Increasing Research Output at the University of Venda: A case Study 3 rd National Postgraduate Development Imbizo Professor JJO Odhiambo PhD, Pr. Nat. Sci Head of Department of Soil Science and Vice Dean School of Agriculture University of Venda 11 November 2014 Joburg Theatre, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Presentation Format 1. Overview of current trend in research outputs at HEI in South Africa. 2. Research output trends at University of Venda In terms of postgraduate degrees and published research 3. Increasing research output at University of Venda Strategies being adopted
Overview of current trend in research outputs at HEI in South Africa.
12000 Total Units Allocated to HEIs 2005-2011 11191.00 Total output 10000 9109.34 9747.80 8000 8002.74 8353.36 7230.00 7750.96 UNITS 6000 4000 2000 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 YEARS
HEIs Headcount of permanent staff Weighted Research Per Capita Outputs, 2011 Research Publications (divide by 1unit) Research Masters Graduates (divide by 1unit) Doctorate Graduates (divide by 3units) Total Weighted Research Output Weighted Output per capita % Output of Norm SU 939 1 148.25 637.71 450 2235.96 2.38 190 UCT 1 055 1 314.40 561.09 489 2364.49 2.24 179 RU 319 358.51 163.75 171 693.26 2.17 174 UP 1 281 1 314.82 670.24 618 2603.06 2.03 163 WITS 1 044 1 037.07 533.78 507 2077.85 1.99 159 UKZN 1 470 1 250.37 480.43 462 2192.8 1.49 119 UFH 291 180.81 120.86 132 433.67 1.49 119 UWC 536 346.33 209 240 795.33 1.48 119 UJ 871 774.35 262 204 1240.35 1.42 147 UFS 846 568.5 287.17 321 1176.67 1.39 111 NMMU 579 351.44 262.96 177 791.4 1.37 147 NWU 1 194 733.59 365.5 345 1444.09 1.21 97 UNISA 1 515 797.62 190.33 279 1266.95 0.84 72 UZ 270 69.25 46 57 172.25 0.64 51 UV 325 130.85 40.5 27 198.35 0.61 49 TUT 836 242.85 131 84 457.85 0.55 110 UL 806 147.55 104.82 51 303.37 0.38 30 CPUT 763 141.79 101 39 281.79 0.37 74 CUT 269 47.31 28.5 15 90.81 0.34 68 VUT 334 75.06 26 6 107.06 0.32 64 DUT 592 88.88 48 42 178.88 0.3 60 MUT 197 26.24 0 0 26.24 0.13 27 WSU 607 45.16 9.94 12 67.1 0.11 15 TOTAL 5 290 11 191.00 5280.58 4728 21 199.58 25.25 2344
3000 Total Weighted Output Units vi-a-vis Academic Staff with M and D as the Highest Qualification,2011 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Staff with M as highest qualification Staff with D as highest qualification Weighted Research Outputs Units
HEIs Academics with M as highest qualification Staff with D as highest qualification Weighted RO Units UP 348 617 2603.06 UCT 300 667 2364.49 US 267 523 2235.96 UKZN 479 606 2192.8 WITS 337 560 2077.85 NWU 371 587 1444.09 UNISA 372 469 1266.95 UJ 318 287 1240.35 UFS 378 354 1176.67 UWC 182 283 795.33 NMMU 214 228 791.4 RU 100 174 693.26 TUT 315 165 457.85 UFH 119 102 433.67 UL 328 147 303.37 CPUT 335 108 281.79 UV 156 103 198.35 DUT 261 73 178.88 UZ 109 82 172.25 VUT 142 46 107.06 CUT 106 75 90.81 WSU 180 73 67.1 MUT 85 16 26.24
ISI IBSS Total International % International SA Journals List Total Journal Output UP 804.26 100.25 904.51 77% 274.10 1178.61 UKZN 727.28 111.77 839.05 73% 312.97 1152.02 UCT 849.21 129.46 978.67 87% 145.37 1124.04 US 702.79 47.88 750.67 72% 297.39 1048.06 Wits 674.92 74.96 749.88 84% 147.95 897.83 UNISA 100.06 86.73 186.79 25% 545.84 732.63 NWU 329.50 84.45 413.95 63% 238.68 652.63 UJ 349.17 73.57 422.74 66% 215.25 637.99 UFS 280.00 42.28 322.28 63% 189.46 511.74 UWC 145.14 49.75 194.89 59% 135.17 330.06 RU 265.70 13.70 279.40 90% 29.87 309.27 NMMU 166.85 22.17 189.02 67% 94.50 283.52 TUT 125.73 7.00 132.73 74% 46.33 179.06 UFH 119.34 23.50 142.84 85% 25.33 168.17 UL 71.94 8.67 80.61 56% 62.54 143.15 CPUT 82.79 7.25 90.04 78% 25.50 115.54 UV 53.75 4.50 58.25 51% 55.66 113.91 DUT 54.54 7.50 62.04 84% 12.22 74.26 UZ 42.40 0.00 42.40 63% 25.43 67.83 VUT 28.67 1.00 29.67 46% 34.47 64.14 WSU 37.14 3.00 40.14 94% 2.41 42.55 CUT 7.93 11.28 19.21 48% 20.90 40.11 MUT 18.91 3.00 21.91 92% 1.83 23.74 TOTAL 6039.12 913.67 6952.79 70% 2939.17 9890.86
Number of PhDs per 1000 of the population (Source: DST, 2008-2018)
South Africa's PhD output ambitions The South African National Planning commission expects a threefold increase in doctoral graduates by 2030 A target of 7000 doctoral graduates per annum for the South African higher education system This against a backdrop of a system that only managed to double its doctoral output over the past 15-year period, from 685 to the current doctoral output of 1421 graduates. Increase in doctoral production must be tempered by a more nuanced understanding of doctoral education. http://www.chet.org.za/news/reflecting-south-africas-phd-output-ambitions
Research output trends at University of Venda Research output at UNIVEN has increased dramatically in the last few years.
