8 - Research, Research Productivity and the State in South Africa*
Journal of Higher Education in Africa,
Vol. 5 No. 1 (2007): Journal of Higher Education in Africa
Abstract
Taking the plan of action adopted at the June 2005 Department of Science and Technology conference on ‘Human Resources for Knowledge Production in South Africa’ as its starting-point, the authors of this article discuss four separate but related barriers to research productivity in South Africa: inadequate academic re- muneration and onerous working conditions; the tension that seems to have emerged between advancing equity and realising academic excellence; obstacles that under- mine institutional collaboration within the higher education and science council sectors, and the poor quality of senior managers in the knowledge system. In each case, the authors indicate the difficulties that lie in the way of reform and suggest how nevertheless the challenges can be met in contemporary South African condi- tions. They conclude that social wellbeing in general as well as the health of the research system depends on facing up to and solving these difficult and sometimes controversial issues.
Keywords
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- Cloete, C., 2005, ‘Equity and Development in Post-apartheid South African Higher Education’, in C. Cloete, P. Pillay, S. Badat and T. Moja, eds., National Policy and a Regional Response in South African Higher Education, Cape Town: David Philip. (http://www.foundation-partnership.org/ pubs/southafrica/index.php). 31 October 2005.
- Council on Higher Education, 2004, South African Higher Education in the First Decade of Democracy, Pretoria: CHE.
- Department of Science and Technology and Department of Education, 2005a, ‘Hu- man Resources for Knowledge Production in South Africa: Papers’, unpub- lished report: DST.
- Department of Science and Technology and Department of Education, 2005b, ‘Con- ference Declaration: Human Resources for Knowledge Production, Cape Town, 23-24 June 2005’, unpublished document.
- Erwin, A., Mangena, M. and Mbeki, T., 2005, ‘The Challenges Facing Higher Edu- cation in South Africa, Final Draft’, unpublished document, 1 June 2005.
- Fiske, E.B. and Ladd, H.F., 2004, Elusive Equity: Education Reform in Post-Apart- heid South Africa, Cape Town: HSRC Press.
- Gibbon, P. et al., 2001a, ‘Accounting for Change: The Micropolitics of University Restructuring.
- Part 1, Balancing Books and Ideas’, South African Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 15–26.
- Gibbon, P. et al., 2001b, ‘Accounting for Change: The Micropolitics of University Restructuring.
- Part 2: Changing Structures, Contesting Identities’, South Afri- can Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 40–46.
- Government of the Republic of South Africa, 2002, South Africa’s National Re- search and Development Strategy, Pretoria: Government Printer.
- Habib, A., 2001, ‘The Institutional Crisis of the University of the Transkei’, Politikon,Vol. 28, No. 2, pp. 157–179.
- Habib, A. and Parekh, A., 2000, ‘Transforming South Africa’s University System: The Case for Strategic Mergers’, Perspectives in Education, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 39–51.
- Hall, M., Symes, A. and Luescher, T., 2004, ‘The Governance of Merger in South African Higher Education: Research Report Prepared for the Council on Higher Education’, Pretoria: Council on Higher Education.
- Huber, J.C., 2001, ‘A New Method for Analyzing Scientific Productivity’, Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Vol. 52, No. 13, pp. 1089–1099.
- Human Sciences Research Council, 2005, Annual Report 2004-2005, Pretoria: HSRC.
- Jansen, J.D., 2004, ‘When does a University cease to exist? Fortieth Hoernlé Me- morial Lecture’, Braamfontein: South African Institute of Race Relations, Jansen, J.D., et al., 2003, Mergers in
- Higher Education: Lessons Learned in Transitional Contexts, Pretoria: UNISA Press.
- Kahn, M. and Blankley, W., 2005, ‘The State of Research and Experimental Devel- opment: Moving to a Higher Gear’, in S. Buhlungu, J. Daniel, R. Southall and J. Lutchman, eds., State of the Nation: South Africa 2005-2006, Cape Town: HSRC Press. pp. 270–296.
- Kahn, M., et al., 2004, Flight of the Flamingos: A Study on the Mobility of R&D Workers, Cape Town: HSRC Press.
- Kubler, J. and Roberts, L., 2005, ‘Association of Commonwealth Universities 2004- 05 Academics Staff Salary Survey’, Association of Commonwealth Universi- ties.(http://www.acu.ac.uk/policyandresearch/chemsurveys/1106913384.pdf). 29 October 2005.
- Lebeau, Y. and Ogunsanya, M., eds., 2000, The Dilemma of Post-Colonial Univer- sities: Elite Formation and the Restructuring of Higher Education in sub-Sa- haran Africa, Ibadan: IFRA/African Book Builders.
- Macfarlane, D., 2004, ‘Who’s the Fattest Cat?’, Mail & Guardian Online, 14 De- cember. (http://www.mg.co.za/articledirect.aspx?area=mg_flat&articleid= 193598). 28 October 2005.
- Mamdani, M., 1996, Citizen and Subject: Contemporary Africa and the Legacy of Late Colonialism, Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press.
- Mouton, J., Boshoff, S.C. and Bailey, T.G., 2002, ‘The Promotion of S&T Capac- ity in South Africa’, Report commissioned by the Academy of Science of South Africa, Stellenbosch: Centre for Research on Science and Technology.
- Orkin, M., 2005, ‘Presentation to HSRC Staff’, Speech to HSRC, 9 June 2005. Pouris, A., 2003, ‘South Africa’s Research Publication Record, The Last Ten Years’, South African Journal of Science, No. 99, pp. 425–428.
