Moving Forward, Addressing Common Concerns

Five Year Strategy

Thematic Groups and Group Membership

1. SUPERVISORS

  • Training and career development
  • Suitability
  • Qualifications and experience, research active?
  • Retention
  • Incentivising supervisors

2. STUDENTS

  • Recruitment process – attracting and assessing good students
  • Originality of research projects
  • Progression – tracking systems
  • Part-time options

3. FACULTY

  • Interpreting regulations
  • Developing the research community for postgraduate students and for faculty
  • Retaining faculty members
  • Adequate facilities – labs, information technology, e-libraries,
  • Maintaining and sharing equipment
  • Relationship between academics and professionals – to enrich research.

4. WHOLE UNIVERSITY

  • Developing professional degrees
  • The law and order situation
  • Uniformity across departments
  • Interdisciplinary research
  • Developing links with industry
  • Working with other universities – sharing supervisors and so on

Thematic Five-Year Work Plan

Year One, 2014 – 2015

Semester One

Whole University

  • Uniformity across departments
  • Interdisciplinary research
  • Develop links with industry
  • Working with other universities

Semester Two

Students

  • Biannual admission
  • Admission policy – transparent, uniform
  • Entry test – English and subject
  • Flexi PhD programme – full time, part time
  • Coursework – 2 general, 4 subject
  • Supervision allotment

Supervisors

  • Training of supervisors
  • Rules and regulations familiarisation
  • Appointment of potential supervisor
  • Proposal writing and submission
  • Service bond, agreement of supervisor

Faculty

  • Produce handbook, explaining rules
  • Virtual specialised research groups within and across university
  • 24 hour labs and library
  • Access to e-library
  • Explore mentoring option

Whole University (by email)

  • Uniform policy formulation for students
  • Formulation of rules (brainstorming sessions in BS and faculty) with potential supervisors and co-supervisors

Year Two, 2015-2016

Semester One

Students

  • Admission for newcomers
  • Continuation of coursework – 3 CGP mandatory

Supervisors

  • National and international exposure
  • Evaluation and approval of proposal
  • Providing conducive environment
  • Active research-based promotion

Faculty

  • Initiation of research-based evaluation in courses
  • Incentives in the form of reduced workload of courses
  • Facilitation in administrative procedures

Whole University (by video conference)

  • Ways and means of implementation - BSR and Academic Council
  • Formulation of rules – brainstorming Board of Studies/faculty/colleagues/etc
  • Indigenous student exchange/split PhD programmes

Semester Two

Students

  • Comprehensive exam – 2 attempts
  • Synopsis write-up and defence
  • Stipend scholarship – merit based and needs based

Supervisors

  • Establishment of Laboratory/research facilities
  • Student progress reports
  • Coordination with other field-related universities
  • Grant for projects/training/visits

Faculty

  • Monetary incentives on publishing papers
  • Hard area allowance
  • Launch of HEC web portal to share resources among national unis- bi-annual face-to-face meetings
  • Uni level research grants to conduct projects

Whole University (Face to Face)

  • Vigilant monitoring of policy
  • Dissemination at BASR and approval
  • Same as semester 1 in Year 2

Year Three, 2016-2017

Semester One

Students

  • Start of research
  • Sampling, data collection, analysis, etc.
  • Submission of progress report (DRC)

Supervisors

  • Continue Lab/experimental work
  • Third party review
  • Promotion due

Faculty

  • Introduction of departmental seminars, conferences
  • Paperless working environment for quick procedures
  • Review monitor and amend if needed

Whole University (video con)

  • Same as semester 2
  • Approval from Academic Council
  • ORIC to and from industry, ORIC to and from Faculty
  • Implementation and evaluation

Semester Two

Students

  • Completion of coursework
  • Thesis write-up
  • Submission of progress report – DRC

Supervisors

  • Continue research work, completion and publishing
  • Student and Supervisor progress report
  • Mid reward ceremony

Whole University (Face to Face)

  • Same as Semester Two and review of policies
  • Implementation
  • Monitoring
  • Same as semester three

Year Four, 2017-2018

Semester One

Students

  • Thesis submission – after plagiarism report
  • Continuation of research – if needed
  • Progress report

Supervisors

  • Completion of experimental work/data collection
  • Research paper submission
  • Write up
  • Best paper/variety/innovation awards

Faculty

  • Collaborative projects between university and industry through ORIC implementation
  • Review, monitor and amend if needed

Whole University (Vcon)

  • Same as semester two, year two
  • Monitoring and review
  • Review and implementation
  • Same as semester 22, Year 3

Semester Two

Students

  • Part-time PhD research – wet lab

Supervisors

  • Local review/department review of the dissertation
  • Correction and revision
  • Exposure to national and international forums

Faculty

  • Adapt amendments
  • Faculty welfare programmes
  • Day care facilities for kids

Whole University (Face to Face)

  • Same as year 2 and review implementation
  • Same as Semester 1 Year Four

Year Five, 2018-2019

Semester One

Students

  • Progress reports
  • As before

Supervisors

  • Research published
  • Submission of thesis/dissertation
  • Variety/patent submitted

Faculty

  • Continue with previous tasks as more learning by doing

Whole University (Video Conferencing)

  • Continuing with and reviewing previous tasks

Semester Two

Students

  • Continuing with previous tasks
  • Progress report

Supervisors

  • Viva voce exams
  • Degree awards
  • Incentive awards

Faculty

  • Final report written and published
  • Dissemination

Whole University – Face to Face

  • As before

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