KARANJA, Samuel Kabini (Dr)

It is a well-known fact that postgraduate research and education is a major and very significant pillar of higher education in the world, and Africa would greatly benefit from well-organized and funded postgraduate research. In most cases, the progress of a university and its ability to address the needs and challenges of its knowledge industry is determined by academics, who must constantly be engaged in research. In the not-so-distant past, higher education institutions across Europe, the United States some parts of Asia and Australia, have placed a lot of emphasis on doctoral research and education. The developed countries, see doctoral education as an engine that can stimulate the growth of the knowledge economy which will eventually translate into the well-being of the society. In the same manner of thinking, researchers here in Africa have seriously undertaken varied projects and have conducted studies with a view to investigating the universities functioning with the main aim being to develop the African continent. World over, new research, curricula and jobs have emerged and are replacing the known traditional ones as argued by Cristina [1]. Generally and statistically speaking, the number of jobs that have a master’s or a doctoral degree as a requirement are gradually increasing and as more and more companies and industries set up research and development (R&D) departments. Newer and newer areas of research will without doubt emerge and this will require that the universities and other institutions of higher learning be creative and innovative while at the same time adjusting to the needs of society. Poverty eradication, empowerment of the youth, provision of education for all, empowerment of the youthful generation with higher education, minimization of brain drain, gender equality and equity and encouragement of women and persons with disabilities to participate in developing the continent and the world at large, have been items high on most agendas of African governments. From the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for the development of the continent of Africa, most universities have been encouraged as well as supported with a view to strengthening their research capabilities. This is aimed at helping to address the demands for certain skills and create knowledge societies. These nodes of excellence will eventually improve the quality of life and well-being of the African populations. It is however not easy to achieve the MDGs due to cultural diversity, and socio-economic and political differences among countries. Nonetheless, research frameworks and policies can be contextualized to address challenges and provide solutions for the individual knowledge requirements of each nation. Africa is viewed as a continent with huge growth potential, but growth can only be realized if Africa can harness its resources for its economy to emerge as a knowledge-driven continental economy. Universities in Africa can have tremendous capacities and resources to deploy in favour of imparting skills and training, development, and innovation. As the knowledge economy grows, careers needing doctoral-educated candidates will emerge in Africa, and new methods of teaching and research will come up and supersede the standard ones. Academics holding a PhD must be motivated and guided to create more doctorates that will strengthen and empower innovators, economists, engineers, scientists, workers and the general population. Digitization and computerization will play a key role in the transformation process of all businesses, and the financial, educational, and other key development sectors in Africa. Likewise, universities will have to provide increased access to electronic research databases and improved information technology facilities for conducting research. Universities will also have to review their model of doctoral education and come up with better models of postgraduate management, supervision and coordination because as argued by Kirsi et al. [2], short completion time and higher completion rates have been associated with more frequent meetings between supervisors and students, providing more peer interaction and international collaboration. Michael and Judy [3] also noted that models of doctoral education in Africa remained similar to those in European universities, well into the 2000s. This is true even now in some cases. However, there has been an increasing realization that such programmes are ill-suited for the African realities. Policies and regulatory processes both at the national and regional levels should be established to guide the implementation of research strategies and plans. Regular assessments must be carried out to ensure that the outcomes of doctoral education match skills requirements for labour, industrial, public and related job markets. Tracer studies can definitely help to know the degree of employability of doctoral graduates in the work market and can determine the extent of the research contribution and impact on the knowledge economy. Moreover, increasing support is a must to provide for research-performing institutions and universities. This must be coupled with more stable and long-term models for funding.