Cultural Research Research Articles

Transforming the Health Research Workforce in Mozambique: Achievements of the Mozambique Institute for Health Education and Research (MIHER) over a 13‑Year Journey

Background: African research capacity is challenged by insufficient infrastructure to solicit and manage grants from local and international funding agencies. Objective: The manuscript provides an overview and discusses lessons learned about the pioneering role of the Mozambique Institute for Health Education and Research (MIHER) as the first research support center (RSC) in supporting the management of research grants in Mozambique, emphasizing its impact on research capacity development. Methods: Using mixed methods, data were comprehensively collected to identify MIHER’s primary achievements from 2010 to 2023. The activities took place in four public universities, five training institutions for healthcare workers, and 40 public healthcare units in Mozambique. Findings: MIHER had partnership contracts with over 35 external institutions, and supported the design and implementation of one doctoral program and five masters’ degree programs at three public universities. Over 70% of the 128 MSc and three Ph.D. degree recipients have gone on to become lecturers at Mozambique’s public universities or are working in Mozambique’s public health system. Over 9,000 lecturers and healthcare workers participated in MIHER’s 261 research capacity development workshops. MIHER assisted in writing and implementing 98 research grants, amassing $29,923,197 in extramural support. Of 170 publications generated, 89% were indexed in PubMed. African researchers served as first or last author in 55% and 34% of these publications, respectively; Mozambicans were first and last authors in 44% and 23% of the articles, respectively. Two research laboratories were rehabilitated. Investments in information and communication technology also fostered training and mentorship. Conclusions: MIHER has emerged as a leading RSC of Excellence, fostering synergies and promoting a quality research culture in Mozambique, fueled in part, by its ability to identify and incorporate key collaborations. MIHER is a successful example of an RSC that can make the difference in resource‑limited settings to enable research resource mobilization, evidence-based health care delivery and policy design.

Enhancing the visibility and impact of Cambodian scientific journals through Open Journal System (OJS): An editorial review

The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport (MoEYS) in Cambodia is currently working on an initiative to enhance the visibility and impact of Cambodian scientific journals by implementing Open Journal Systems (OJS) in the country's higher education institutions (HEIs). During a workshop at Svay Rieng University, MoEYS emphasized its objectives to modernize the administration and publication of scholarly work, thereby facilitating more efficient peer review and open access. The objective of increasing the number of Cambodian journals indexed in international databases, including Scopus, the ASEAN Citation Index (ACI), and Web of Science among others, is a critical component of vision. This will enhance the academic credibility and global visibility of Cambodian research. At present, Cambodia maintains 52 scientific journals in various disciplines, including agriculture, education, health, and technology. While some journals, such as the Cambodia Journal of Public Health and the Cambodia Education Review, continue to operate, others have discontinued publication or encountered difficulties in maintaining consistency. The Ministry's initiative will be instrumental in the revitalization of the academic publishing infrastructure in the country and will offer essential support to journals that are currently grappling with sustainability challenges. Additionally, Cambodian journals can make a substantial contribution to regional and global academic discourse, encourage research collaborations, and attract higher-quality submissions by indexing in international databases. This action is consistent with Cambodia's overarching objective of internationalizing higher education and cultivating a more robust research culture, thereby guaranteeing the extensive recognition and global standards of local research. The strategic endeavor to enhance the quality of research output, establish Cambodia's scholarly community as a critical contributor to addressing national and global challenges, and cultivate academic partnerships is exemplified by the strategic use of OJS and the aspiration to index in prestigious databases.

"The Truth Is, We Must Miss Some": A Qualitative Study of the Patient Eligibility Screening Process, and Automation Perspectives, for Cancer Clinical Trials.

