In pursuit of the African PhD: A critical survey of emergent policy issues in select sub-Saharan African nations, Ethiopia, Ghana and South Africa

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 issue; and widening participation to doctoral education is seen as an instrument for enhancing this capacity. Against this backdrop, this paper presents a review of emerging initiatives and policies that have some bearing on the PhD in select sub-Saharan African nations, namely Ethiopia, Ghana and South Africa. The findings show a shared optimism about the economic value of higher education, and explicate divergences and convergences in the framing of problems and policy responses related to doctoral education across the three nations. In the conclusion we reflect on challenges and policy omissions in the pursuit of the African PhD

Viva voce functions, its dilution, and contribution to the proliferation of predatory universities

Since the Middle Ages, it has been a custom in universities to examine doctoral candidates orally through a “viva voce”. In this way, the doctoral examination consists of two components: a written thesis and a viva voce. Despite justifiable differences between universities around the world, the practice of the viva voce has changed from time to time. In general, the rigour and impact have diminished to such extent that, there is now an emerging practice of not holding a viva at all. In this paper I focus on the impact that the dilution of the viva can or might have on the selected classical functions of the viva. I also explore the possible link between this dilution and the proliferation of predatory universities. Using a qualitative approach, I conclude that the dilution of the viva voce undermines its classical functions and broadly  contributes to the proliferation of predatory universities. I, therefore, recommend African universities that are in the process of establishing doctoral programmes to attach great importance to the viva voce examination

Gender and leadership in higher educational institutions: exploring perceptions and practices in University of Cape Coast, Ghana

The purpose of this study is to examine the level of female participation in leadership activities in the University of Cape Coast (UCC). Leadership is experienced at various levels within the university - student, staff, committee and management levels in the university. However, the positions are mainly held by men. This study examined the institutional structures and cultural factors responsible for the dearth of women in leadership and why it is necessary to have more women vigorously involved in the decision-making in the university. Few women reaching the top have managed it successfully because of the exposure to various forms of institutional and cultural barriers. This state of affairs works against the effective utilization of human resources in the university. Ensuring that all individuals irrespective of their gender are equally motivated to participate in the decision-making process holds the potential for maximising the human resources within the university. In this study, the barriers to female participation in leadership have been explored. A qualitative research design guided the study. Twenty semi-structured interviews, participant observation and the use of unobtrusive observation were the main data collection techniques adopted. For data analysis, 'open and axial' coding approaches based on the inductive and deductive reasoning were utilised. A significant outcome of the study includes the fact that very few women are in head of departments and deanship positions. Women are almost absent in the top administrative echelon. Females occupy only designated 'vice/deputy' positions in students and staff unions. However, few academic women who have reached the top have managed successfully. The study concludes by expressing the view that women in UCC face several challenges which impede their progress towards leadership aspirations. These include institutional structures and culturally entrenched norms. Based on these findings and conclusions, a number of recommendations have been made to improve the chances of women in both academic and administrative departments to break the glass-ceiling and advance into leadership positions. These include the following: (1) the need for professional development opportunities for women to enable them to pursue postgraduate programmes after which they could be employed as administrators or academics, and (2) the institutionalization of policies in support of the reservation of quotas for women in some leadership positions, including chairing some of the sub-committees of the Governing Council and the Academic Board to ensure fair participation of women in critical decision-making levels in the university

The doctorate: international stories of the UK experience

This is a collection of stories written by non-UK students about their experience of studying for their doctorate in a number of different UK institutions. The stories are personal ones, in which they outline the barriers they have overcome and the feelings they encountered on the way

Assessing Wearers’ / Observers’ Understanding of the Ceremonial Significance of Academic Procession and Dress in Tertiary Institutions: Evidence from Kumasi Polytechnic

