Covid-19 as a Catalyst for Strengthening Research Practice in BRICS’ Universities A Reflective Study
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Keywords
COVID-19, Research philosophy, Research practice, BRICS, HDI, post-graduate students, social responsibility
Abstract
South Africa’s National Development Plan 2030 (National Planning Commission, 2012) argues that there must be a simultaneous focus on research and teaching for South African universities to advance knowledge and society. However, since the dawn of COVID-19, most research focuses on teaching, leaving unattended research about doing and philosophising about research practice. Therefore, this paper rethinks ways of thinking and researching for postgraduate students who are based in South Africa’s (SA’s) historically disadvantaged institutions of higher learning. It proposes how the COVID-19 should bring about a paradigm shift in research methodologies and research practice, including the necessary supervision support for students. This social constructivist paper draws on the reflections of two postgraduate supervisors, and further reflects on broader paradigmatic issues within research. This paper relies strongly on the experiences of the authors as a primary source and also conceptually harvested from the existing literature. The autobiographic element study allows the researchers to explore the intersection between themselves and the subject they are studying, permitting the reader to understand this intersection and reflect on their own experiences (Given, 2008). There are two main arguments in this paper; 1) A call for re-centring the ethics of care and ethics of social responsibility as premises from which all research should start. This can be done by reflecting and exploring the first-hand experiences of those who are in Historically Disadvantaged Institutions (HDIs). 2) It is a call for equitable distribution of resources across BRICS universities, focusing primarily on the improvement of the HDIs which is consistent with BRICS’ multilateral developmental agenda.
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Ntsofa C. Monyela, University of Zululand
Mr Monyela is currently a Lecturer of Anthropology in the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies at the University of Zululand. He is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Zululand.
He is also an Executive Board Member (Treasurer) of Anthropology Southern Africa Association. Added, Clasper is a member of Faculty of Arts Research Executive Committee (FAREC). The politics of knowledge production, and African anthropology(ies); African political economy; Youth Cultures and Youth Identities, Beliefs and Rituals. Clasper has presented his scholarly papers on The Experiences of Basotho newly male initiated in Selected High Schools, Free State Province at the international conference in Botswana, Gaborone. He also presented his Ph.D. research proposal titled: An inquiry into the Intellectual Biography of Makhosezwe Bernard Magubane at ASnA conference, Nelson Mandela University, in Port Elizabeth. Clasper lectures anthropology in both undergraduate and postgraduate students. He also supervises both honours and master’s students. In addition, he is an external examiner of Honors (Research Projects) and Masters’ students (dissertations) from other Universities in South Africa.