Recruitment of cancer patients into clinical trials (CTs) is a challenge. We aimed to explore how patient eligibility assessment is conducted in practice, what factors support or hinder this process, and to assess the potential usefulness of Clinical Trial Recruitment Support Systems (CTRSS) for patient-to-trial matching. We conducted semi-structured interviews in France with healthcare professionals involved in cancer CTs and experts on trial recruitment. We focused on the stages in-between trial feasibility, and patient information and consent. Interviews were recorded, and the transcripts were analyzed thematically. We used the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) 2.0 framework to organize our results. We interviewed 25 participants. We identified common steps for cancer patient eligibility assessment: prescreening under medical supervision, followed by the validation of patient-trial matching based on manual chart review. This process built on rich interactions between clinicians, other professionals (clinical research assistants, data scientists, medical coding experts), and patients. Technological factors, mainly related to data infrastructure (both for patient data and trial data), and organizational factors (research culture, incentives, formal and informal research networks) mediated the performance of the recruitment process. Participants had mixed feelings towards CTRSSs; they welcomed automated pre-screening but insisted on manual verification. Given the necessary collaborative nature of multisite trials, coordinated efforts to support a common data infrastructure could be helpful. Material, organizational, and human factors affect cancer patient eligibility assessment for CTs. Patient-to-trial matching tools bear potential, but good understanding of the ecosystem, including stakeholders' motivations, is a prerequisite.

Advancements in Dental Bioreactor Design: A Comprehensive Approach for Application in Dentistry.

The protocol introduces a novel multi-chamber bioreactor tailored for ex-vivo cell culture in dentistry research, emulating the 3D dental environment to propel research in dental applications. Constructed primarily from a polymeric material with a sophisticated 3D design, the bioreactor securely holds teeth structures within sealed chambers, enabling controlled perfusion of culture medium crucial for cell growth through a singular entry and exit point. An integrated electronic system manages flow and pressure, ensuring precise control over environmental conditions. This technology facilitates cell cultivation under conditions closely resembling natural tooth microenvironments, offering opportunities for varied studies from understanding cellular behavior in dental contexts to targeted therapy development. The bioreactor's amalgamation of polymeric components, 3D design, and electronic controls enhances adaptability and accuracy, rendering it a valuable asset in dental research. The report comprehensively delineates the bioreactor's design, operations, and potential applications, showcasing its significant contributions to dental research and regenerative medicine. By amalgamating advanced technologies, this bioreactor emerges as a pivotal tool for investigating cellular processes within dental structures, paving the way for scientific exploration and therapeutic advancements.

Proposal for Teacher Training Model in Steam Education

This research is developed by systematizing the literature on STEAM education in relation to skills, strategies, training, implementation and competencies. An SLR methodology is applied focused on the field of education, 46 articles were selected from the Scopus, Eric and WOS Database from the last five years, complemented with quantitative research to verify the frequency of the variables in the documentary review. The results are articulated in a design to propose a teacher training model in STEAM education, for which three dimensions are taken into consideration based on the educational actors (pre-professional, professional and expert) in order to work on the different indicators that allow a logical and systematic sequence to implement STEAM education in current educational contexts that require the development of complex competencies, mediated by emerging technologies. It is evident that teachers, from their initial training to their professional development as experts, face the challenge of preparing new generations to solve complex problems and effectively promote the development of 21st century skills, in this way, Teacher training programs contribute significantly to their professional performance, playing a crucial role in the transformation of pedagogical practice, strengthening teaching professionalism and promoting a culture of research, generating a positive impact on the quality of current education.

APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN ENHANCING FACULTY RESEARCH PRODUCTION TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: AN EVIDENCE FROM A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY OF SAUDI ARABIA

