The PhD Experience in African Higher Education

The PhD Experience in African Higher Education explores the nature of doctoral training in South Africa, arguing that it should be grounded in equipping students with hard and soft skills to succeed, and treating doctoral candidates as equal partners is emancipatory.

Format: Hardback
Length: 214 pages
Publication date: 28 October 2022
Publisher: Lexington Books

The PhD Experience in African Higher Education, edited by Ruth Murambadoro, John Mashayamombe, and uMbuso weNkosi, delves into the escalating demand to invest in the humanities and social sciences by examining the nature of doctoral training at select institutions of higher learning in South Africa. Over the past two decades, South Africa has emerged as a significant player in the global higher education landscape, earning the title of the hub for doctoral training in Africa due to its well-developed educational infrastructure and highly esteemed universities. Given South Africa's strategic position, the contributors to this volume argue that the government, donors, universities, and faculty have a socio-legal responsibility to ensure that doctoral programs in the humanities and social sciences are not merely offered to increase the number of African graduates but are designed to equip students with the necessary hard and soft skills to succeed. This is accomplished by providing skills training and research apprenticeships fostered within communities of practice, as the contributors demonstrate, as the humanities and social sciences are the foundation of society. Furthermore, they argue that treating doctoral candidates as equal partners is emancipatory, as intellectual projects thrive through collaborative learning.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793645371