Published in the inaugural issue of Discover (Oct 2012), the research bulletin from Swinburne Sarawak. A shorter version titled, "Preparing Tomorrow’s Research Workforce" was published in The Borneo Post, 13 Nov 2013.
Considering
the changing roles and responsibilities of researchers in society, there is a
need to review the mechanisms by which researchers are produced. The knowledge,
behaviours, and attributes expected of researchers today reflect the economic
and social realities of the twentyfirst century. Universities need to respond
to the demands of industry and government by embedding an educational process
that is capable of grooming the kinds of knowledge worker and innovation
leaders required in the future.
1.
Spotlight on Research Education
The
term research education refers to a
relatively new area of focus in education, in comparison to the more
established areas of focus such as mathematics education, nursing education, or
science education (Earley, 2007). Still, the need to educate people as
researchers is being felt widely both in industry and government. Earlier this
year, speaking at the Second Annual Research Workforce Forum, Mr Bill Scales,
President of the Business/Higher Education Round Table, a unique Australian
initiative to bridge between business and higher education sectors (who also
happens to be the Chancellor of Swinburne University of Technology), said:
As President of
the Business/Higher Education Round Table, I recognise how very important
research and research skills are to Australian business. . . . [p. 3]
The Australian
Government’s research workforce projections indicate that demand for
research-qualified people is set to grow at a faster rate than overall
employment demand. . . . [p. 7]
In a very
practical sense, what we are seeing in our better performing organisations is
that employees today are also researchers in some form. . . . [p. 10]
Business
enterprises in innovative countries seem to be employing high proportions of
researchers because of their capacity to solve problems creatively. [p. 18]
(Scales, 2013)
With
the tide of global business turning in favour of the emerging markets, industries
everywhere have to reinvent their strategies and business models, and develop
new and durable sources of competitive advantage. All this requires knowledge work and knowledge workers. These circumstances point to the relevance of
research education for industry.
Naturally,
governments wish to facilitate the sort of human capital planning and
development that would support their economies in the changing global context.
Each country seems inclined to support and build a higher-education sector that
is capable of producing the skills and orientations required in the new
economic environment. Research education has acquired significance here. For
example, Malaysia has put in place a well-funded scholarship scheme (MyBrain15)
to attract more students into doctoral programs. In fact, the Malaysian Government
has nominated the scheme as a “Critical Agenda Project,” to support ambitious
targets on PhD completions:
The objective of
MyBrain15 is to produce sufficient number of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) holders
and its equivalent to lead innovations that will drive the nations’ competitive
economy. . . . In achieving its undertaking, the Government is aiming for
60,000 Malaysians to have a PhD qualification or its equivalent by the year
2023 . . . The latest statistics obtained before PSPTN [National Higher
Education Strategic Plan] was initiated in 2008 showed that Malaysia had only
9,153 PhD qualified citizens (not including those serving in the private
sector). (Ministry of Higher Education, 2012, p. 83)
Similar
policy focus on growing the number of qualified researchers can be found in
other countries too. Thus, both industry and government seem to recognise the
relevance of research education, to develop the specialist research workforce
required in the emerging economic scenario in the twentyfirst century.
In
the contemporary landscape of research, whether in industry, government, or
academia, it is not sufficient for a research student to develop the
traditional scientific skills of observation, modelling, prediction,
verification, and so forth. Researchers require a wider range of skills and
competencies today due to the new ways research is being funded and delivered. Among
these are project and team management skills, language skills, business
awareness, understanding of the impact of research on environment and society,
ability to work in an interdisciplinary environment, and ability develop a
collaborative network.
2.
Curriculum Framework
A
number of global studies conducted in the new millennium appear to converge on
the kinds of skills and competencies required of researchers in the emerging
research landscape. One such study was conducted jointly by two major consulting
companies—APEC (Association Pour l’Emploi des Cadres) and Deloitte Consulting (APEC/Deloitte,
2010). The study covered eight countries, namely Finland, France, Germany,
Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA. Among other things,
the study indicated a set of 12 skills/competencies which are expected by
research organisations, both in the private and public sectors, when appointing
a young researcher:
According
to the APEC/Deloitte study, in addition to these 12 competencies, research
organisations expect the following additional eight competencies from experienced researchers: (i) ability to
learn and adapt, (ii) ability to work in an interdisciplinary environment, (iii)
ability to incorporate existing knowledge, (iv) ability to develop a network, (v)
ability to assess, (vi) ability management skills, (vii) ability to manage and
steer teams, and (viii) ability to self-assess.
The
implication of these findings for designing a curriculum for research education
is two-fold: (a) the curriculum should help research students develop the 12
competencies listed in Table 1, and (b) the curriculum should also provide a
foundation for the students to develop the additional eight competencies in
their future research careers.
Table
1. Competencies Required of Young
Researchers
Scientific Competencies
1.
Scientific knowledge
2.
Ability to formulate a research issue
3.
Capacity for analysis and grasp of sophisticated
IT tools
Project and Team Management Skills
4.
Ability to work in a team
5.
Communication skills
6.
Language skills
7.
Business culture and management skills
8.
Awareness of the pertinence of the research and
its impact on the environment
Personal Aptitudes and Interpersonal
Skills
9.
Creativity
10. Open-minded
approach
11. Motivation/involvement
12. Adaptability
Source.
APEC/Deloitte, 2010, p. 4.
