Transforming Staff Doctoral Research: University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP) collaborative project for phase 2 of the university staff doctoral programme

Funded through UCDP - University Capacity Development Programme - South Africa, Transforming Staff Doctoral Research is a collaboration with the Walter Sisulu University and the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. The purpose of the project is to contribute to the increase in the number of permanent academic and professional staff members at South African higher education institutions (SAHEIs) who are qualified at doctoral level. In addition, the project seeks to make progress towards two of Walter Sisulu University (WSU) stated strategic objectives, which is to increase the percentage of academic staff with doctorate qualifications and to increase the research capacity and output of its academic staff members (WSU, 2014). We will address the above issues through a transnational, structured doctoral programme in the field of higher education studies which has embedded mechanisms for training, development and practice-sharing with a wider cohort of supervisors, potential doctoral candidates and research support services at WSU. We will recruit an international cohort of doctoral candidates for this programme which will comprise staff at WSU who meet the funders’ profiling and equity targets, and institutionally-funded staff from CU and SU. This cohort represents the principles of equity and reciprocity in learning that are central to this consortium. The programme will be structured as an SU-CU dual award which draws taught components and online resources from all three institutions. It will exemplify, test and provide a platform for international research education; build supervisory capacity and capabilities; and enrich the research environment of all three institutions.