scholarly journals Experiences of doctoral students enrolled in a research fellowship program to support doctoral training in Africa (2014 to 2018): The Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa odyssey

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252863
Author(s):  
Folusho Mubowale Balogun ◽  
Yolanda Malele-Kolisa ◽  
Sara Jewett Nieuwoudt ◽  
Hellen Jepngetich ◽  
Jepchirchir Kiplagat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Institutional Development ◽  
Research Capacity ◽  
Doctoral Training ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Program Outcomes ◽  
Research Fellowship ◽  
Practice Elements

Background The Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) aims to transform higher education in Africa. One of its main thrusts is supporting promising university faculty (fellows) to obtain high quality doctoral training. CARTA offers fellows robust support which includes funding of their attendance at Joint Advanced Seminars (JASes) throughout the doctoral training period. An evaluation is critical in improving program outcomes. In this study; we, CARTA fellows who attended the fourth JAS in 2018, appraised the CARTA program from our perspective, specifically focusing on the organization of the program and its influence on the fellows’ individual and institutional development. Methods Exploratory Qualitative Study Design was used and data was obtained from three focus group discussions among the fellows in March 2018. The data were analyzed using thematic approach within the framework of good practice elements in doctoral training–Formal Research Training, Activities Driven by Doctoral Candidates, Career Development as well as Concepts and Structures. Results In all, 21 fellows from six African countries participated and all had been in the CARTA program for at least three years. The fellowship has increased fellows research skills and expanded our research capacities. This tremendously improved the quality of our doctoral research and it was also evident in our research outputs, including the number of peer-reviewed publications. The CARTA experience inculcated a multidisciplinary approach to our research and enabled significant improvement in our organizational, teaching, and leadership skills. All these were achieved through the well-organized structures of CARTA and these have transformed us to change agents who are already taking on research and administrative responsibilities in our various home institutions. Unfortunately, during the long break between the second and the third JAS, there was a gap in communication between CARTA and her fellows, which resulted in some transient loss of focus by a few fellows. Conclusion The CARTA model which builds the research capacity of doctoral fellows through robust support, including intermittent strategic Joint Advanced Seminars has had effective and transformative impacts on our doctoral odyssey. However, there is a need to maintain the momentum through continuous communication between CARTA and the fellows all through this journey.

Transfering best practices of doctoral training between EU, Russia, Belarus and Armenia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja Anniina Lauri ◽  
Sini Karppinen ◽  
Alexander Mahura ◽  
Timo Vesala ◽  
Tuukka Petaja ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Research Management ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Doctoral Training ◽  
Learning Material ◽  
Doctoral Studies ◽  
European Universities

<p>MODEST (Modernization of Doctoral Education in Science and Improvement Teaching Methodologies) is a new capacity building project funded by the Erasmus+ programme. The project is coordinated by the University of Latvia. There are three other EU partners (from Finland, Poland and the United Kingdom) and a total of ten partners from three partner countries (Russia, Belarus and Armenia). Aims of the project include:</p><ol><li>To improve the structure and content of Doctoral Education and the internal capacities of services that manage doctoral studies by set up of Doctoral Training Centers (DTC) in partner universities in accordance with the modern European practices.</li> <li>To facilitate a successful adherence with Bologna process reforms and its instruments by the academic and administrative staff involved in doctoral studies and research management through the organization of special training sessions in Armenia, Belarus and Russia.</li> <li>To improve/increase the quality of international and national mobility of doctoral students of Armenia, Belarus and Russia for training and research based on development of double degree programmes and joint supervision.</li> <li>To ensure sustainability of DTC’s and their cooperation with European partners by establishing a sustainable professional network providing the use of participatory approaches and ICT-based methodologies.</li> </ol><p>The work is carried out in three phases: preparation, development, and dissemination & exploitation. In the preparation phase, a detailed analysis of organization of doctoral studies and research management structures is done in both EU and partner countries. The development phase includes preparation of training materials, a series of study visits and training sessions, and creation of DTC’s. The dissemination & exploitation phase includes open access learning material, dissemination conferences, publications and workshop/conference presentations, as well as events and open resources for stakeholders, policymakers, students and the general public.To partly serve similar purposes as MODEST, University of Helsinki and Russian State Hydrometeorological University have introduced a new project, PEEX-AC (PEEX Academic Challenge). The aims of PEEX-AC are to share knowledge and experience, to promote state-of-the-art research and educational tools through organization of research training intensive course on “Multi-Scales and -Processes Modelling and Assessment for Environmental Applications”, to improve added value of research-oriented education in Finnish and Russian Universities, and to boost the PEEX international collaboration.The MODEST and PEEX-AC projects serve as a great examples of transfer of good practices in higher education, especially on doctoral level, but they also create new connections for educational and scientific collaboration. From the PEEX perspective, MODEST is an important initiative strengthening connections between European universities and institutions in Russia, Belarus and Armenia. The project will continue until autumn 2022.</p>