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In
the recent years, such curriculum frameworks have been introduced in some of
the academically more advanced countries, such as the USA and the UK. Some of
the European countries (e.g., Finland, Germany, and the Netherlands) have also
made considerable progress and are gradually introducing research education curriculums
in response to the changing research landscape. A good example is the Researcher
Development Framework (RDF), introduced in the UK by Vitae, an organisation
championing researcher competencies.
Vitae is a
national organisation championing the personal, professional and career
development of doctoral researchers and research staff in higher education
institutions and research institutes. (“About Vitae,” 2013)
The
RDF sets out the expected competencies of researchers at different stages of
their development. It identifies the principal domains of competency
development relevant for research students. These include the knowledge,
intellectual abilities, techniques, and professional standards to do research,
as well as the personal qualities, knowledge, and skills to work with others
and ensure wider impact of research. Within each of the domains are subdomains
and further details, which describe different dimensions of researcher
development. The Vitae website provides various useful materials on this
framework (“Vitae Researcher Development Framework,” 2013).
The
four domains of RDF (listed in Table 2) offer a reasonably comprehensive
structure for developing research education in a young university such as
Swinburne Sarawak.
Table
2. Domains of Researcher Development
Domain A: Knowledge and intellectual
abilities.
This domain relates to the knowledge and intellectual abilities needed to be
able to carry out excellent research.
Domain B: Personal effectiveness.
This domain contains the personal qualities, career, and self-management
skills required to take ownership of, and engage in, professional
development.
Domain C: Research governance and
organisation. This domain relates to the knowledge of the standards,
requirements, and professional conduct that are needed for the effective
management of research.
Domain D: Engagement, influence, and
impact. This domain relates to the knowledge, understanding, and skills
needed to engage with, influence, and impact on the academic, social,
cultural, economic, and broader contexts.
Source. “Vitae
Researcher Development Framework,” 2013.
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Applying the Framework in the Asian
Context.
While translating educational approaches from one context to another,
especially from a Western context to a non-Western one, care needs to be taken
to adapt the approach to the ground realities obtained in the target context (Crossley,
2012; for a report on a recent seminar by Crossley on this theme, see Dash,
2013a).
Experiences
of designing and leading research education in Asian countries indicate that
specific conditions need to be created to bring forth a suitable “developmental
niche” for helping research students acquire research skills and develop a researcher identity (Dash, 2013b).
Foremost among these conditions is an appropriate social infrastructure, which is likely to have a digital
(Web-based) dimension, linking students with research thinkers, practitioners,
and educators around the world.
3.
Swinburne Sarawak Initiatives
Intent
upon building a profile of research excellence, Swinburne Sarawak has nominated
postgraduate research as a priority area, allocating funds to build up a
vibrant community of research students. Besides scholarships, fee waivers, and
various other support schemes, funds have been allocated to launch a well-designed
research education program.
Research Education Program. This program
is not conceived in the narrow sense of “research training,” which runs the
risk of translating into a limited focus on building technical skills alone.
The Swinburne Sarawak research education program is more aligned with the
broader idea of creating a “developmental niche” suitable for researcher
development. While this must be long-term work, certain elements are beginning
to crystallise in this direction, as described below.
Borneo Research Education Conference. Swinburne
Sarawak has joined hands with industry, government, and academic partners to
launch a collaborative conference series on research education. The first
edition of this series was held at Swinburne Sarawak, during August 2013, being
co-organised by Swinburne Sarawak, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM, Sarawak
Campus), and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). The conference theme was
“Developing as a Researcher Through the Culture of Sharing.” The objective of this
conference series is to enhance research education and develop a vibrant
context for research and innovation in the Asian context. The outcome of the
first edition (BREC 2013) has been quite encouraging, with significant interest
shown by universities, research students, supervisors, as well as industry and
government, to develop this further to be a leading conference on research
education in this region.
Journal of Research Practice. Swinburne
Sarawak is the current institutional host for this peer-reviewed journal,
published online by Athabasca University Press, Canada. The journal aims to
develop our understanding of research as a type of practice, with a view to enhancing and extending the practice of
research in various domains. Articles published in this journal explore why and
how different activities, criteria, methods, and languages become part of
research practice in any domain. The journal triggers interdisciplinary
dialogue, facilitates research education, and promotes innovations in different
fields. Through the journal, now Swinburne Sarawak has access to a global
network of research-oriented individuals and institutions that have a mutual
interest in research education.
Swinburne
is a successful Australian example of how young universities can acquire a
strong research profile. Replicating the same success at Swinburne Sarawak, a
branch campus in Malaysia, involves different challenges and, arguably,
requires different strategies. Investing intelligently in research education
appears to be a promising avenue to explore and an exciting one too.
References
Crossley, M.
(2012). Comparative education and research capacity building: Reflections on
international transfer and the significance of context. Journal of
International and Comparative Education, 1(1), 4-12. Retrieved
from http://crice.um.edu.my/downloads/crossley.pdf
Dash, D. P.
(2013a). Importance of interpretive research in comparative education [Report
on seminar led by M. Crossley]. Research
World, 10, Article S10.2.
Retrieved October 12, 2013, from http://www1.ximb.ac.in/RW.nsf/pages/S10.2
Dash, D. P.
(2013b, September). Developmental niche for Asian research students. Paper presented at the 2nd Supervision Conference, 12-13 September,
Melbourne, Australia.
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