Mentorship may be conceptualised in terms of the form it takes, function it serves or it's learning centred nature which makes research in mentoring to receive attention within different disciplines. This article attempts to understand how a mentoring programme can contribute to enhanced research capacity building in the field of Innovation and…

Several scholars have, over the years, written about their experiences of the pathway of PhD by publication (PBP). However, little is known about why African doctoral students pursue PBP and their experiences . In this article, we adopt collaborative autoethnography to document our experiences and motivation for choosing the PBP pathway. Based on…

Research output is seen as an indicator of quality. Emerging higher education hubs, such as the United Arab Emirates, are heavily focused on developing research activity within the constraints of a developing research culture. This paper employs a case study model of a research-intensive university in Dubai to highlight key challenges and…

If we admit that students must be prepared for life and work in increasingly culturally-diverse and ever changing contexts through core curricula which are the competences that must be prioritized? What competences are 'strong candidates' to be considered as trans-regional and can lead to inclusive excellence in higher education? Does, this,…

Research strategy is at the top agenda of universities' strategic planning. It has been argued that aligning employees' actions with the organisational strategic goals is one of most critical success factors of strategy implementation. Despite much discussion among scholars and practitioners, there is still limited knowledge on how universities…

This report forms part of a broader study commissioned by the British Council and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) that surveyed research and doctoral training capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study includes six country reports, namely Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa. This report addresses the outcomes of…

African PhD fellows who are interested in completing (part of) their research in Europe cannot always afford to leave their place of residency for prolonged periods of time. Yet, young researchers from African countries might be searching for particular guidance from experts in their field that might not be accessible in their home countries.…

This study explores the meaning and competencies of "research leadership" in the African context and investigates strategies for developing it. Data for the study were gathered through an online survey that targeted recipients of research grants/support from key research funders to selected African institutions. The recipients of these…

After decades of decline, African higher education is now arguably in a new era of revival. With the prevalence of knowledge economy discourse, national governments in Africa and their development partners have increasingly aligned higher education with poverty reduction plans and strategies. Research capacity has become a critical development…

This research study explores the doctoral socialization and transnational experiences of sub-Saharan African doctoral students whose education is sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This study is designed to explore the convergence of the international student experience, doctoral student socialization, and the…