Student reflections on doctoral learning: challenges and breakthroughs

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-122
Author(s):  
Alison Owens ◽  
Donna Lee Brien ◽  
Elizabeth Ellison ◽  
Craig Batty
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Intellectual Development ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Action Learning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Doctoral Training ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Collaborative Action

Purpose There has been sustained interest in how to support doctoral students through the often-gruelling journey they undertake from enrolment to graduation. Although doctoral numbers and successful completions have been steadily increasing globally as well as in Australia, the quality of student progression and outcomes has been widely interrogated and criticised in the literature that is reported in this paper. The authors’ interest as experienced research higher degree supervisors and research leaders in the creative arts and humanities prompted a research project that aimed to better understand the challenges and breakthroughs involved in completing a doctorate from the perspective of candidates themselves. Design/methodology/approach This was implemented through an action learning collaboration with 18 students from three Australian universities facilitated by four research supervisors. Findings The main findings presented in this paper include the necessity for maintaining, brokering and supporting a range of relationships; understanding expectations of research study and embracing the need for agility in managing these; and finally, using techniques to improve personal agency and ownership of the transformative journey of research higher degree candidature. The importance of establishing an understanding of the multidimensional human experience of doing a doctorate and providing appropriate support through enhanced forms of research training emerged as a core finding from this research project. Research limitations/implications The relatively small number of research participants in this study and the discipline-specific focus prohibits generalizability of findings; however, the collaborative, action learning method adopted represents an approach that is both productive and transferable to other contexts and disciplines. Practical implications Further research might investigate the relevance of the findings from this research to doctoral students in other disciplines and/or institutions or apply the collaborative action learning approach to doctoral training presented here to a range of contexts and cohorts. Social implications Improving doctoral training options to support the multidimensional needs of candidates can better assure the mental and emotional well-being of doctoral students (essential to their continuing intellectual development and sense of agency) through developing sustainable relationships and realistic expectations. This in turn has the potential to address the consistently high attrition rates in doctoral programmes. Originality/value This research contributes new insights from doctoral students on the challenges and breakthroughs experienced by them as they pursue original research through formal study and present a novel, collaborative and empowering approach to doctoral training that can be applied in diverse setting.

scholarly journals Building Educational Research Capacity: Challenges and Opportunities From the Perspectives of Faculty Members at a National University in Oman

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824402110326
Author(s):  
Waheed Hammad ◽  
Wajeha Al-Ani
Keyword(s):  
Capacity Building ◽  
Educational Research ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Research Capacity ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Supportive Environment ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
National University ◽  
Group Interviews

The purpose of this article is to explore the perceptions of faculty members regarding research capacity building in the field of Education. It particularly seeks to identify the challenges and opportunities associated with this practice from the perspectives of these members. The study adopted a qualitative research design, using focus group interviews to collect data from a sample of faculty members in the College of Education at a national university in Oman. The results revealed the existence of some challenges that hampered educational research, including time constraints, the lack of a collaborative research culture, the lack of research training, and the absence of a clear research agenda. The analysis also identified a number of capacity building opportunities such as a research-supportive environment, the availability of research funding, and the role of research groups. The study concludes with some recommendations to improve educational research capacity both in Oman and in the Arab region in general.

Training humanities doctoral students in collaborative and digital multimedia

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 140-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid Ensslin ◽  
Will Slocombe
Keyword(s):  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Text Analysis ◽  
Information Design ◽  
Doctoral Training ◽  
Desktop Publishing ◽  
Digital Multimedia ◽  
Relevant Theory ◽  
Training Scheme

This study reports on the pedagogic rationale, didactic design and implications of an AHRC-funded doctoral training scheme in collaborative and digital multimedia in the humanities. In the second part of this article we discuss three areas of provision that were identified as particularly significant and/or controversial. These include (1) desktop publishing and information design for academic posters, (2) quantitative, corpus-based approaches to text analysis, and (3) a discussion of the affordances and constraints of ‘collaborative’ Web 2.0 based research as reflected by participants and relevant theory.

Statement on Pediatric Fellowship Training

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-265
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Research Training ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Fellowship Training ◽  
The Body ◽  
Pediatric Residents ◽  
Pediatric Society ◽  
Research Fellowship ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Fellowship Programs ◽  
Interest In Research