Objectives: The purpose of present study was to identify the role of ICT to achieve sustainable development goals of university by enhancing faculty research production at PNU. Theoretical Framework: Information Communication Technology (ICT) has impacted faculty research productivity in higher education. Any university's Sustainability and ranking depend on the caliber of its research output and the quality of the instruction they provide. High-quality research output raises a university's stature and reputation nationally and internationally. Hence faculty research productivity of any university helps to achieve the sustainable development goals of any educational institute. Methods: Both primary and Secondary data were used for the study. Secondary data included the examination of databases of Scopus and Web of science to examine the Published research. Primary data included a survey in the form of interviews. Interviews were conducted among faculty members selected randomly from 2500 faculty members teaching different college courses. Interviews were conducted in the various departments of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University with a minimum of two faculty from each college. Results and Discussions: It was found that although there is a significant association between the ICT integration by faculty in research activities and their research productivity, researcher characteristics and institutional support also played a significant role in enhancing faculty research productivity at PNU. The results indicated that the integration of ICT had a positive and significant impact on faculty Research Productivity. However, institutional support such as Funding, Research Environment, Rewards and Promotion, and teaching load had the highest impact on Research Productivity. Research Implications: The findings of the study are useful for educational institutes and university to frame their research policies to encourage faculty research.Implementing proper research Funding policies is essential to encourage research productivity in the university, The findings suggest that although teachers are ICT skilled, the institute must provide adequate research training workshops to create awareness about various ICT tools and software for research analysis. Originality/Value: Universities are taking numerous steps worldwide to encourage the research culture among their academic personnel. The present research is providing measures for improving ICT utilization among the academic staff in higher education in Saudi Arabia.

A matter of culture? Conceptualizing and investigating “Evidence Cultures” within research on evidence-informed policymaking

Abstract This paper conceptualizes the notion of “evidence culture” in evidence-informed policymaking by surveying existing literature that either specifically employs the term or uses adjacent terms such as “epistemic” or “research culture”. It employs mixed-methods scoping review, combining citation analysis using Web of Science data used to identify the key clusters of scholarship with a qualitative thematic analysis of key papers across these clusters. This analysis identifies seven distinct approaches to “evidence cultures” across disciplinary communities. The key points of divergence across the clusters include the meanings of evidence, the underlying understanding of the evidence–policy interplay, the conceptualization of culture, and its implications for evidence use in policy. Building on these insights, we offer a framework for analyzing evidence cultures, arguing for the conceptual and empirical utility of this term in advancing scholarship on evidence use in policy settings.

Open Research at Edinburgh

Open research practices, which seek to foster research collaboration, transparency, and accessibility, are an integral part of research culture change. Policies are being introduced, particularly at the level of research funding and publishing, to make open research the ‘new normal’. However, the support currently available to help researchers adopt open research practices varies by institution; college, school, or department; and research discipline and methods. Our primary aim in this report was to identify the open research support available to University of Edinburgh research students and staff at various levels including central, local, and grassroots initiatives. As a secondary aim, we sought to understand post graduate researchers’ (PGRs) experiences with open research, including PGRs own personal knowledge and adoption of open research, their experiences accessing support, and what kinds of support they think would benefit them most. This report presents a summary of open research support available at the University of Edinburgh between October 2023 and February 2024, alongside key findings and action items related to open research support for PGRs from semi-structured discussions with seven researchers across the University’s three colleges.

Factors Associated with Research and Productivity among Faculty of Higher Education Institutions: Input to Enhancing Research Culture

The role of research in an academic institution is significant for its sustainability and development, and it is imperative to have knowledge-driven growth based on innovation. The main objec-tive of this dissertation was to find out the factors associated with research and productivity among faculty of higher education insti-tutions in the LSPU System as input to enhancing research culture. Descriptive correlational research method was used to determine the factors associated with research and productivity among high-er education faculty institutions consisting of 232 regular faculty members among four campuses of Laguna State Polytechnic Uni-versity- San Pablo City Campus, Sta. Cruz Campus, Siniloan Campus and Los Banos Campus. The perceived level of self-motivation of the respondents on knowledge and skills, ability and interest, mo-tivation and drive is “very high”; the perceived level of institution-al support system for research among faculty of Laguna State Poly-technic University System on policies and guidelines, promotion and incentives, research program, budgeting, and external sourc-ing/funding is “highly evident”; perceived level of research- work-ing environment, is “very highly evident”; perceived level of re-search productivity for research reveals that the research produc-tivity is “very high”. Faculty’s research productivity is significantly predicted by self-motivation, an institutional support system for research; and the research working environment; teacher’s per-ceived self-motivation mediated with the institutional support system and the faculty’s research productivity; teacher’s perceived self-motivation mediated with the research working environment and to the faculty’s research productivity. ANOVA result revealed that there is no significant difference in the perceptions of the LSPU respondents on self-motivation, an institutional support sys-tem for research, research working environment, and research productivity when grouped according to their University Campus. In terms of the above findings, this study concluded the hypothe-ses stating that the research productivity of the faculty is not sig-nificantly predicted by self-motivation, an institutional support system for research, and the research working environment is not sustained. The faculty self-motivation does not mediate the effect of the institutional support system and research working envi-ronment on their research productivity is not sustained. There is no significant difference in the perceptions of the LSPU respond-ents on self-motivation, an institutional support system for re-search, research working environment, and research productivity.

