Contract research,the university,and the academic

With the decline in the funding of university research activities from traditional sources, many universities are instigating contract research programs as a means of funding research. This article examines some of the implications of university-based contract research, drawing largely on the author's own experiences. The problems which are examined include the moral and ethical implications, the legal aspects, problems over ownership of research results, the implications for staff rights, the status of contract researchers, the implications for publication, problems of authority, responsibility and social justice, and the conflicts between teaching and research. The article concludes with eleven points for successful university-based contract research.     

Institutionalizing the intangible through research and engagement: Indigenous knowledge and higher education for sustainable development in Zambia

Universities have an integral role in the development of communities. This is underpinned by the notion that universities possess a social responsibility to be agents of change in relation to society’s socio-economic, political, and environmental issues. In Africa, the quest for sustainable development necessarily engages a consideration of the different forms of knowledge available. This is as a result of the rich and varied patterns of beliefs, behaviour, and values that permeate the continent and have persisted despite colonialism. In this paper, we assert that there is much to be gained from engaging Indigenous knowledge through scholarship and public responsibility. Through a qualitative case study design based on relational dialogues with academic researchers and university managers, we emphasize the attributes associated with constructing and acting upon Indigenous knowledge at one university in Zambia and the ways in which Indigenous knowledge can contribute to sustainable development through a community engagement remit. This work also seeks to centre African research and researchers in the discourse on higher education in Africa.     

Commercialization of research: a case study of Australian universities

Research commercialization is a crucial aspect of technological innovation and is a complex socio‐economic and technological process. This paper explores the commercialization of university research, drawing on an empirical study of the development of research commercialization by Australian universities. The study addresses three main research questions: (i) What are the recent major policy changes affecting the commercialization of university research in Australia? (ii) How much have Australian universities done in research commercialization over the past few years? (iii) What are the key barriers to the achievement of higher levels of commercialization in university research? The findings of this study show that there are two fundamental issues that universities have to address: (i) adequate financial support from governments, industries, and other stakeholders; and (ii) effective innovation management with academic entrepreneurship. Because the issues and problems covered in this study are common to many countries, the study has international applications and provides policymakers and practitioners with valuable information to assist them in the development of organizational strategies in the commercialization of innovative university research.     

加强地方高校校本研究,突出地方院校办学特色

受地方高校的校情所限,新升本科院校存在一些不利发展因素,如何提升办学水平、突出办学特色是困扰地方高校的重大问题.通过构筑校本研究外部环境,营造良好的校本研究氛围;充分发挥教研室的作用,开展有针对性的教研活动; “请进来、走出去”,加大政产学研合作力度;及时开发校本课程,定期进行校本培训等措施来加强地方高校校本研究.利用校本研究实现了衡水学院计算机科学与技术专业的人才培养准确定位.     

The role of African universities in national developments

The role of the university in national development is the subject of much discussion in Africa today. Attention and interest in the role of the university in national development has increased because of continuing concern that universities address problems caused by the technological changes that have affected the political and social-economic order in African society. Failure to cope effectively with such changes has led to a general disenchantment among students, parents, legislators, the client system and the general populace about the quality and relevance of university education today (Group for Human Development in Higher Education, 1984; Gaff et al., 1978; and Stordahl, 1981). Hence all three groups have demanded greater accountability: efficiency in the economic sense in the way universities deliver their programmes, as well as effectiveness in the educational sense (Miller, 1974).History shows that most African nations strove to establish at least one national university immediately after independence. The major purpose for establishing universities in these countries was, and still is, for the institutions to play a pioneering role in addressing problems of poverty, social disorganization, low production, unemployment, hunger, illiteracy, diseases, that is, the problems of underdevelopment, which appeared to be common on the African continent. Insurmountable political, social, economic, legal, ethnic, demographic and technological problems have continued to threaten the very existence of most new African nations and their people. Yet, governments have continued to invest heavily in the education of a selected few, whose direct contribution in solving these problems has not been objectively established.The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to synthesize the body of literature on the subject; to inject some critical analysis of positions taken by previous writers and pave the way for a more informed conceptualization of what the role of African Universities on national development ought to be, and must be, in the light of existing literature and personal reflection on the subject.The paper is divided into four sections. Section one defines a university and development. Section two presents and discusses problems that African universities face in a transitional era. Section three delineates the role areas of universities in national development. Section four provides analysis and discussion of contemporary problems that hinder universities from realizing their roles and contains suggestions on how to overcome them. A brief conclusion is then provided. A detailed development of each of the five components is provided in the ensuing sections of the paper.     

