Strategic Partnerships Between Universities and Non-academic Institutions for Sustainability and Innovation: Insights from the University of Ghana

Sustainability science gradually gains recognition as a promising paradigm for addressing developmental issues in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Sustainability science adopts a solutions-oriented and transdisciplinary approach to tackle the interlinked complexities of the environmental, economic and social pillars of sustainable development. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can play a leading role in the co-design and development of this type of knowledge through participatory processes with key stakeholders such as industry and government. Despite the current proliferation of various frameworks that seek to guide sustainability science and share related research outcomes, SSA universities still lag behind other regions due to systematic and institutional barriers. By using the Triple Helix approach as an organizing framework and the University of Ghana as a case study, this chapter explores (a) how the university carries out sustainability-related research with industry, (b) how the industry engages with researchers with regards to research areas and (c) how both of these processes support national development policies and structures. Overall, there seems to be a significant improvement in the relevant national policies and institutional approaches towards enhancing partnerships between the university, industry and government. However, there are still some constraints that put barriers in the productive engagement of the university in the growing national economy. As a result, more specific policies, institutional structures and activities (both internal and external) would be required to catalyse the development of stronger partnerships, ensure their viability and promote the positive outcomes. A good starting point would be to systematically monitor funded research and development (R&D) activities as a means of identifying success stories and best practices as well as of the institutional dynamics that hinder or support these partnerships. Another priority area would be to enhance the capacities of individual researchers as agents of change in national and sub-national processes.