Between hope and uncertainty: a no returning journey of African graduates from the United States of America to their home countries.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.International Migration is steadily growing and has become a global phenomenon that is unavoidable. In Africa, there are thousands of people who move to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries such as United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Germany to name a few and they are made up of highly skilled migrants from their respective home countries. Migrants who are considered highly skilled not only consists of occupation professionals but also students who have completed their university education in their home countries and decided to further their studies abroad with the hope to come back and better their lives and that of their families. However, after the completion of their studies, most of them decide to stay behind in the host country. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the reasons why Sub-Saharan Africans; South African, Kenyans and Nigerians in particular are reluctant to go back home upon completion of their studies and decided to stay in the U.S. The appropriate research paradigm that was used in this study is pragmatic because it accepts a mixed and multimethod research. Therefore, the investigation consisted of mixed methods; quantitative and qualitative research methods whereby data was collected by means of online surveys which had 224 respondents under quantitative data collection and 21 respondents under qualitative research methods who completed their university education in their home countries and decided to pursue their graduate degree in the U.S. The data was collected in two distinct phases; first the quantitative data, followed by the qualitative data collection which informed the quantitative results. The students were sampled using non-probability sampling namely snowball which included purposive sampling and the same individuals were included in both data collections. The eligibility criteria in this study were that the participants had to be citizens in their country of origin, have graduated from any accredited university in their home country, have graduated with a master’s or doctorate degree from any accredited University in the U.S. and have stayed a year or more in the U.S after completion of their studies. Additionally, the researcher identified four individuals who fit the criteria and were willing to participate. These individuals also knew other relevant willing participants who fit the criteria and helped the researcher to locate them. Those participants too referred the researcher to other individuals and so on and forth. Since the relevant participants were difficult to locate, purposive sampling helped the researcher to find the potential participants through internet recruitment. These participants were chosen according to the criteria that have been set. The theories used in this research study are World systems theory and Rational Choice theory as they are suitable to evaluate the reasons why African graduates do not return to their home countries after completing their studies abroad. Based on the analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data of this study, opportunities that include employment, better wages compared to their home country, higher standard of living compared to their home country, research training opportunities and scholarships have contributed to the African graduate’s decision to stay in the host country. Thus, Economic factors have strongly been identified as contributing to their decision to stay in the U.S after completing their studies. The findings revealed that they first decide to migrate to acquire a high level of qualification with the hope that it results in advancement of their careers and when offered opportunities where they are currently living and the opportunities are better than that which can be offered in their home countries, they decide to stay. This study also examined their experiences after deciding to remain in the U.S and despite acculturative stress such as perceived racism, loneliness, and stress; they have had positive experiences which entailed being offered employment and better salary. In addition, this study examined their attitudes and perceptions after deciding to remain in the Unites States, majority of them consider it as land of opportunities. It can be concluded in this research study that even though brain-drain analysts have not settled the debate of whether it is beneficial or detrimental to the sending countries as countries experience it differently, it is evident from the previous literature that the negative impacts of the brain drain outweighs the positive ones. The inequality of economic, political, and social levels between developing and developed countries determine the flow of migration. Without a doubt highly skilled individuals will always gravitate to countries that offer them opportunities to use their skills and can better their lives and that of their families resulting in sending countries losing professionals needed for development. Therefore, it is recommended that origin countries should look inward and address the brain-drain by implementing policies that will make improvements in their countries to attract them back or create channels that will assist in them contributing their knowledge and skills even when they are abroad. Finally, this study has contributed to the body of knowledge on international student-migration and a no return of African graduates specifically from South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria who decided to remain in the U.S upon completion of their studies. Additionally, it has contributed to the body brain-drain knowledge in academia and higher education, African graduates’ communities/countries, stakeholders and most importantly, policy makers as it has shed light on the nature and implications of the emigration of highly skilled/educated professionals. Key words: international students, migration, international migration, study abroad, brain drain, African graduates, human flight capital, globalization

Accounting for the 1990 - 2013 Christian-Muslim Conflicts in Tanzania.

From 1990 to 2013, conflicts resulting in bloody violence erupted at different times and in different places between some Christians and some Muslims in Tanzania. The main objective of this thesis was to account for these conflicts. In examimning these conflicts, the researcher used the Relational Theory of Conflict. The theory states thus: ―Conflicts result from interactions of different people with opposed cultural experiences, values and interests.‖ Guided by this theory, the researcher identified two hypotheses that address religious conflicts. The first hypothesis states that: Wherever two religions coexist in roughly equal sizes, in a particular geographical setting, there is a potential for inter-religious conflicts due to their doctrinal differences and their need to access resources. The second hypothesis states thus: In order for those conflicts to develop into violence, there must be conditions, actors, and actions that foment the violence. The specific objectives were to state the conditions, to identify the actors, and to describe the actions that fomented the 1990 - 2013 violent conflicts. The researcher used both the survey and explorative research designs in this research. Dar es Salaam was the study area and the study involved 1010 respondents - 521 Christians and 489 Muslims. The findings showed that the conditions included ignorance, poverty, and globalization. The actors in the conflicts were leaders of Islamist groups, public debaters and preachers, unruly Christians and Muslims, and others. The actions included instigative public preaching and selling inciting DVDs and CDs. The researcher recommends religious education to all, rigorous law enforcement, and government‘s fair treatment for all citizens

