Research in the social sciences on the rise in Africa – CODESRIA

By Karen MacGregor – Africa Editor. At the 14th General Assembly of CODESRIA – the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa – there was excitement over the high level of reflections and more than 100 full papers. Wachira Kigotho reports on a warning that quality in universities must further improve to reduce an increased risk of brain drain stemming from internationalisation.
In Africa Analysis, Sheldon G Weeks details major challenges facing Botswana’s oldest and newest public universities. And in Africa Features Elizia Volkmann finds the private sector stepping in to provide higher education in information technology in Morocco and Wachira Kigotho charts the rapid expansion of higher education in Tanzania as outlined in a World Bank study.
In Global Features, Brendan O’Malley unpacks a new report from Scholars at Risk, which documents how militant groups and state forces in many countries are using violence, imprisonment and intimidation to silence students and academics.
In Commentary, we offer opposing points of view on the proposed academic boycott of Israel. John Kelly argues that a total boycott could ensure that Israeli academics and students force their government to ease restrictions on Palestinian universities; while David Newman contends that the activities of the boycott movement serve only to weaken the chances of Israeli-Palestinian rapprochement.
Also in Commentary, Peter Tindemans says we should think in novel ways to reshape doctoral training given that growing numbers of PhDs will end up in non-research positions. Read more...