Ishmael Munene, a distinguished professor from NAU’s Department of Educational Leadership, has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholar Award for the upcoming 2024-25 academic year. A native of Kenya, Munene plans to spend the year not only teaching alongside Kenya’s top academic talents but also conducting groundbreaking research.
His research will focus on comparing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in African universities with those in the United States. Munene aims to explore how these initiatives are conceptualized and implemented across different cultural and educational contexts.
“DEI is a burgeoning area in higher education,” Munene remarked. “I’m eager to understand how African universities approach DEI compared to their American counterparts. What lessons can we learn from each other?”
Munene brings over two decades of experience studying the unique structures and priorities of African universities, particularly in Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa. He has observed that while many African universities prioritize support for students with visible disabilities, topics such as race and sexual orientation often receive less attention.
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“In Africa, DEI efforts tend to focus more on visible disabilities,” Munene noted. “There’s reluctance to address issues like sexual orientation, particularly in the face of recent legislative changes that have restricted rights for minorities in some African nations.”
Munene plans to conduct in-depth interviews with administrators, student leaders, and faculty across multiple universities in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. His research will also delve into governmental policies and unpublished scientific literature in local languages to uncover insights into the evolution of DEI in African higher education.
“While there is extensive literature on DEI in Western higher education, Africa remains underrepresented,” Munene explained. “My goal is to elevate this discourse and foster global collaboration towards advancing diversity and inclusion in academia.”
Munene’s Fulbright project promises to shed light on critical issues shaping DEI initiatives in Africa and contribute significantly to international understanding and cooperation in higher education.
