Globalization, Minerals, War, and Education: the case of Congo

Abstract

Seen as a bittersweet gift to the world today, especially in developing countries, globalization has had both positive and negative impacts on Africans, and especially on the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The resources of Congo have played an important role in globalization around the world; more so in the world outside Congo. Through the death of millions of people, socioeconomic and psychological challenges, the Congolese people have had to pay a very high price simply because of these resources that are so highly needed to sustain globalization. While expected to help address these challenges, higher education in the Congo has struggled to face the challenges of repeated wars. This case study presents the results of interviews, archival data, and participant observation done with educational leaders and administrators, teachers, and students in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country that has been on war for almost two decades. The study explores how war affects the quality of higher education when a country is constantly under the challenges of war, and what is being done about it.