Doctoral Training and Higher Education in Africa

The publication of the book on Doctoral training and higher education in Africa could not come at a better time. To my knowledge, this is one of the first comprehensive collections of materials focussing on this topic in Africa. It has many strengths. The book combines various discussions at the policy and programme level with in-depth qualitative themes and appropriate statistical information. The richness of the diversity of doctoral education models across the continent - which reflect the different historical and colonial legacies - makes a major contribution to our understanding of doctoral training in Africa today and specifically the challenges that many governments and universities face in addressing these challenges, such as the quality of doctoral education, the availability of good supervision, the problems associated with high drop-out rates and - very importantly - the fact that we still lack comprehensive and accurate data on many aspects of doctoral training on the continent. As far as the latter point is concerned, the book contains extremely valuable and up to date information on doctoral statistics in selected countries - a challenge that has been highlighted in many previous publications. The editors of this book should therefore be congratulated with putting together both an impressive collections of new 'country case studies' as well as incisive thematic discussions that are transversal across the continent. The book should become compulsory reading for higher education scholars and managers in Africa as well as anyone who has interest in this topic elsewhere in the world. Johann Mouton, Stellenbosch University, South Africa Doctoral Training and Higher Education in Africa is both timely and essential for a transforming and decolonising higher education. A combination of an ageing professoriate and a growing number of younger, newer and less experienced academics entering academia in Africa make this book even more critical. Its deliberateness in offering varying insights on doctoral training from across Africa enables the reader access to unique discourses and practices that guide doctoral support in ways that other similar publications on the subject have not. Emmanuel M. Mgqwashu, South African Journal of Science