ABSTRACT
The reconfiguration of the world and the search for identity by Africans have necessitated that African universities invest in projecting an identity that would distinguish them from other universities located elsewhere. The African Union’s African solutions to African problems and Agenda 2063 have made this project more unrelenting. Another issue is the resurgence of globalisation. The African university is a torchbearer and a trendsetter. It should not be left behind in this reconfiguration wave. Within this context, a few questions arise: What should an African university do to reclaim its identity? What are some of the challenges that the African university should anticipate in its identity formation agenda? Importantly, how should the African university leverage the impact of globalisation in its identity formation endeavour? The purpose of this chapter is to address these and other questions using examples from different parts of the African continent. It argues that globalisation is not inimical to identity formation. Importantly, the chapter proffers the compelling view that the African university’s failure to act would amount to dereliction of duty and would let others determine its fate. Lastly, the chapter implores African and Africanist scholars to take a vanguard position in this identity formation project.