Nurturing lifelong learning in communities through the National University of Lesotho: prospects and challenges

This paper analyses one aspect of a pan-African action research project called ITMUA (Implementing the Third Mission of Universities in Africa). This particular paper draws on the data from that project to explore the National University of Lesotho’s contribution to lifelong learning in its communities. It provides background information on the ITMUA initiative and analyses interview and focus group responses to two case studies in terms of their contribution to lifelong learning. It uses, as its analytical framework, a modified version of Mbigi’s African perspective on the four De Lors’ ‘pillars’, by adding a fifth pillar, courtesy of Torres. The paper argues that community engagement is a two-way process between universities and their wider constituencies with opportunities for mutual lifelong learning. But there are also challenges of understanding and process which must be addressed if the full range of these lifelong learning pillars is to be accommodated within African contexts. The paper provides an introduction to the history of community engagement in Africa as a university mission, followed by a brief discussion of lifelong learning within African perspectives. After describing the particular context of Lesotho, the concept of community service and community engagement in contemporary African contexts introduces the action research project and the case studies. The final part of the paper presents and discusses the research findings.     

Academic standards in South African universities and proposals for quality assurance

In South Africa an obvious need for the clarification of problems concerning academic standards and quality assurance has been identified. Some of the reasons for the differences in this regard between developing and established universities in South Africa are explained with reference to the causes thereof, namely a fragmented system of education, disparities in student enrolment and staffing and the lack of a culture of learning. Areas that require special attention to set the scene for quality assurance to be successfully implemented are identified and, based on research, proposals are made for quality assurance mechanisms for South African universities.     

Effect size, practical importance, and social policy for children

Real decisions for real children are influenced by the papers developmentalists write, regardless of whether we ever intended our papers to be used in the policy arena. Yet most social scientists seldom analyze data in ways that are most useful to policymakers. The primary purpose of this paper is to share three ideas concerning how to evaluate the practical importance of a finding or set of findings. First, for research to be most useful not only in the policy arena but also more generally, significance tests need to be accompanied by effect size estimates. The practical importance of an effect size depends on the scientific context (i.e., measurement, design, and method) as well as the empirical literature context. Second, researchers need to use all existing data when weighing in on a policy debate; here, meta-analyses are particularly useful. Finally, researchers need to be careful about embracing null or small findings, because effects may well be small due to measurement problems alone, particularly early in the history of a research domain.     

Globalisation of learning-The role of the universities in the south: With a special look at sub-Saharan Africa

The first part of the paper discusses the uneven distribution of resources to higher education between the North and South. It then takes up the attitude of the World Bank towards university education in the South and does this by going through several World Bank publications and dwells on the 1994 publication called ‘Higher Education: The Lessons of Experience’. It also discusses the likely effects for the university sector in the South, especially in Africa, of the Jomtien conference on ‘education for all’. The linkage phenomenon between universities in the North and the South is discussed. The following question is raised: Is it at all possible to establish a North South cooperation in the university sector of an empowering kind? Negative as well as positive examples are given. The link that is really missing is then discussed. This is the link between the elites in the country and the people, the link between indigenous knowledge and the imported academic knowledge. This paper argues for a transformation of the universities of the South to include local knowledge. The most common problems of the South can only be understood by analyzing local experiences. A plea is being made for discussing indigenous education. Such a discussion compels us to come to terms with the situation in which even the social construction of a people's reality is and has been constantly defined elsewhere. For Africa to find her way out of the abyss in which she finds herself an alternative national development model is needed. This model is not likely to be found unless the African universities are strengthened and transformed. The transformation would have to do with a strengthening of indigenous research based on local experience.     