The following statement was adopted by the Federation of Pediatric Organizations in February, 1990. The Federation consists of the following pediatric organizations: Ambulatory Pediatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Board of Pediatrics, American Pediatric Society, Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairmen, Association of Pediatric Program Directors, Society for Pediatric Research. The Federation supports the concept that "the principal goal of fellowship training should be the development of future academic pediatricians." Graduates of pediatric fellowship programs usually work in academic centers with significant time set aside for research. Some fellowship-trained pediatricians, particularly neonatologists, allergists, and neurologists, may not work in hospitals or ambulatory settings that are associated closely with academic programs. Fellowship-trained pediatricians in all settings should be encouraged to continue their interest in research to add to the body of pediatric knowledge. To achieve the goal of training pediatric scientists, the following guidelines for fellowship education are recommended: 1. Upon completion of a pediatric fellowship, the trainee should be proficient in clinical care, teaching, and research. Fellowship training should prepare a pediatrician to care for children with complex illnesses within his/her area of special expertise and to serve as a consultant for the general pediatrician. In addition, the fellowship-trained pediatrician should be responsible for the education of pediatric residents and the continuing education of practicing pediatricians. For this reason, fellowship training should include interpersonal skills and pedagogical techniques. 2. Research training should begin as soon as possible; premedical students, medical students, and pediatric residents should be encouraged strongly to participate in meaningful research, and research activities should be carried out throughout fellowship training.

scholarly journals The Evaluation of Harm and Purity Transgressions in Africans: A Paradigmatic Replication of Rottman and Young (2019)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeyemi Adetula ◽  
Patrick S. Forscher ◽  
Dana Basnight-Brown ◽  
Jordan Rose Wagge ◽  
Takondwa Rex Namalima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Research Capacity ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Training Method ◽  
African Countries ◽  
African Languages ◽  
Training Materials ◽  
Moral Transgressions ◽  
Preparatory Work

Improving the generalizability of psychology findings to a culture requires sampling participants in that culture. Yet few psychology studies sample Africans. We believe we can expand the capacity of African psychology researchers by giving them freely available, cutting-edge research tools and workflows. We used a training method developed by the Collaborative Replication and Education Project (CREP) to support and train 23 African collaborators to conduct a paradigmatic replication of the psychology of moral transgressions (Rottman & Young, 2019) in 6 African countries (Egypt, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania). We completed extensive preparatory work, including developing training materials in African languages, assessing our collaborators’ current research capacity, and conducting a re-analysis of Rottman and Young’s original data. This project has the potential to improve research capacity in Africa and provide empirical evidence on Africans' moral judgment of purity transgressions.

Developing Critical Thinking in Doctoral Students

2015 ◽  
pp. 348-370
Author(s):  
Peter Smith
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Future Study ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Action Learning ◽  
Academic Qualification

The PhD is the highest level of academic qualification, and is by its very nature an exercise in the development of critical thinking. This chapter discusses what it means to study for a PhD and the problems that students have with developing skills of criticality. The author discusses his own experiences of supervising over 50 doctoral students and relates this to the relevant literature. The role that the supervisor, research training, the thesis, dissemination and the viva can play in developing critical thinking are discussed. The power of specific techniques including reflection, action research and action learning are also explored. The chapter presents areas worthy of future study and concludes by presenting an agenda which PhD students and their supervisors might follow.

scholarly journals Institutional benchmarking of foreign aid effectiveness in Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 543-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simplice A. Asongu
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Aid ◽  
Development Assistance ◽  
Institutional Quality ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
Institutional Development ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Dynamics ◽  
Government Quality ◽  
Institutional Benefits

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to integrate two main strands of the aid-development nexus in assessing whether institutional thresholds matter in the effectiveness of foreign-aid on institutional development in 53 African countries over the period 1996-2010. Design/methodology/approach – The panel quantile regression technique enables us to investigate if the relationship between institutional dynamics and development assistance differs throughout the distributions of institutional dynamics. Eight government quality indicators are employed: rule of law, regulation quality, government effectiveness, corruption, voice and accountability, control of corruption, political stability and democracy. Findings – Three hypotheses are tested and the following findings are established: first, institutional benefits of foreign-aid are contingent on existing institutional levels in Africa; second, but for a thin exception (democracy), foreign-aid is more negatively correlated with countries of higher institutional quality than with those of lower quality; third, the institutional benefits of foreign-aid are not questionable until greater domestic institutional development has taken place. The reverse is true instead. government quality benefits of development assistance are questionable in African countries irrespective of prevailing institutional quality levels. Originality/value – This paper contributes to existing literature on the effectiveness of foreign-aid by focussing on the distribution of the dependent variables (institutional dynamics). It is likely that best and worst countries in terms of institutions respond differently to development assistance.

scholarly journals Bribery in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Mediating Effects of Institutional Development and Trust

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 237802311882480
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Joslyn
Keyword(s):  
Path Dependence ◽  
Resource Curse ◽  
Institutional Development ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Mediating Effects ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Potential Factors

The issue of bribery raises questions about the implications of institutional development and trust in the raw material industry. This paper uses theories of institutionalism and trust to explore path dependence arguments seeking to explain the resource curse puzzle. Institutional development and trust are examined as potential mediators linking mineral extraction/processing to bribery in sub-Saharan African countries. The model suggests potential factors linking raw material industries to institutional development and institutional development to the degradation of interpersonal and generalized trust. The proposed model is tested with data on a sample of sub-Saharan African countries using multilevel logistic regression with promising results.

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