Global competitiveness in research: does a doctorate abroad matter for faculty in Sub Saharan Africa?
- Wilson Eduan, UCL Institute of Education
Overview
This presentation reports results of a study that examined the degree to which foreign doctoral experience facilitates research competitiveness following graduate return to the country of origin.
Guided by social capital theory, the study compared rates of global engagement in research for foreign and domestic doctorates across six research specific forms of engagement: publications, collaborations, projects, conferences, funding and affiliations.
A sample of 170 curriculum vitae were drawn from the archives of the National Council for Higher Education of Uganda. An innovative longitudinal curriculum vitae analysis method was used to determine levels of global engagements in research by higher education faculty. Foreign and domestic doctorate engagement rates were compared using the Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) method.
Results suggest that foreign doctorates only had significant access to international funding and made little progress in other forms of research engagement. Further analysis reflects differences in specific demographic categories.
The implication is that although study abroad produces globally competitive graduates, outcomes could be improved both at administrative and policy levels.
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Wilson Eduan is a third year research student at the UCL Institute of Education who recently completed and passed his doctoral viva. From a policy background, his research interests focus on methodology and study abroad particularly for low income countries of Sub Saharan Africa. In the current presentation, he examines study abroad outcomes within the context of higher education with the aim of determining the extent to which it contributes to global competitiveness.