COVID-19 pandemic and research culture in HEIs: Voices of researchers from the University of Cape Coast and Université Félix Houphouët Boigny

• In Event: Unpacking the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on, and responses from, higher education institutions: global, West and East African perspectives

Proposal

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of human society at an unprecedented scale. In addition to the widespread loss of lives and livelihoods, there are signs of short- and long-term effects on human capital development (World Bank Group, 2020). The higher education institution is one of the worse hit sectors, leading to the United Nations (UN) five recommendations that seek to ensure continuity of teaching and research (Agormedah et al., 2020; United Nations, 2020).
Studies addressing the impact of COVID-19 on universities have however focused on teaching and learning with less done in the area of research (Phakeng et al. 2020; Walwyn, 2020). Where research has been considered, the focus has mainly been on its future funding (Hedding et al. 2020). Issues around postgraduate students’ supervision, meeting research papers and grant submission deadlines, research collaboration, academic mobility, as well as recruitment, retentions and promotion are among the areas that have less been explored (Walwyn, 2020). How higher education institutions respond to these changes however, have huge implications for researchers, as well as the functioning of the institutions. With the sudden changes in the status quo, among others, the pandemic is considered to disproportionately affect some researchers/academics, particularly of those who find themselves in caregiving responsibilities for young children and elderly parents; gender roles, and early-career researchers and those challenged with the need to adapt to the demands of the new normal (van Schalkwyk, 2021).
To mitigate these challenges facing researchers/academics, higher education institutions are responding in various ways, including provision of online training, distribution of computers and data, online meetings, and conference, as well as psychological support (Hedding et al., 2020). These cited studies are of the West, with little known about what is pertaining in Africa. With a focus on the West African sub-region, this paper discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the research culture of two case-study cites, namely, the University of Cape Coast in Ghana and Université Félix Houphouët Boigny in Côte d’Ivoire. Using the survey, interview and focus group discussion methods, the study draws data from heads of faculties, faculty members and PhD students to explore how the pandemic is affecting selected stakeholders’ research activities and culture, including research output and collaboration, academic mobility, recruitment, retention and career progression. From the data, the study also explores the responses of the universities to the sudden changes and challenges that has been occasioned by the COVID-19. The paper will also suggest ways in which stakeholders, including funders and higher education institutions, can ameliorate these challenges and prepare for the future.

Authors

• Pauline Essah, Education Sub-Saharan Africa

• Laté Ayao Lawson, Education Sub-Saharan Africa

• Might Kojo Abreh, IEPA, UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST, GHANA

• Clara Araba Mills, University 0f Cape Coast

• Samuel Agyapong, Education Sub-saharan Africa (ESSA)