PhD Graduate Plans to use Doctorate to Increase her Research Productivity
Doctor of Administration graduate at the recent UKZN Law and Management ceremony, Dr Wanjiru Emily Gachie, says she will use her doctorate to increase her research productivity through writing articles for publication.
Gachie’s thesis examined the role of research commercialisation for Sustainable Development (SD) in the South African National System of Innovation (NSI) through Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) within the context of public administration.
She said the findings confirmed that HEIs were an important source of information for SD but faced considerable constraints which hindered research commercialisation for SD because of human resource capacity gaps, infrastructure and funding.
The research also found that the HEIs-private sector collaboration was an important alternative avenue for research commercialisation for SD.
‘The recommendations proposed that improving research commercialisation for SD should be high among the triple helix policy agenda,’ said Gachie
‘It also highlighted the importance of consolidating NSI gains, including efficiency in disseminating research results; efficient utilisation of new knowledge and technology transfer; leveraging the central role of the private sector in the NSI; effective application of intellectual property rights; broadening NSI actors’ participation, and simplification of policies and procedures and efficiency of the allocation of funding.’
Gachie said her research aimed to assist NSI actors, namely South African government departments such as the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Higher Education and the Department of Trade and Industry; leadership at the HEIs, and the private sector in general to develop appropriate tools, policies and programmes that respond to the gaps identified while building on the current strengths and capabilities.
She has worked as an Access Programme Co-ordinator and is currently a Lecturer in Information Systems in Education.
She attributed her success to hard work, a high work ethic and commitment to the PhD.
‘Also UKZN supported me by providing me with a year’s sabbatical leave, which helped me focus on the thesis in terms of data collection and literature review.’
She urged other students to work hard and focus on their studies. ‘I would like to serve as an example to motivate other students who want to pursue a PhD that hard work and discipline do pay off,’ said Gachie.
‘My supervisor, Professor Yogi Penceliah and co-supervisor, Dr Maurice Oscar Dassah, offered me support during my study periods in the form of interactive emails and face-to-face scheduled meetings as well as telephonic conversations.’
Sithembile Shabangu