Research culture influences in health and biomedical research: Rapid scoping review and content analysis

Research culture is strongly influenced by academic incentives such as the pressure to publish in academic journals, and can influence the nature and quality of the evidence we produce. The purpose of this rapid scoping review is to capture the breadth of differential pressures and contributors to current research culture, drawing together content from empirical research specific to the health and biomedical sciences. PubMed and Web of Science were searched for empirical studies of influences and impacts on health and biomedical research culture, published between January 2012 to April 2024. Data charting extracted the key findings and relationships in research culture from included papers such as: workforce composition; equitable access to research; academic journal trends, incentives, reproducibility; erroneous research; questionable research practices; biases vested interests and misconduct. A diverse author network was consulted to ensure content validity of the proposed framework of i) inclusivity, ii) transparency, iii) rigour and iv) objectivity. A growing field of studies examining research culture exists ranging from the inclusivity of the scientific workforce, the transparency of the data generated, the rigour of the methods used and the objectivity of the researchers involved. Figurative diagrams are presented to storyboard the links between research culture content and findings. The wide range of research culture influences in the recent literature indicates the need for coordinated and sustained research culture conversations. Core principles in effective research environments should include inclusive collaboration and diverse research workforces, rigorous methodological approaches, transparency, data sharing and reflection on scientific objectivity.

Assessing research culture and capacity amongst faculty at a North American chiropractic institution: an explanatory mixed methods study

BackgroundResearch enables a profession to establish its cultural authority, validate its professional roles and ensure ongoing improvement in the quality of its academic programming. Despite the clear importance of research, a mature research culture has eluded the chiropractic profession. A fostering institutional culture that enables, values, and supports research activity is essential to building research capacity. Our study aimed to collect information about the existing research capacity and culture at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) and explore the views, attitudes and experiences of faculty members regarding research.MethodsWe conducted a sequential explanatory mixed methods study with quantitative priority between April and July, 2023. Quantitative data were collected using the Research Capacity and Culture (RCC) tool. Survey results guided the qualitative data collected from four faculty focus groups with varying levels of research experience. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics by domain and stratified by research education and workload. The qualitative data were thematically analyzed and then integrated with the quantitative results to provide deeper meaning to the results.ResultsThe faculty survey response rate was 42% (59/144). Attributes at the organization or department level were consistently rated as either moderate or high; however, research skills at an individual level were more variable and influenced by factors such as research workload and highest research-related academic qualification. Qualitative focus group data were categorized under four themes: institutional factors, resource allocation, career pathways and personal factors. Lower scores for survey items related to mentorship, research planning and ensuring faculty research career pathways, as well as the identified workload and time-related barriers (e.g., other work roles and desire for work/life balance) for engaging in research were supported by each of the four themes. Research motivators included keeping the brain stimulated, developing skills and increasing job satisfaction.ConclusionThe quantitative and qualitative information in this study provides a baseline evaluation for RCC and identifies key factors impacting RCC at the CMCC. This information is critical for planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating future interventions to enhance research capacity. Ultimately, these efforts are aimed at maturing the research culture of the chiropractic profession.