Exploring motivation to notify and barriers to partner notification of sexually transmitted infections in South Africa: a qualitative study

Background This article will review qualitative data from intervention-based counselling sessions to explore barriers to partner notification (PN) for South African men and women who have contracted sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This qualitative study took place in a township where there is high STI and HIV prevalence. In addition to reviewing barriers to PN, the study will also identify participants’ perceptions about effective PN strategies that are presented during the intervention. Ultimately, the study will assess the intervention’s impact on participants’ motivation and skills to notify their partners about their STI status. Methods Relying on recorded counselling sessions from an intervention run by a parent study, this sub- study reviewed 30 transcripts from counselling sessions with 15 men and 15 women. The intervention was a 60 min interactive session where STI and HIV education, risk mitigation, and effective PN strategies were discussed. Participants were between 19 and 41 years old (mean age = 28.4) and lived within the catchment area of a South African township. Recordings were chosen based on verbal responsiveness of the participant and were manually coded for analysis. In addition, two programme counsellors were interviewed about their perceptions of the intervention and their experiences with participants to enhance rigour and reduce potential bias. Results By the conclusion of the intervention session, both male and female participants were motivated to notify their partners face-to-face about their positive STI status. Despite this, misperceptions about the etiology and transmission of STIs, as well as inadequate support from the clinical level and power imbalances amongst men and women emerged as major barriers for the prevention of future STIs. Conclusions While the intervention appears to be successful in facilitating partners’ intentions to notify, the data shows significant social and structural barriers that will create difficulties for the prevention of future STIs. Participants’ persistent concerns about acquiring HIV or their current positive status affect decision-making and therefore, could be a window of opportunity for health-care providers or lay counsellors to discuss STIs in high prevalence areas

Rainfall mediations in the spreading of epidemic cholera

Following the empirical evidence of a clear correlation between rainfall events and cholera resurgence that was observed in particular during the recent outbreak in Haiti, a spatially explicit model of epidemic cholera is re-examined. Specifically, we test a multivariate Poisson rainfall generator, with parameters varying in space and time, as a driver of enhanced disease transmission. The relevance of the issue relates to the key insight that predictive mathematical models may provide into the course of an ongoing cholera epidemic aiding emergency management (say, in allocating life-saving supplies or health care staff) or in evaluating alternative management strategies. Our model consists of a set of dynamical equations (SIRB-like i.e. subdivided into the compartments of Susceptible, Infected and Recovered individuals, and including a balance of Bacterial concentrations in the water reservoir) describing a connected network of human communities where the infection results from the exposure to excess concentrations of pathogens in the water. These, in turn, are driven by rainfall washout of open-air defecation sites or cesspool overflows, hydrologic transport through waterways and by mobility of susceptible and infected individuals. We perform an a posteriori analysis (from the beginning of the epidemic in October 2010 until December 2011) to test the model reliability in predicting cholera cases and in testing control measures, involving vaccination and sanitation campaigns, for the ongoing epidemic. Even though predicting reliably the timing of the epidemic resurgence proves difficult due to rainfall inter-annual variability, we find that the model can reasonably quantify the total number of reported infection cases in the selected time-span. We then run a multi-seasonal prediction of the course of the epidemic until December 2015, to investigate conditions for further resurgences and endemicity of cholera in the region with a view to policies which may bring to the eradication of the disease in Haiti. The projections, although strongly depending on still uncertain epidemiological processes, show an endemic, seasonal pattern establishing in the region, which can be better forestalled by an improvement of the sanitation system only, rather than by vaccination alone. We thus conclude that hydrologic drivers and water resources management prove central to prediction, emergency management and long-term control of epidemic cholera

Reading problems in the junior primary phase and parental involvement : guidelines for teachers.

M.Ed.The aim of this research is to develop guidelines for teachers with regard to parental involvement in order to facilitate the development of reading competence in children in the junior primary phase. In order to achieve this, the following sub-aims are formulated: To explore and describe the viewpoints of parents and teachers with regard to the causes of reading problems in the junior primary phase; To determine in what way teachers and parents of children in the junior primary phase perceive their role in the development and improvement of reading

