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20: Tensions at British Universities
In this week’s episode, Goldsmiths College Professor Natalie Fenton joins The Academic Citizen to discuss the state of higher education in the United Kingdom. Fenton explains the student protests against fees that emerged in 2010, as well as rent strikes that happened this year. She also discusses ongoing industrial action by academic staff and the impact of marketisation and Brexit on the higher education sector. We chat to […]
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19: Precarious Postdocs
Dr Sadhna Mathura and Dr Jacobus Diener join The Academic Citizen to discuss concerns of postdoctoral researchers in South Africa. They are representatives of the newly established South African National Postdoc Network, which is working to promote the interests of postdocs. Diener and Mathura shed light on postdocs’ numerous contributions to higher education in South Africa, including teaching and […]
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18: Global University Rankings
The Editor of Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Phil Baty, joins The Academic Citizen to discuss the importance of global university rankings and how they work. Baty says that rankings bodies use different criteria and methodologies to “rate” higher education institutions. Therefore, it is important to look beyond face value and deeper into the details of the data. We also chat to some students […]
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17: Doctoral Degrees and Developing Economies
Professor Sioux McKenna joins the podcast to explain the importance of doctoral degrees in solving social and economic issues in developing societies. We also explore the challenges faced by PhD researchers, including funding, work/study balance and completion rates, and share some tips to follow for making it through your doctoral degree. We also chat to […]
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16: On African Philosophy
In this week’s episode, Dr Oritsegbubemi Oyowe discusses the role of African Philosophy in advancing knowledge. He argues that African culture and intellectualism plays an important role in transformation in the post-colonial university. We also hear from students on their views about African Philosophy and whether it has shaped their own experiences in daily life.
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15: The Politics of Language in HE
Dr Nomalanga Mkhize joins The Academic Citizen to think through the role of multiple languages in higher education. We explore how language shapes meaning and how assimilation to Anglo-Saxon norms and culture have influenced attitudes towards indigenous languages. She suggests that a multi-idiomatic approach could assist the transformation project in higher education institutions in South […]
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14: HE and Unemployment – A View from Nigeria
Misan Rewane, the Director of Lagos-based organisation, West Africa Vocational Education (WAVE), joins this week’s episode. We reflect on higher education in Nigeria and explore the merits of ‘vocational education’ as a tool for unemployed youths to gain skills and improve their access to steady employment. We also get some student opinions on whether a […]
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13: Student Politics Now
The President of the Student Representative Council (SRC) at the University of Cape Town, Rorisang Moseli, addresses the state of student politics in South Africa today and shares his views on protest, transformation and the student experience in South Africa’s public universities.
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12: The State of Higher Education in India
Explore the state of higher education in India. Professor Dilip Menon explains how the rise of Hindu nationalism and the adoption of neoliberal values have contributed to a climate of protest at higher education institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the University of Hyderabad.
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11: The Black Academic Caucus at UCT
In this week’s episode of The Academic Citizen, Dr Shose Kessi introduces the Black Academic Caucus, which is based at the University of Cape Town, and explains how its objectives relate to transformation and decolonisation within spaces of higher learning.
The Academic Citizen 