Teacher educators in deaf education: why they entered higher education and their current priorities and accomplishments.

The study presents information on why teacher educators in deaf education move from school classrooms to universities. These educators' priorities as university faculty are examined in regard to teaching, scholarship, and service; their scholarly productivity and perceptions of workplace conditions in school and university environments are studied. Findings show that these schoolteachers moved to higher education for various reasons, but primarily to pursue research and a scholarly life, and to have a greater influence on deaf and hard of hearing children and deaf education. As faculty, they are most interested in and committed to teaching; they publish at a modest rate. These educators perceive workplace conditions that support autonomy, flexible schedules, collegiality, and decision-making opportunities as more evident in university environments than in school environments. The researchers discuss the need for teacher educators in deaf education to pursue scholarly interests and to consider working with colleagues at the university and in schools to design collaborative research. Universities' need to support these efforts is also discussed.     

Same university,same challenges? Development strategies of two schools at a prestigious Chinese university in a changing higher education landscape

In a globalized world, universities face challenges adapting to changing environmental pressures and expectations of legitimacy. Studies on the topic have tended to focus on universities in North America and Europe, while Chinese universities have received less attention, perhaps due to their status as latecomers to global higher education. Based on institutional theory and resource dependence theory, this study examines the development process of two schools with different characteristics in a prestigious public Chinese university. Based on document and interview analyses, the findings indicate that both schools advocate internationalization as a development strategy but for different reasons. In response to the changing environment, one school continues to conform to the institutional environment; meanwhile, the other is competing in the task environment while also adhering to the university’s and the state’s norms, beliefs, demands and expectations. Based on the analysis, this article recommends that Chinese policymakers allow proactive schools willing to further their positioning in national and global higher education systems to have more autonomy and leeway in developing themselves.     

Primary school literacy in Southern Africa: African perspectives

This research review examines trends in recent scholarship concerning primary school literacy instruction in Southern Africa. Past scholarship, particularly that which originated from western researchers, focused on technical or structural issues facing literacy instruction in the region, such as language of instruction, school conditions, availability of books, and teacher training. Newer scholarship that has emerged primarily from African researchers focuses more on sociocultural and sociopolitical issues such as promoting a ‘reading culture’, shaping language policy, and examining literacy as a local social practice. Increasingly, researchers advocate local, rather than western/northern, solutions to African problems in literacy development and instruction. However, African perspectives are nevertheless influenced by western perspectives and agendas, as a result of colonialism, postcolonialism, and globalisation. Hybrid solutions that combine western and African perspectives therefore may be important for literacy development in the region.     

Secondary education in sub-Saharan Africa: Exploring research priorities with the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)

Abstract

Research on secondary education in Africa is urgent for several reasons. One reason is the strong link between social and economic development, on the one hand, and secondary education, on the other. Several studies have indicated this link and while African leaders are mindful of its importance, no comprehensive plan exists whereby development objectives put forward by New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) could be realised.

This article reports on a pilot study by a South African university following a request from the NEPAD Secretariat to investigate secondary education research opportunities. The study included a literature review, documentation analysis and interviews with various interested individuals and bodies that are concerned with secondary education research and development in Africa. Results of the pilot study point towards a number of important studies that have been conducted or that are currently under way concerning African secondary education. Secondly, a number of possible strategic focus areas for research have emerged, but will have to be followed by more in-depth inquiry in order to be of proper value.     

