Young Scientists in Africa

This multinational study, the first in its kind, set out to describe the research performance of young scientists across 21 African countries, and to analyse the factors that impact on their career development. These factors include gender-related issues; resource constraints, particularly of a financial nature; the structure and governance of national research systems; and mobility issues, including “brain drain”.

Higher education (HE) can have broad positive effects on economic and social development, for both the individual and society in general, as it contributes to producing a skilled workforce, and the research performed within the HE system generates knowledge, stimulates international cooperation and increases competitiveness in the global knowledge economy. This has been repeatedly documented by universities, foundations and international organizations10F . They show that a country’s higher education system influences its capacity to find innovative solutions to societal problems and needs. A strong HE system should respond to a country’s needs by producing well-trained experts and creating conditions that inspire originality and productivity. A wider access to HE has been suggested to be a precondition for enabling these countries to take control of their own political agendas and, thus, to strengthen the legitimacy of their democratic governments.

The central role of universities holds even truer for the African continent who do not have plentiful private research laboratories that are provided resources by government institutions. Investing in strong HE systems and promoting the development of adequate career development and training opportunities for early-career scientists11F in Africa is thus expected to result in benefits for African societies at large.

In sub-Saharan Africa the gross enrolment ratio at tertiary level is only 6% (World Development Indicators, 2011). Although this is very low compared to other regions, in the past decades the demand for higher education in Africa has undergone a significant increase12F . African universities have not been adequately prepared to accommodate the large numbers of students. Many universities have also not able to provide strong support for the advancement of young doctoral graduates to cope with the demands for increasing quantity and quality of research activities in the competitive global research arena, but also to address the issues and challenges that are important to the region. Governmental financial support has generally not matched this increasing demand for education and research intensity, and universities are underfunded, resulting in the deterioration of infrastructure, the underdevelopment of essential services, as well as a critical shortage of academic staff.

This poses serious challenges to the African continent and its ability for transformation and development in the future, in spite of development goals and increased political commitment in this regard. Understanding the impact of funding and support, as well as the perceptions and opinions, of young scientists on their research productivity and performance will help to inform decision makers in academia and politics in a meaningful and effective way about the most critical changes needed. Targeting young doctoral graduates is likely to have a long-lasting effect. Gaining insight regarding the research environment (composed of universities, granting councils, academies, science and technology policy, and so on) in which young doctoral graduates evolve is intrinsically linked to their wellbeing, performance and socio-economic impact. Future capacity building in Africa depends on our comprehension of the research system and on the ways to improve it.

This study set out to describe the research performance of young scientists across Africa and to analyse the factors impacting their career development. This study had five main objectives: (1) measure scientists’ research performance (volume, quality and impact); (2) assess how research funding may have impacted research performance; (3) better understand scientists’ perceptions about the personal and institutional factors that have been influencing their career and prospects; (4) identify the factors that influence scientists’ research performance (funding policies, inter-institutional collaboration, perceptions, etc.); and (5) inform and engage relevant policy and decision makers in a dialogue on desirable changes to current research systems.

Why focus on young scientists? Given their pivotal position, we would argue that knowledge about the state of early-career scientists in higher education in Africa holds an important key to understanding current challenges and achieving future success in this sector. Young scientists are a powerful resource for change and sustainable development, as they are at the heart of innovation and knowledge creation. The initial conditions of their career will likely affect their entire career path. Their opportunities for education, training and creative development determine how prepared the continent can be to face today’s challenges, as well as those that will arise in the future. In general, the availability of literature and comparable findings on the state of young scientists is sparse.