The dominant global discourse in higher education now focuses on ëworld-classí universities ñ inevitably located predominantly in North America, Europe and, increasingly, East Asia. The rest of the world, including Africa, is left to play ëcatch-upí. But that discourse should focus rather on the tensions, even contradictions, between ëexcellenceí and ëengagementí with which all universities must grapple. Here the African experience has much to offer the high-participation and generously resourced systems of the so-called ëdevelopedí world. This book offers a critical review of that experience, and so makes a major contribution to our understanding of higher education.