Anticipated developments: East Africa's private universities and privatisation of public universities in the global context

Abstract

The growth and development of private universities has been one of the most dramatic features of African higher education in the last two decades. Using the three East African countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda as a case in point, this analysis examines the extent to which developments in the region echo international trends, as well as how they illustrate contrasts. The analysis focuses on three key themes: (a) growth and historical antecedents; (b) institutional developments in terms of continuity and innovation; and (c) internationalism. While only relatively recent phenomena, private universities in East Africa and the increasing privatisation of public universities mirror developments in other parts of the world with a longer tradition of private university developments in terms of growth and historical antecedents, continuity and innovation in institutional development, as well as in internationalism. However, there are some situations in which the East African case is exceptional.     

Maintaining academic integrity among East African university students

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine the extent to which academic integrity is maintained in the academic programmes of three East African university students selected from one of the universities in each one of the three countries. For confidentiality and identification purposes, the universities were labeled A, B and C. The level of academic integrity was interpreted on the basis of the extent to which participants admitted to have engaged in plagiarism and academic misconduct in its various manifestations. The findings clearly indicated that academic dishonesty is widely practised by East African university students. The extent to which this held true varied from one item to another of the sixteen questionnaire statements with the highest score being in items related to plagiarism. Overall, 37% of the students in university C, followed by 32% of students in university A and 24% of students in university B engaged in academic dishonesty. The rate at which academic dishonesty was reported was comparable to what has been reported in other countries including Canada, Ethiopia, South Africa, the UK and USA.     

Specific remedy for specific problem: measuring service quality in South African higher education

This study commences a process of developing a scale for the measurement of service quality in higher education in South Africa and also examines the relationship between the measures of service quality on the one hand and some other related variables such as intention to leave the university, trust in management of the university and the overall satisfaction with the university. Using structured questionnaires, survey data was collected from students (n = 391) in two South African universities. Findings indicate that the 52-item measure of service quality in higher education is a multidimensional construct loading on 13 factors with a high reliability coefficient (0.93) and some construct validity. Significant relationships were also found between service quality in HE and other study variables—intention to leave university, trust in management of the university and overall satisfaction with the university. Some further research directions were suggested and policy implications of findings discussed.     

社会捐赠与大学发展——中美大学社会捐赠的对比分析

社会捐赠是个人、营利组织和非营利组织向社会提供公共产品和公共服务的重要方式。大学谋求社会捐赠是大学促进自身发展的重要手段。对比中美两国大学社会捐赠状况,我国大学社会捐赠相对不足的主要原因,在于独立的非政府公益机构尚未形成,激励性制度体系不完善,以及社会文化环境方面存在制约性因素。     

Building research capacity for African institutions: confronting the research leadership gap and lessons from African research leaders

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 grants were either research leaders or team members. The study employs a mixed methodology approach with empirical data drawn from focus group discussions and online surveys of English-speaking research leaders and research teams whose research work was supported by the selected funding institutions. In line with literature of leadership styles in Africa, our results suggest that preferred research leadership style for African researchers is different in some ways, especially with its attention to the ‘human touch’. Respondents preferred ‘people/relationship orientated’, ‘task­orientated’ and ‘democratic/participative’ styles of leadership, all of which have strong elements of Ubuntu (humaneness). The study also showed that leadership development for many in Africa involves mostly ‘learning by doing’ and informal mentoring, and less formal training opportunities. We explore policy implications of our findings with reference to research leadership development in African institutions, paying particular attention to challenges faced by female research leaders, and stress that research leadership development in Africa must be seen as a long-term and continuous activity and calls for more formal leadership development opportunities to complement the existing informal approaches.     

大学精神:危机与重建

改革开放以来,教育进入市场给大学的发展带来机遇,但同时精神价值的失落成为中国高校突出的问题。商业化的侵蚀、官本位的蔓延,加之体制的弊端,造成了大学教学质量和科研水平大幅度滑坡,使得大学的公众信任度不断下降。本文通过对大学精神危机的表现及产生原因的分析,提出中国的大学要想创建世界一流大学,就必须重建大学精神。