Local community development and higher education institutions: Moving from the triple helix to the quadruple helix model

Abstract This article examines issues of local community development in Rwanda, building on the triple helix model proposed by Henry Etzkowitz and Loet Leydesdorff in the 1990s to draw insights from international perspectives. The authors favour an expanded quadruple helix model which includes the local community as a unit of analysis, alongside higher education institutions (HEIs), the private sector and government. In this fourfold model, the local community is identified as an additional helix based on the idea that HEIs can serve as engines for boosting economic development. The results of the authors’ analysis show that innovations in higher education which are directed towards community development can, in turn, lead to changes in existing practices and teaching to better reflect the needs of the local community as well as the broader community beyond the immediate context of HEIs. Graduates’ employable skills can be strengthened through outreach initiatives by HEIs, along with the collaborative support of all elements in the fourfold model. The authors’ review of relevant literature and policy documents goes further to illustrate how each element can play an optimal role in forming a strong and sustainable partnership at the local level. The robust cooperation among helices in this model may lead to higher rates of graduates’ employment in a knowledge-based society. These innovations can further lead to full alleviation of poverty, starting from the sphere of local community development.