Statistical Analysis of Technical Data of Oil Carriers Ships

159 σ.Σκόπος της διπλωματικής αυτής εργασίας είναι να εντοπιστούν πιθανές σχέσεις μεταξύ των κύριων χαρακτηριστικών των εξεταζόμενων δεξαμενοπλοίων και να αναπτυχθούν εμπειρικοί τύποι για την προκαταρκτική εκτίμηση κύριων χαρακτηριστικών νέων σχεδιάσεων. Αρχικά έγινε η συλλογή των δεδομένων, και εφόσον πρόκειται για μια στατιστική μελέτη όσο περισσότερα δεδομένα διαθέτουμε, τόσο πιο αξιόπιστα θα είναι τα αποτελέσματά μας. Προς αυτόν τον σκοπό, συγκεντρώθηκαν και αναλύθηκαν δεδομένα περίπου 2250 πλοίων από την βάση δεδομένων του World Shipping Encyclopedia version 12.01 / IHS Fairplay Eds, μεταξύ των οποίων 1750 Crude Oil Tankers, 450 Product Tankers και 50 Shuttle Tankers. Εκτός από αυτά, το εργαστήριο Μελέτης Πλοίου της Σχολής Ναυπηγών Μηχανολόγων Μηχανικών του Εθνικού Μετοβίου Πολυτεχνείου (ΣΝΜΜ / ΕΜΠ) διαθέτει στοιχεία και σχέδια ενός αριθμού πλοίων τύπου Crude Oil και Product Tankers, από τα οποία καταφέραμε να συγκεντρώσουμε δεδόμενα από 350 Crude Oil και 180 Product Tankers. Στην συνέχεια, πραγματοποιήθηκε ένας έλεγχος των δεδομένων από το World Shipping Encyclopedia version 12.01 / IHS Fairplay Eds προκειμένου να διερευνηθεί κατά πόσο είναι αξιόπιστα, διότι το «πέρασμά» τους σε υπολογιστή είναι μια διαδικασία εκτεθημένη σε πολλά σφάλματα λόγω της ανθρώπινης επέμβασης. Με αυτόν τον τρόπο, αποκλείστηκαν τα στοιχεία τα οποία παρουσιάζανε μη λογικές πληροφορίες, όπως αναφέρεται αναλυτικά στις επόμενες παραγράφους. Κατόπιν, εφαρμόστηκαν στα υπολειπόμενα δεδομένα των πλοίων στατιστικές αναλύσεις έστι ώστε να βρεθούν οι εμπειρικοί τύποι για την προκαταρκτική εκτίμηση στοιχείων νέων σχεδιάσεων. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, βρέθηκαν σχέσεις για εκτιμήσεις κυρίων διαστάσεων, βαρών και όγκων. Το παραπάνω εφαρμόστηκε ξεχωριστά για κάθε υπό-ομάδα, δηλαδή Crude Oil, Product και Shuttle Tankers.The subject of this thesis concerns the Statistical Analysis of technical data of Merchant Vessels, especially Crude Oil Tankers and Oil Product Carriers in order to identify internal relationship between them and develop empirical formulas for the preliminary estimation of technical details of new designs based on their main particulars. The first step of this study was the collection of data; as it is well known, the more data we have, the more reliable the results will be. To this end, approximately 2250 tankers have been collected from the database of the World Shipping Encyclopedia version 12.01 / IHS Fairplay Eds, specifically, 1750 Crude Oil Tankers, 450 Product Tankers 50 Shuttle Tankers. Apart from the above vessels, other 350 Crude Oil and 180 Product Tankers have been collected from the laboratory of Ship Design of the School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering ( National Technical University of Athens). Then, the data from World Shipping Encyclopedia version 12.01 / IHS Fairplay Eds, have been checked so that we could have some information about their reliability because there is always a probability that a mistake has occurred during the procedure of collecting data from ships. Therefore, vessels that presented any illogical or inconsistent data have been excluded from the list. Finally, statistical analysis have been applied to the remaining vessels in order to find empirical formulas for the preliminary estimation of new designs characteristics. The above was applied separately for each sub-group, i.e. Crude Oil, Product and Shuttle Tankers.ANNECK G. NKOKO NOSS

The relationship between entity related corporate governance factors and the establishment of separate risk management committee in South Africa

M.Com. (Computer Auditing)This dissertation aims to explore the entity characteristics associated with the implementation of the board-level stand-alone risk management committee (RMC) in South Africa. We developed a battery of econometric models based on triangulation of corporate governance theories which linked an entity’s decision to set up a separate risk management committee (RMC) in its board structures as a dependent variable and a host of entity-specific factors as independent variables. Data collected from audited annual reports of 181 JSE-listed non-financial entities was analysed using logistics regression estimation procedures. Our results show a strong positive relationship between the likelihood that an entity would establish a separate RMC, on the one hand, and board independence, board size, entity size, and industry type, on the other. Our study fails to find support for the hypothesis that an entity’s characteristics – such as the independence of the board chairman, the use of Big Four audit firms, financial reporting risks, and levels of financial leverage – do influence an entity’s decision to form a separate RMC. Our findings emphasize the role that information asymmetry between executive and non-executive directors, agency cost and potential damage to reputation capital of directors; diversity in background, expertise, and skills of directors; economies of scale in absorbing RMC costs; and industry-specific institutions and norms play in an entity’s decision to form a separate RMC. The implication of our findings is that policy-makers should consider the size and composition of boards and also take cognizance of entity size and industry-specific idiosyncrasies in setting recommended corporate governance practices

Nene nawile kibukulu

Indigenous musi