Being aware of the level of knowledge of observers and participants regarding the order of academic procession and the various dress distinctions and their components for the varied academic levels was very important. This is because many wearers don the academicals without the slightest knowledge about their ceremonial significance to the academic setting. This paper seeks to determine the knowledge level of the wearers at Kumasi Polytechnic. Using survey data obtained from the participants in the Polytechnic, the overall understanding of the significance of the academic procession and gowns among the sampled participants indicated that 50.6%, 19.1%, 16.4%, 13% and 1% of them believe that they have “poor”, “very good”, “good”, “very poor” and excellent overall understanding of the ceremonial significance of the order of academic procession and academicals respectively. Also from the result, majority of the respondents 56.3% either “strongly disagreed” or “disagreed” that the academicals are borrowed tradition and are too cumbersome to wear and therefore their usage for academic ceremonies must be optional followed by 32.5% who either “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that irrespective of the nature of the dress its usage must be continued with the few 11.2% who chose to sit on the fence. Again most respondents 79.2% and 81.1% respectively claimed that both the Polytechnic’s colours and the faculty colours must be included in the design of the gowns for uniqueness and recognition. In conclusion, the Polytechnic community should be educated to know and appreciate the ceremonial significance of the academic procession and the academicals. Keywords: Ceremonial Significance, Academic Procession, Academic Gowns, Academical

Examining challenges facing women pursuing doctorate degrees in Ghana

Undergraduate thesis submitted to the Department of Business Administration, Ashesi University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Science Degree in Business AdministrationThis study examines the challenges faced by women pursuing doctorate degrees in Ghana using doctorate students from the University of Ghana as the case study. While women's participation in education in Ghana has improved significantly over the past years, data suggests that women are still missing at higher levels of education, especially at the doctorate level. Using a phenomenological hermeneutic approach to qualitative research, this study aims to understand gender-specific differences in the key identity transition from student to a scholar for men and women pursuing PhDs in Ghana. Identifying these challenges will help policymakers know how to better support women through their gender-specific challenges and could help increase the ranks and number of women relative to men in teaching and research roles within universities. Primary data was collected through semistructured interviews with male and female doctorate students at the University of Ghana. Transcripts from the research were analysed using thematic analysis. The results show that women in this study are under much more pressure from society than men to perform certain gender roles or meet societal gender expectations. Compared to men, women’s gender roles and expectations more often clashed with roles and expectations of their emerging scholarly identity, causing tension. These tensions make the PhD journey more challenging for women, especially married women compared to men. It is recommended that the government and higher education institutions provide priority funding for married women with dependents during the PhD programs. Also, PhD lecturers and supervisors should be more empathetic toward PhD students balancing family demands with intense academic programs.Ashesi Universit

Enhancing Doctoral Research Education through the Institution of Graduate Writing Courses in Ghanaian Universities

A key support service in doctoral research that has increasingly gained attention is academic writing courses. This position paper argues for the institutionalization of graduate writing courses in universities in Ghana in order to acquaint doctoral students with the theoretical, procedural, and practical aspects of the writing of high stakes academic genres. An overview (including evaluation) of existing courses on researchrelated writing in some universities is proffered. The study consequently presents arguments to support a proposal for institutional graduate writing courses in Ghanaian universities, followed by a discussion of other pertinent issues such as the curriculum, staffing, and funding. It is hoped that the institutionalization of such a writing support service will ultimately improve the quality of doctoral research education in Ghana

A Critical Examination of Internationalisation of the Curriculum and Global Citizenship Education in One University in Ghana

Internationalisation of the Curriculum and global citizenship formation have become important goals in higher education around the world. As such, universities are increasingly positioning their mission statements along the narrative of becoming global and producing graduates who can navigate globalising societies and professions. As a case study, this research examines curriculum internationalisation and Global Citizenship Education in one university in Ghana. Employing a theoretical framework of a Critical Global Pedagogy, I engage with the views and experiences of students, lecturers and institutional heads on dimensions of curriculum internationalisation and Global Citizenship Education that manifest in the institution’s policy and curriculum. The findings highlight complexities at the intersection of the colonial foundations of the case study institution, contemporary power dynamics that characterise the institution’s internationalisation practices as well as the dilemma around pursuing global engagement whilst ensuring local relevance. Connected to this, three key recommendations are made from the findings. The first is the need for a clear institutional policy definition and direction on what curriculum internationalisation and global citizenship formation means for the institution as part of its broader vision of becoming world-class and research-intensive. There is also the imperative around striking a balance between embedding the curriculum of the institution within its historical and socio-cultural specificities as they pertain to the Ghanaian and wider African context whilst at the same time ensuring that the curriculum is globally engaged. Lastly, I propose a decolonial approach to curriculum internationalisation and global citizenship formation, building on African epistemological and ontological traditions. This draws directly from the South African communitarian concept of Ubuntu, around which community building, mutualism and cooperation can be pursued. I argue that Ubuntu can be leveraged to foster African citizenship in students and transposed to the global level as part of the expansive notion of global citizenship