Browsing by Author "Mutula, Stephen"
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- ItemChallenges of doing research in sub-Saharan African universities scholarship opportunities(University of Zululand, 2009-01) Mutula, StephenUniversities the world over are responsible for research, knowledge generation, scholarship and innovation. They also serve as conduits for the transfer, adaptation, and dissemination of knowledge generated across the world. Universities are expected to guarantee the most efficient utilisation of research results and their possible application to economic life. Globally, universities are facing renewed external and internal pressure as the push for them to meet the changing needs of society intensifies as a result of trends in the transition towards a knowledge-based economy; massification of higher education; and the integration and assimilation of Information Technology (IT) into the academic environment. Moreover, the emergence and use of IT in higher education has led to an increasingly virtual education system, with implications for the dynamics and conduct of university research. Universities no longer remain sole citadels of research activities, as private or government research institutes are increasingly involved in knowledge creation and dissemination. The internationalisation of higher education, coupled with growing student mobility and increased competition for funding, has recently occasioned efforts to rank universities in terms of their academic quality and productivity at national, regional and global levels. Despite the increased demands on universities, they remain constrained by declining state funding, increasing enrolments, limited physical facilities, etc. New technologies now offer lifelines for African universities to re-engineer and reposition themselves in order to meet these ever increasing societal demands effectively. This paper discusses the challenges of doing research in African universities, and assesses the opportunities digital scholarship can engender for these universities. The focus of the paper is on universities in sub-Saharan Africa, excluding North Africa and to some extent, South Africa. North African higher education is largely influenced by practices in Europe and the Middle East. South Africa has had a separate and distinct political history and governance that differs from other African countries. The country also has a fairly well developed technological and industrial economy, which is quite ahead of other African countries. Their system of higher education is older (most universities were established during the pre-World War II phase, while in most sub-Saharan countries, universities were established post-independence, beginning in the late 1950s) and their universities are well endowed with good libraries, well equipped laboratories, long traditions of scholarship based on European models, and a well established ICT infrastructure that is accessible to both faculties and students.
- ItemResearch Data Management (RDM) in agricultural research institutes: a literature review(University of Zululand, 2018) Ng’eno, Emily; Mutula, StephenThis article presents a survey of literature on Research Data Management (RDM) with focus on agricultural research institutes. This is to help the understanding of core issues in RDM such as legal, policy and regulations; skills set and infrastructure in order to strategically position the agricultural sector in the knowledge economy and also help in reducing duplication of effort, promoting innovation, minimizing loss or destruction of research data sets and that ensuring compliance with funders’ requirements. The author argues that while RDM has been widely embraced in developed countries Africa is lacking behind. The literature reviewed in this article seem to suggest that legal, policy and regulatory framework in agricultural research sectors are either nonexistent or outdated. This is exacerbated by inadequate technical infrastructure, human resources capacity, and paucity of national or international partnerships. As a result, research data sets within agricultural institutes are poorly managed. The establishment of a legislative and policy framework for RDM; capacity building programs, and improvement of technical infrastructure are highly recommended.