The debate about the advantages and disadvantages of obtaining one’s qualifications from a single university has been raging on for some time now.
I must say from the onset that this is a sensitive topic that will touch some people on raw spots, especially in academic circles. But as sensitive as it may be, I have a big conviction that there are great lessons to learn by discussing this topic and sharing opinions. If you are reading this article and you have all your qualifications from one institution, do not stress about it.
The ideas expressed here are intended to inform those who will embark on further studies in future. As I see, there are two schools of thought; one that says it is not good to study at one institution for all the degrees that one may have, and another one which says graduating from different universities for one’s qualifications is the ideal practice.
To be direct, what I am saying is that there are many advantages of studying for a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctor of philosophy degree at three different universities, preferably in different countries.
The proponents of this school of thought advance the view that candidates who acquire their qualifications from three different universities, for instance, emerge academically stronger than those who attend a single university for all their qualifications.
The major reason for the argument in favour of different institutions for different qualifications lies in the fact that, naturally, the academic cultures and strengths of institutions differ.
Candidates who choose the different institutions’ approach benefit because of the hybridity of the qualifications offered by the institutions. In other words, different institutions’ academic strengths complement one another, much to the advantage and befit of the student. Let me be more practical here; a candidate may qualify with a Bachelor of English Honours degree from the University of Zambia; a Master of Arts in English degree from the University of Melbourne (Australia); and a Doctor of Philosophy in English degree from the University of Cape Town (South Africa). The diversity that these three universities have and their different approaches to these degrees are to the advantage of the said candidate.
The experiences that the students who follow such a diverse structure in their qualifications as the above-mentioned are academically enriching and fulfilling. The students have an international flair in their portfolio of academic qualifications from three universities. This fosters academic excellence and improves the quality of education. With the trending emphasis on the internationalisation of higher education, graduates with a hybridity of qualifications stand better chances of employment than those who obtained all their qualifications from a single university. In other words, cross-border education or transnational education is better than education from one university or one country.
To further emphasise the importance of the internationalisation of education, many universities across the world offer international joint degrees or qualifications with partner institutions in other countries or continents.
This could be in the form of the Global North and Global South cooperation or some other forms of agreements and memorandums of understanding that universities enter into. In this case, qualification recognition becomes easy for graduates who possess international joint degrees when they seek employment in the above-mentioned blocs.
There is enough literature that supports the view that transnational education fosters student mobility leading to a wealth of knowledge graduates have by obtaining their degrees from various universities.
Transnational education develops intercultural and international awareness which are crucial in graduates’ employability internationally. Through international experience and exposure, I advocate for transnational higher education so that graduates can learn from the strengths of different institutions in different countries.
Jairos Kangira is a professor of English at the University of Namibia. Email address: kjairos@gmail.com