Higher education and knowledge for nation-state development: The role of the World Bank and U.S. universities in poverty reduction in the developing world

In terms of international development, the benefit of higher education in developing countries has been the subject of debate over the last several decades. The World Bank has been at the center of these debates. Subsequently, the Bank has shifted its policy and position about higher education and its potential as a viable strategy for poverty reduction in the developing world. Nonetheless, many questions about the Bank remain unexplored and many criticisms remain unverified. Evaluation of higher education as a means of poverty reduction continues to be narrow and limited. The present study sought to investigate the intersection between higher education and poverty reduction---a connection shaped by a knowledge-based economy. The rapidly changing context of the knowledge economy and international development are key factors that impact whether or not developing countries remain as consumers or become active participants in the global economy. Higher education has served a key role in producing and disseminating knowledge. Countries without an infrastructure for advanced education and science and technological research are often left without a means for creating solutions for local and global problems.;Through policy analysis, this study investigated the work of the World Bank in higher education with particular attention focused on Thailand and Uganda, developing countries in different regions. In addition, Michigan State University and Texas A&M University were studied to evaluate the impact of a twinning arrangement between U.S. universities and universities in developing countries. The partnership made concrete links between knowledge exchange, land-grant extension, and poverty reduction. This study came to two main conclusions: the World Bank's position has evolved, but countries subject to former colonial policies still suffer without acknowledgement from the organization; and, international development in the area of higher education can benefit from ground level partnerships that focus extending university knowledge to practice (e.g., agriculture, engineering, technology). These findings serve to advance the notion that higher education has distinct potential within the larger effort to reduce poverty. However, policy and practice in international development and the way in which universities extend their services will likely determine whether or not universities will function as a factor in poverty reduction.