Postdoctoral Policy Representation in South African Universities

Abstract

African universities face challenges regarding retaining postdoctoral research fellows (postdocs) within the continent and their inclusion in the academic research profession. However, there exists a scarcity of research addressing the disparity between policy and practice. Acknowledging this gap, the present study poses significant questions about how universities with established postdoc policies conceptualise and articulate these provisions for postdocs. We explore how these institutions define postdocs in their policies, identifying potential silences, gaps, and recommendations that could enhance the policy framework for postdocs. The evidence for this analysis was sourced from publicly accessible policy documents available on the websites of six South African universities. Employing key themes from the frameworks of “What’s the problem represented to be” and institutional logics, we analysed the postdoc policies. The findings indicate that the characterisation of postdocs as professional trainees within these policies results in an ambiguous operationalisation of their roles across all the studied universities, leading to complexities in the governance and management of these researchers. This study contends that the framing of postdocs is significantly shaped by a capitalist perspective that emphasises a cost-benefit analysis of their research roles. Consequently, it recommends that a national policy framework be established to provide standardised definitions, outline criteria for postdoctoral positions, delineate clear pathways for career advancement, and acknowledge the vital contributions of postdocs, thereby assisting universities in developing effective policies.