. For the latter, it goes as low as 8% in Togo and Burkina Faso. In West Africa the percentage of women in these courses is below 25% of the total enrolment. The most successful enrolment of females is in North Africa, where for example, Tunisia has a score of 47%. As statistics indicate, emphasis on research and STEM is spurring social, economic and technological development is exemplified by High Performing Asian Economies (HPAEs)
Keywords: Africa, Knowledge Society, Massification, Research, STEM, Universities
[Download Full Paper] [Page 01-15]
================================================================================

2) Dynamics of Environmental Pollution in the Presence of Micro plastics Contamination, Energy Transition, and Demographic Pressure
Author Details: ⁽¹⁾ Ayesha Shakoor-Department of Chemistry-Superior University Lahore, Pakistan ⁽²⁾Aima Iqbal-Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad
Abstract:
the study aims to investigate the influences of urbanization, investment in technology and innovation, micro-plastic, gross domestic product per capita, foreign direct investment, and urban land area on environmental pollution. The study has applied an econometrical model spatial lag model (SLM), spatial Durbin model (SDM), and spatial error model (SEM) to analyze the data from 2005 to 2023. The results revealed that the effects of urbanization, gross domestic product per capita and micro-plastic are mitigating factors for environmental degradation. There are no observable benefits to reducing carbon emissions from investment in technology and innovation, foreign direct investment. In both interaction and no-interaction scenarios, the upgrading of the urban land area structure has a major knock-on effect on environmental pollution. The study’s conclusions advise policymakers to concentrate their efforts on funding green innovation technologies and to slow the flow of people from rural to urban regions by creating employment opportunities in rural areas.
Keywords: Micro-plastic, Transportation, Urbanization, GDP per capita, investment in technology, spatial lag model, spatial Durbin model
[Download Full Paper] [Page 16-30]
================================================================================