Within the Realm of Possibility

From Disadvantage to Development at the University of Fort Hare and the University of the North

"Past, present, and future is what this book documents and reveals about higher education in South Africa. Because place and space have contextual effects, the story of university education is told through the experiences of two schools - the University of Fort Hare and the University of the North; they are both similar and different. We are continuously reminded of the complexity of education in a democratic nation-state because of its two-fold goal of individual enhancement and community advancement. The consensus of the authors in this volume is that higher education as an institution in South Africa must be regenerated and reconfigured with more citizen participation to fulfill, simultaneously, global, national and local needs."
Charles V. Willie Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University

"This is a well researched account that deals with one of the burning issues that has confronted the South African system of higher education: the role and the future of historically black universities (HBUs). The authors look at different working models appropriate today for rural-based universities, and provide practical ideas with regard to ways in which HBUs can link up with institutions in the community, developing partnerships that will strengthen their work. I highly recommend this book to academics and policy makers interested in the development of higher education in Africa."
Peter Katjavivi, first Vice-Chancellor, University of Namibia, now Namibian Ambassador to Benelux countries

"This wonderfully reflective book brings out a wealth of insights in the story of two institutions which have never failed to inspire generations of students despite the problematic history of their origins and their contested adaptations to the major fault lines of South African history."
Professor Njabulo S Ndebele, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cape Town