Understanding the Culture of Science Research Teachers with Winning Science Investigatory Projects

ABSTRACT The government, in collaboration with other institutions and organizations, has implemented several initiatives to develop a culture of research and innovation in the Philippines and help appease the demands of STEM experts in the country. Science, technology, and engineering (STE) curricular programs are offered in basic education which requires students to produce a scientific research paper. However, the ailing conditions of infrastructure and scarce resources in the country affected the practices and operations of public schools. Nevertheless, these challenges do not hamper select STE-implementing schools from winning science research competitions which is a manifestation of quality research outputs. Thus, this study explored the culture of science research teachers (SRTs) using Charmaz’s Constructivist Grounded Theory framework which would be of optimum benefit to the education system by leveraging the practices of winning STE-implementing schools. Data were gathered through ethnographic interviews and observations (online and face-to-face) from 16 teacher and school head participants from one region following selection criteria. A total of 84 initial codes emerged which resulted in 14 focused codes. Upon analyzing the focused codes, four conceptual categories were drawn. Theoretical codes emerged after identifying connections between categories that explained the culture of SRTs—competition as drivers; competition as enablers; competition as amplifiers; competition as student formators; and competition as bridgers. Overall, the study illustrated a ripple effect of competition-driven culture as a means and end in mind that winning STE-implementing schools starts to emanate from SRTs.

Exploring Perspectives of Basic and Clinical Sciences Medical Students on Research

Objective: To identify and compare motivating factors and obstacles towards research among undergraduate medical students of basic and clinical sciences. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Combined Military Hospital, Kharian medical college, Pakistan Jun to Aug 2021. Methodology: This study involved 205 undergraduate medical students divided into two groups: basic sciences (1st, 2nd, and 3rd year) and clinical sciences (4th year). Data collection was done using a self-structured questionnaire based on a 5-point Likert scale. Ethical approval was obtained from the institutional review board (CKMC/IERB/AC-00119). Results: Out of the participants, 84(40.9%) were male and 151(59%) were female. 183(89.2%) were aged 18-22, and 22(10.7%) were aged 23-27. Distribution by year was as follows: 1st year 17%, 2nd year 20.9%, 3rd year 15.6%, and 4th year 46.3%. Approximately 40-50% of clinical sciences students supported making research mandatory from the first to the final year and introducing weightage in the final assessment, foster critical thinking and teamwork, compared to only 2-17% of basic sciences students. This significant difference highlights the need for early integration of research activities in the medical curriculum (p-value<0.001). 40-50% of undergraduate students in both clinical and basic sciences agreed that there is a lack of research culture, infrastructure, training funds, and time. The barriers did not show significant differences between the groups. Conclusion: Clinical students’ perception of research is much better than basic sciences.

Qualitative understanding of experiences of people with cystic fibrosis in a treatment discontinuation trial: The QUEST study

BackgroundAs people with cystic fibrosis (PWCF) live longer due to the breakthrough drug elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor (ETI), they have questioned whether other CF therapies could be safely discontinued. SIMPLIFY was the first prospective, randomized trial to evaluate non-inferiority of discontinuing versus continuing two therapies. The QUEST (Qualitative Understanding of Experiences in the SIMPLIFY Trial) study was conducted to understand experiences of PWCF enrolled in SIMPLIFY, including why they joined, perceptions of randomization, decision-making around study withdrawal, and considerations for future discontinuation studies. MethodsQUEST enrolled SIMPLIFY participants 14 years or older stable on ETI and caregivers of the 14–17 year-olds. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded. A phenomenological approach was used to inductively develop codes with no a priori hypotheses; identified themes were then organized around current research and recruitment literature. Results114 interviews were completed (68 adults, 23 teenagers, and 23 caregivers). Among PWCF, median age was 27.8 years, 49 % were female and 80 % had participated in research before SIMPLIFY. Five themes were identified: (1) Experience with SIMPLIFY randomization, [2] Trust, [3] Altruism, [4] Perceived personal benefits, and [5]) Perceived risks and protocol burden. ConclusionQUEST findings highlight how a long-standing culture of research and thoughtful protocol design contributed to SIMPLIFY's successful recruitment and retention. This included understanding the importance of remaining in the trial despite not being randomized to their preferred treatment assignment. Using patient-centered approaches to select research questions, design a protocol to minimize participant barriers, and frame recruitment materials messaging contribute to successful research participation.

