Title: The scope, synergy and uptake of research into higher education in southern Africa
PI: Jan Botha (Stellenbosch University)
Lead Researchers: Jean-Claude Lemmens (UP), Nicole Muller (DUT), Paul Prinsloo (Unisa), Heidi Prozesky (SU), Herman Visser (Unisa), Merridy Wilson-Strydom (CRHED)
This project seeks to map out the scope and characteristics of higher education research (HER) and institutional research (IR) in order to address the current challenge in the country and region of a lack of synergy, cooperation and communication between different types of HE researchers in South and Southern Africa. The project aims to make recommendations to improve HER/IR uptake and use in the service of sustainable development of HE going forward. This a joint project of the Southern African Association of Institutional Research (SAAIR) and the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Scientometrics and Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (SciSTIP), and will run from 2017-2019. The PI on the project on is Prof Jan Botha from the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology (CREST) at Stellenbosch University. Prof Merridy Wilson-Strydom from CRHED is one of six lead researchers and is focusing on the uptake of HER and IR in the area of access. The outcome of the project will be an internationally published edited book. The project also seeks to build capacity in higher education and institutional research in the region.