University of the Western Cape Advances Doctoral and Research Capacity with Staff Doctoral and Junior Research Fellows Programme
The University of the Western Cape (UWC) continues to make notable progress in developing its staff members’ research capabilities and academic careers.
Two UWC academics from the Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) faculty, Ms Shihaam Solomon and Dr Lutasha Abrahams-Ndesi have been selected for the prestigious 2024-2026 University Staff Development Programme (USDP) and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF).
Dr Abrahams-Ndesi, a senior lecturer from the Academic Literacies Programme in EMS, has been awarded the JRF grant in collaboration with the University of Pretoria.
Her research project focuses on “Decolonising Academic Literacies through the Use of an Embedded Hybrid Model”.
This innovative work aims to increase student retention and throughput rates by implementing a decolonised academic literacy model developed during her doctoral studies.
Dr Abrahams-Ndesi will establish a collaborative research project examining students’ learning needs and challenges through a decolonisation lens at UWC and the University of Pretoria through this fellowship. Additionally, she will pilot her embedded academic literacies hybrid model, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between lecturers across domains. This partnership presents a unique opportunity for capacity building, mentorship, and holistic transformation in higher education.
This research project is aligned with the national urgency of granting decolonised equitable access towards success for more South African students through the Department of Higher Education and Training’s Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in South Africa (LPF, 2020) and the Sustainable Development Goal 4 – “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”
Ms Solomon, a lecturer in the Industrial Psychology department, is pursuing her PhD titled “Precarious Employment of Academics in Higher Education Institutions in South Africa.”
The USDP scholarship will support her in achieving her research objectives, which seek to understand the employment experiences of contract academics in South African universities.
The funding will provide much-needed teaching relief, enabling Ms Solomon to conduct interviews, write publications for journals, and disseminate findings at conferences.
This opportunity will not only aid her doctoral journey but also further develop her postgraduate supervision capabilities and foster collaborative research networks in her field.
Her research explores the experiences of marginalised groups of people known as contract or non-permanent academic staff.
Research shows this group of employees is often seen as vulnerable, with many adverse effects accompanying contract/ non-standard employment. It aims to highlight the South African as well as African perspective with the hope of affecting change to employment policies in higher education institutions and achieving equal and decent work for this employment category. This aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 8 of decent work for all.
Both academics’ research aligns with national priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals, addressing issues such as decolonisation, equitable access, decent work, and reducing inequality in higher education.
UWC’s commitment to supporting its academics’ professional growth and research endeavours is evident through these achievements, paving the way for continued capacity development and impactful contributions to the academic community.