Osteopathic Research in Family Medicine.

Osteopathic physicians (DOs) comprise a growing portion of family physicians. In 2023, more DO seniors matched into family medicine than MD seniors, and nearly a quarter of US DO seniors matched into family medicine. Family medicine benefits from the osteopathic philosophy of whole-person care, though this provides challenges regarding research in family medicine. Notably, among students entering family medicine, MD students report an average of 2.4 research activities compared with 1.7 for DO students, marking the lowest values across specialties. There are multifarious reasons for the limited research exposure of osteopathic medical students, and 2 may be amenable to change. First, osteopathic trainees have relatively limited research exposure. Second, osteopathic manipulation training emphasizes techniques that are not compatible with current theories of anatomy and pathology. The reduced research emphasis among osteopathic trainees can be addressed by strategies that focus on enhanced research exposure and a cultural shift toward fearless reevaluation of these inconsistent beliefs. Improvements in research training and culture among osteopathic trainees (including medical students and residents) will directly benefit osteopathic medicine, family medicine, and patients.

Ruminations on the NSF Broader Impacts Criterion: A Dialogue with Academic Researchers and Broader Impacts Professionals

The National Science Foundation, a United States federal agency supporting STEM research, puts special emphasis on research impacts in society, and requires each funded research project to have “broader impacts” outside of conventional academic scholarship. As “broader impacts” have become an important part of the STEM research landscape in the U.S., most academic researchers need guidance and support in their broader impact plans. Focusing on a mid-size STEM-focused university, our research identified three major areas that matter to academic researchers: (1) autonomy of the researcher and non-prescriptive nature of broader impacts, (2) impact identity and personal connection to broader impacts, and (3) a critical engagement with diversity and inclusion in research and education. Combining these findings with a broader impacts professional’s reflections, we examine the ways in which broader impacts resources such as the ARIS Toolkit can assist academic researchers. We argue that by constructing dialogues between faculty researchers and broader impacts professionals, the research culture in the U.S. can turn into an ecosystem that supports meaningful, inclusive, and transformative STEM practices.

Building A Research Culture: Interventions And Innovations

This study explored the promotion of research-based strategies and practices in Philippine public schools. The Department of Education supported this initiative by encouraging teachers and school leaders to engage in research to develop evidence-based solutions. Using a phenomenological approach and action research design, the researchers examined the concepts of ”building” and ”research culture.” The research culture emerged as a way of life and part of the teacher’s identity, involving five key actions: becoming, experiencing, feeling, sustaining, and developing. These actions encompassed the elements of forming a teacher-researcher identity, navigating challenging and positive experiences, investing emotions in research, and maintaining the culture through various support mechanisms. The ’developing’ action highlighted the dynamic nature of research culture and continuous learning. The study introduced the MOVERS (Moving Research through Blended Learning Space) intervention in different schools, providing coaching and mentoring to teachers’ as they craft their concept paper presentations. This programme also addressed the challenges of conducting research during the new normal. Future research should consider measuring MOVERS’ impact after multiple iterations.

The development of the National Council for Osteopathic Research - Research Network (NCOR-RN): A qualitative focus group study of osteopaths’ views

BackgroundPractice Based Research Networks (PBRNs) are groups of clinicians working with academic organisations to conduct research that answers questions relevant to clinical practice. A PBRN for osteopathy in the UK would be a suitable approach for the National Council for Osteopathic Research to achieve its mission statement of ‘developing a culture of research’. ObjectiveWe aimed to explore osteopaths’ views on the utility of creating a PBRN and to identify barriers and facilitators to their involvement in a PBRN. MethodsFocus groups were conducted as part of a free CPD day advertised nationally to all osteopaths to collect qualitative data. A reflexive thematic analysis framework was used to develop themes from the data. ResultsForty osteopaths took part in 5 focus groups conducted at three locations around the UK. Six themes were developed describing the utility, barriers, and facilitators to developing a PRBN for osteopathy: research experience, finance and time, developing osteopathy, insecurity and identity, integration into practice, and PBRN organisation. ConclusionsOsteopaths perceived a PBRN had the potential for increasing the evidence base for osteopathy, enhancing the status of the profession, and improving patient care. Various barriers and facilitators to their involvement with a PBRN were identified.

