Education is often associated with consuming knowledge.
Students attend lectures. They read textbooks. They study research produced by experts.
Yet one of the most important functions of education is often overlooked: the creation of knowledge itself.
Universities are not merely institutions that transmit information. They are centres of discovery, innovation, and research.
The challenge is that global knowledge production remains unevenly distributed.
Much of the world's academic research continues to originate from institutions located in the Global North. As a result, research priorities often reflect the concerns, contexts, and interests of those environments.
This raises important questions for Africa.
Who is researching African challenges? Who is producing solutions for African communities? Who determines which questions receive funding and attention?
Strengthening local research capacity is therefore more than an academic objective. It is a developmental priority.
Countries that invest in research are better positioned to address social, economic, technological, and environmental challenges.
Knowledge production is also closely linked to innovation.
New technologies, policies, and industries are often built upon research conducted years earlier. Investing in universities and research institutions therefore represents an investment in future competitiveness.
Education is not only about learning what others know.
It is also about creating new knowledge that can help shape the future.