Globalization, democratization and knowledge production

5.3.3 Mode 2 research

According to the Dean of Research, the Mode 1 versus Mode 2 debate, which has been raging among higher education scholars in South Africa, has not been an issue at Rhodes: “It is not really a big issue. People are aware of it. Some people feel quite strongly about it, but it is not an issue quite frankly.” Given that Rhodes has numerous industrial and private sector partners and corners a significant proportion of international patents, as noted, one would have expected a predominant shift towards applied research. However, the Dean contends that academics ensure that a balance is achieved between the two types of research based on the belief that Mode 1 type research, basic, fundamental research, “is the solid building block of research.” Kathy, for example, claimed that while academics within the Academic Development Center were engaged in entrepreneurial academic activities and Mode 2 type of research was being promoted, they were aware that Mode 1 is the foundation base of research.

The Dean claimed that he assumes responsibility for ensuring that the entrepreneurial research activities do not lead to Mode 2 type of research subsuming Mode 1 type of research at Rhodes. He holds regular meetings with the Deans to discuss these kinds of issues and to seek ways of correcting imbalances. He states,

(T)hey (academics) are managing the balance. We are very careful about it. That is one of my prime responsibilities, is ensuring that there is a balance. We definitely are moving towards applied research because that is where the finance is coming from, that is where a lot of opportunities are coming from. The students are attracted towards it, but at the same time there is an acknowledgement and an understanding that the fundamental, solid, old style, if I can put it that way, is essential. It is the building block to be applied. Indeed that is one of the things that I am really tasked with, is ensuring that we don’t over-balance in one-way or the other. So, as a result of that, for example I chair most of the boards and executive committees of research institutes where they largely do applied research. The reason for that is that I need to keep an eye on the fact that that doesn’t get out of control. That is why I don’t think it is a problem at Rhodes. We have somehow managed to keep a balance.
Academics at Rhodes supported this approach. An academic in the faculty of pharmacy was concerned about the recent national government policy related to pharmacy and how it would impact on the discipline (I: Martin). He stated that despite the emphasis on community-oriented applied research, the discipline still required a fundamental research foundation. A senior academic expressed considerable concern that his discipline was disappearing as a result of the new modes of knowledge production (I: Asante). Asante believed that the shift to programme based Mode 2 type research, focusing narrowly on the need to prepare graduates for the market, will erode the disciplinary base of sociology and will in turn undermine the foundation of the university, turning it into a technikon. He asserted that sociology has been overtaken by industrial sociology at most of the larger South African universities. Asante expressed concern that only one theoretical paper was presented at a recent South African Sociology Association conference. He pointed out, for example, that mathematics and physics are fundamental even within the applied field of computer science and information science. Asante claimed that he chose to work at Rhodes because it is one of the few universities that provides a base for fundamental research in his field and which manages to attain a balance between Mode 1 and Mode 2.

One the other hand, Massey, an academic in the education faculty posited the need for more action research, “empowering teachers to research their own environments.” He claimed that the legislation and policies are in place but that action research might help us to understand how to implement the policies more effectively (I: Massey). Dianna believed research should be socially relevant and linked to the local context because information on its own was of little value. She moreover asserted that some academics view this government “involvement” in redirecting research foci as “interference”.

5.4 ACCESS TO RESEARCH RESOURCES

Most participants were of the view that Rhodes has a well-established infrastructure with good access to IT and library resources. They attribute the lack of resource constraints, despite declining access to funds globally and nationally, to Rhodes’ sound and efficient financial management. By and large, academics at Rhodes find management very supportive of their research activities (I: Donna; Sidi). A foreign student was impressed with the “humongous” investment Rhodes had made into infrastructure. He seemed pleased that, as a master’s student, he and two other postgraduates shared an office equipped with two PC’s, a printer and a telephone (I: Simon).

5.4.1 IT

According to the Dean of Computer Science, “Rhodes has a reputation for being good in IT” (I: Duane). He pointed out, however, that even with the wiring of residences, the gap in access will continue because many underprivileged students do not own PCs. Another senior academic, Haines, claimed that an emphasis on IT is elitist because not everyone has access.

5.4.2 Library

The Rhodes University library has grown considerably over the past five years (I: Audrey; Elizabeth; Martha; Sandra; Serfontein). Martha, a senior academic in linguistics, describes the change in access in her field. Whereas seven years ago the library’s holdings in linguistic journals were poor, currently the holdings are excellent and the library has become very efficient in responding to users’ needs. Anderson also points out that in the mid 1990s the library was in the “doldrums” with a huge decline in journal subscriptions.

According to the librarians and several participants, although print subscriptions have declined, access to online journals has increased markedly over the past two years (I: Duane; Elizabeth; Serfontein). This success, some claimed, was due to the innovative and visionary leadership of the head librarian who not only instituted the digitization of the library but also participates in budgetary deliberations at a central committee level (I: Anderson; De Vos; Elizabeth; Gibbs). Participants praised the librarians for strides taken to move from print to electronic access (I: Anderson; De Vos; Dianna; Kathy). Generally, academics and students found that the librarians were professional and helpful in supporting academics and students (I: Kabiru; Kathy; Simon). As one foreign student noted, the departmental librarian had acquired books she has requested for her particular study.