- SAUVCA, 2004, Academic Labour Markets and Salaries in South Africa, Preto- ria: SAUVCA.
- University of KwaZulu Natal, 2004, ‘2001–2004 Ex Natal and Ex UDW final DoE SAPSE Jnls’, unpublished document.
- Webster, E. and Mosoetsa, S., 2002, ‘At the Chalk Face: Managerialism and the Changing Academic Workplace 1995–2001’, Transformation, No. 48, pp. 59–82.
References
Cloete, C., 2005, ‘Equity and Development in Post-apartheid South African Higher Education’, in C. Cloete, P. Pillay, S. Badat and T. Moja, eds., National Policy and a Regional Response in South African Higher Education, Cape Town: David Philip. (http://www.foundation-partnership.org/ pubs/southafrica/index.php). 31 October 2005.
Council on Higher Education, 2004, South African Higher Education in the First Decade of Democracy, Pretoria: CHE.
Department of Science and Technology and Department of Education, 2005a, ‘Hu- man Resources for Knowledge Production in South Africa: Papers’, unpub- lished report: DST.
Department of Science and Technology and Department of Education, 2005b, ‘Con- ference Declaration: Human Resources for Knowledge Production, Cape Town, 23-24 June 2005’, unpublished document.
Erwin, A., Mangena, M. and Mbeki, T., 2005, ‘The Challenges Facing Higher Edu- cation in South Africa, Final Draft’, unpublished document, 1 June 2005.
Fiske, E.B. and Ladd, H.F., 2004, Elusive Equity: Education Reform in Post-Apart- heid South Africa, Cape Town: HSRC Press.
Gibbon, P. et al., 2001a, ‘Accounting for Change: The Micropolitics of University Restructuring.
Part 1, Balancing Books and Ideas’, South African Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 15–26.
Gibbon, P. et al., 2001b, ‘Accounting for Change: The Micropolitics of University Restructuring.
Part 2: Changing Structures, Contesting Identities’, South Afri- can Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 40–46.
Government of the Republic of South Africa, 2002, South Africa’s National Re- search and Development Strategy, Pretoria: Government Printer.
Habib, A., 2001, ‘The Institutional Crisis of the University of the Transkei’, Politikon,Vol. 28, No. 2, pp. 157–179.
Habib, A. and Parekh, A., 2000, ‘Transforming South Africa’s University System: The Case for Strategic Mergers’, Perspectives in Education, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 39–51.
Hall, M., Symes, A. and Luescher, T., 2004, ‘The Governance of Merger in South African Higher Education: Research Report Prepared for the Council on Higher Education’, Pretoria: Council on Higher Education.
Huber, J.C., 2001, ‘A New Method for Analyzing Scientific Productivity’, Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Vol. 52, No. 13, pp. 1089–1099.
Human Sciences Research Council, 2005, Annual Report 2004-2005, Pretoria: HSRC.
Jansen, J.D., 2004, ‘When does a University cease to exist? Fortieth Hoernlé Me- morial Lecture’, Braamfontein: South African Institute of Race Relations, Jansen, J.D., et al., 2003, Mergers in
Higher Education: Lessons Learned in Transitional Contexts, Pretoria: UNISA Press.
Kahn, M. and Blankley, W., 2005, ‘The State of Research and Experimental Devel- opment: Moving to a Higher Gear’, in S. Buhlungu, J. Daniel, R. Southall and J. Lutchman, eds., State of the Nation: South Africa 2005-2006, Cape Town: HSRC Press. pp. 270–296.
Kahn, M., et al., 2004, Flight of the Flamingos: A Study on the Mobility of R&D Workers, Cape Town: HSRC Press.
Kubler, J. and Roberts, L., 2005, ‘Association of Commonwealth Universities 2004- 05 Academics Staff Salary Survey’, Association of Commonwealth Universi- ties.(http://www.acu.ac.uk/policyandresearch/chemsurveys/1106913384.pdf). 29 October 2005.
Lebeau, Y. and Ogunsanya, M., eds., 2000, The Dilemma of Post-Colonial Univer- sities: Elite Formation and the Restructuring of Higher Education in sub-Sa- haran Africa, Ibadan: IFRA/African Book Builders.
Macfarlane, D., 2004, ‘Who’s the Fattest Cat?’, Mail & Guardian Online, 14 De- cember. (http://www.mg.co.za/articledirect.aspx?area=mg_flat&articleid= 193598). 28 October 2005.
Mamdani, M., 1996, Citizen and Subject: Contemporary Africa and the Legacy of Late Colonialism, Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press.
Mouton, J., Boshoff, S.C. and Bailey, T.G., 2002, ‘The Promotion of S&T Capac- ity in South Africa’, Report commissioned by the Academy of Science of South Africa, Stellenbosch: Centre for Research on Science and Technology.
Orkin, M., 2005, ‘Presentation to HSRC Staff’, Speech to HSRC, 9 June 2005. Pouris, A., 2003, ‘South Africa’s Research Publication Record, The Last Ten Years’, South African Journal of Science, No. 99, pp. 425–428.
SAUVCA, 2004, Academic Labour Markets and Salaries in South Africa, Preto- ria: SAUVCA.
University of KwaZulu Natal, 2004, ‘2001–2004 Ex Natal and Ex UDW final DoE SAPSE Jnls’, unpublished document.
Webster, E. and Mosoetsa, S., 2002, ‘At the Chalk Face: Managerialism and the Changing Academic Workplace 1995–2001’, Transformation, No. 48, pp. 59–82.