UNIVEN total research output units by type of publication, 2008-2012 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Journals 32.61 54.35 65.19 113.91 112.88 Proceedings 1 2.33 4.85 7.48 7.87 Books 0.55 1.69 6.72 9.46 7.10
Position Qualification 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Professor PhD 22 21 23 24 27 23 Masters 1 0 0 0 0 0 Associate Professor PhD 17 27 24 20 21 25 Masters 3 4 3 2 2 2 Senior Lecturer PhD 41 36 40 48 47 45 Masters 21 23 21 29 28 26 Lecturer PhD 17 14 15 12 8 13 Masters 96 109 121 116 123 125 Junior Lecturer Masters 11 3 4 1 1 5 Honours 22 25 29 27 29 25 TOTAL PhD 97 98 102 104 105 108 Master 133 140 150 148 154 158 Honours 31 33 37 38 47 44 Staff Compliment over 7 yrs
2013 Academic Staff members per rank
Projected growth in Staff members with doctoral degree
Output Post Graduate Output 200 Post Graduate Output 180 160 Masters Graduates PhD Graduates 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Masters Graduates 43 51 44 50 89 98 110 125 140 160 PhD Graduates 4 3 6 12 9 10 15 20 25 30 Academic Year
Output Outputs: Staff Qualifications 60 Staff Academic Qualifications Academic Qualifications Masters(Staff) 50 Academic Qualifications PhD(Staff) 40 30 20 10 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Academic Qualifications Masters(Staff) 1 1 3 0 8 6 10 16 22 30 Academic Qualifications PhD(Staff) 3 0 4 5 1 7 10 15 20 25 Academic Year
Units Research output Research Outputs Units 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Research Outputs Units 34.16 58.32 76.76 138.3 150 175 200 225 250 300 Academic Year
NUMBER OF RATED RESEARCHERS BY CATEGORIES 20 15 10 5 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Y-rated 1 0 0 2 2 2 6 C-rated 1 1 2 5 10 13 10 B-rated 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 Y-rated C-rated B-rated 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 2014 Rated Researchers by Specific Category B2 C2 C3 Y2 Rated Researchers 1 1 9 6
Number of Rated Researchers NRF RATED RESEARCHERS 35 NRF Rated Researchers 30 Rated Researchers 25 20 15 10 5 0-5 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Rated Researchers 0 0 4 9 14 16 19 22 25 30 Academic Year
Strategies that have lead to Increased research output at University of Venda. There has been a sustained and substantial investment in the research agenda at UNIVEN. Have to consider the following: 1. Role of the Research office 2. Staff motivation 3. Students motivation
Role of the Research office 1. Review of research policy positive effects on students and staff morale 2. Regular workshops on postgraduate training e.g. research proposal writing enhanced student support. 3. Regular updates on research funding opportunities for students and staff 4. Improved efficiency in the processing of research matters mainly due to more staff employed in the research office quick turnaround time. 5. Prestigious annual VC research awards
Incentives Subsidy from publication output 50% of the subsidy will go to the University s Research and Publications Committee 50% of the research output goes to the researcher Postgraduate students have 25% honorarium of their research publication output Vice Chancellor s Research Excellence Awards Vice Chancellor s research awards for excellence will be given to individuals and schools for categories as per definition of active researcher Incentives for postgraduate supervision Conference Attendance for staff and Postgraduate students Rewards proposed for Research Excellence NRF rated researchers incentives according to categories Funding tariffs for postgraduate studies Research grants
Incentives
Incentives Category Amount Non-Niche area R75 000.00 Niche area (multidisciplinary) R150 000.00 Institutional research R100 000.00 Educational research R100 000.00 Collaborative research (with external researchers & funding) Contract research (UNIVEN contribution) Maximum contribution R75 000.00 Maximum contribution R50 000.00 Category Amount (rands) A 100 000 B 70 000 C 50 000 Y 30 000 P 10 000 Research Equipment (valued above R20 000.00). Value of equipment
Academic Staff Support 1. Recruitment of special category professors
Number of Professors Professors 80 70 Research Professors Professor Emeriti Professors 60 50 40 30 20 10 0-10 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Research Professors 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 10 15 20 Professor Emeriti 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 4 5 6 Adjunct and Special Professors 0 0 0 0 0 47 51 56 62 70 Academic Year
Academic Staff Support 1. Regular Workshops for supervisors on Postgraduate student supervision. 2. Sabbatical leave for Staff enrolled for PhD degree and are 6 months to one year away from completion.
Postgraduate Student Support 1. Work-study Program 2. Regular workshops on research proposal writing and mentorship and other relevant workshops. 3. Laptops for PhD students and by next year expected to be rolled out to MSc students. 4. Incentives National and International Conferences
Postgraduate Student Support
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