Finally, a Researcher Development and Education Skills Framework for an Open University

While there is an ongoing advocacy for transformative higher education through a collaborative research culture in a national university system (Almores, 2024; Cubillan, 2024), there lacks an explicit and unified framework for researcher development of valuable skills and competencies to inform its typology of research training, supervision and mentoring (Villanueva, 2024). We propose a researcher development and education framework to benefit open and distance elearning programs, or ODeL programs situated in the national university’s Open University constituent unit with a wide reach of students locally and in Southeast Asia (Alfonso, 2019). The framework is a by-product of our sustained intellectual and intertextual networking, engagements with an international network of researchers in doctoral education and consultations with teacher-researchers and other stakeholders in an open university. The framework is underpinned by the identity-trajectory theory, self-determination theory and the community of inquiry for learning community building in harnessing positive research student experiences (Villanueva & Eacersall, 2024). Key areas of the framework are namely, research as a personal and scholarly practice, a reflective practice, a collaborative practice and a technology-enabled practice. Surrounding these key areas are shared values of: (i) excellence, rigor and creativity; (ii) agency and wellbeing; (iii) sense of community, social responsibility and service to others; and, (iv) integrity, agency and future-ready. Further validation of the framework was conducted through focused group discussions across three faculties of study. Collaborative reflections among faculty members and research students were undertaken to further define specific research competencies as well as mindsets. A natural outcome was the conceptualization of three courses pilot-test the application of the framework in varied learning spaces for a range of learners within the Open University unit. MyPORTAL Course 1 is a formal course for graduate-level students crafting their personalized learning plans for selected research-related outputs while ASCEND Course 2 is non-formal short course for professional research staff and students to navigate their academic writing and research with the use of Generative AIs. WORKSPACE Course 3 is a self-paced micro-course as an opportunity for faculty members to spend dedicated sensemaking on current practices in mentoring and research supervision. These courses are meant to operationalize intentional learning alliance and community building to harness researcher identity development and sense of agency among research students in ODeL programs. Further research is recommended in launching these courses and towards the creation of graduate research support teams with researcher development specialists and volunteer research trainers and learning designers. The teams are meant to go beyond administerial functions to ensure exemplary pedagogy and practices, benefiting both research supervisors and their students. The study all the more highlights the Open University’s unique identity as a progressive driver of innovation and within a dominant residential-based university system’s seeking to translate the transformative education rhetoric into actual practice at the program and course levels. Finally, we lay our claim of an ODeL research culture that is truly open, collaborative and future-ready.

Faculty perspectives on the changing research and teaching career tracks of academics at private universities in Kazakhstan

ABSTRACT Since gaining academic and financial autonomy in 2018, a number of leading private universities in Kazakhstan have separated teaching and research into two distinct career tracks and implemented outcome-based faculty performance evaluation. This initiative aimed to increase the quality of both teaching and research, boost faculty’s research productivity, and improve the competitiveness of these universities in the local higher education market. However, despite being central to the development of universities, the restructuring of academic careers in Kazakhstan has received little scholarly attention. This study employs the framework of managerialism and collegiality to explore how faculty in research-track and teaching-track positions perceive and respond to the new career structures. Drawing upon the thematic analysis of 25 semi-structured interviews with faculty members working in the country’s top private universities, the study provides nuanced insights into the changing career structures in Kazakhstan by examining faculty experiences related to research and teaching, faculty evaluation and promotion, development of research culture, and work environment. By interpreting the study findings in light of the concepts of managerialism and collegiality, the study offers a fresh perspective on the neoliberal trends in university governance in the context where universities historically lacked autonomy from the state. The paper concludes by discussing the potential implications of the findings for improving the conditions of research-track and teaching-track faculty. The study may be of interest to policymakers, university administrators, and researchers concerned with changes in academic careers in transitional economies.