In an era where large language models of artificial intelligence are widely used and studies show a dumbing down of society whereby thinking frequently now gets offloaded to AI, it has never been more critical to champion doctoral education as a harbinger of knowledge creation and dissemination.
As we advocate enhancing doctoral education, let us find ways to fix various broken aspects of PhD and DBA programmes.
Here in Kenya, British Council and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) research shows that only 11 percent of doctoral students finish within six years.
The Commission for University Education (CUE) shows a similar figure at 13 percent. We have one of the highest PhD dropout rates in the world. It would be lazy if we merely blame financial strain as reasons for doctoral study departures.
If the student is able to fund themselves for many years and still not graduate, then there exists a systemic issue that educators must address.
Kenya holds arguably the most difficult and burdensome doctoral process in the entire world. Globally, there exist three main models in doctoral education.
First involves the North American model whereby one completes an undergraduate bachelor’s degree and then typically goes straight into PhD studies, bypassing a master’s degree entirely.
Therefore, their doctoral programmes include intensive coursework to become a subject matter expert and on how to research in one’s discipline, then a comprehensive examination, followed by the ever-dreaded dissertation that takes around five to seven years to finish the whole programme.
All the while, the doctoral candidates usually teach undergraduate classes and support faculty on research in exchange for tuition waivers or fee reductions.
Second, the European model utilises an entirely different structure. A student completes their bachelor’s degree and then proceeds on to a master’s degree. The master’s degree would usually include a thesis component, unlike most North American master’s degrees.
In Europe, a master’s degree is often a steppingstone to a doctorate. The master’s programme thesis is then usually under 15,000 words, while in Britain often 8,000 words depending on the discipline.
Then further in Europe, after the master’s, one then enters a doctoral programme where the sole focus revolves around the comprehensive dissertation.
They presume that the student is already a subject matter expert from the master’s degree and therefore doctoral programmes do not include coursework, mainly just some short seminars on how to research.
Therefore, European doctorates usually take around three years full-time. South Africa and the United Kingdom follow the European methodology for doctorates.
Third, we in Kenya have our own different and arguably tedious way. We mix the worst of all by requiring a master’s degree like in Europe and also requiring a doctorate with intensive coursework like in North America before the dissertation.
So, a Kenyan doctoral student takes an additional two years of classes more than almost any other doctorate on the planet, usually resulting in unhelpful coursework regurgitating undergraduate and master’s topics already taught instead of focusing on research or helping to solve national pain points.
Therefore, everyone studies for the exam instead of studying to understand subjects deeply as faculty try to make the class harder because of the doctoral level and ask obscure questions from content not covered in class with the excuse that doctoral students should do extemporaneous reading. Further, Kenyan master’s theses usually are required to be far longer than the European standard.
We must really examine whether forcing our students to jump through extra hoops is helping or hurting our nation. We need doctoral students solving societal problems not stuck in bureaucratic circles.
Further structural problems include vague research methods courses and non-specific research manuals forcing students to pay for help from the illicit academic writing industry.
Researchers Rosemary Mbogo, Elly Ndiao, Joash Wambua, Niceta Ireri, and Francisca Ngala published in the European Journal of Education Studies about the stunning doctoral supervisory challenges and delays in Kenya at both public and private higher education institutions in Kenya.
Beyond the structural problems with the setup, in East Africa we perpetuate a gotcha culture in Higher Education. Students must show extreme deference to supervisors who in most cases receive no disciplinary measures if they refuse to ever meet their students. So, getting a PhD turns into more about being awarded a “bureaucracy buster” certificate more than doing actual original research.
Doctoral students spend much of their time chasing supervisors and following up on vague corrections. In Britain, as an example, corrections from supervisors and invigilators must state specific pages and paragraphs for corrections, not the vague often seen in Kenya ‘make the thesis tighter’, ‘follow the research manual more’, etc.
Then academics ponder why many students turn to the academic writing industry scourge for help because faculty fail in executing their duties clearly and fairly.
Students are often blocked from conducting original research since new techniques are often frowned upon and not allowed to be world-leading because doctoral supervisors are simply unaware of the latest statistical techniques.
Then in defenses of dissertations, students are often not allowed to talk. They cannot defend and prove that they know the content. Various faculty show off to each other to insult the students’ work in classic gotcha fashion.
Researchers Rugut Kipleting and Syomwene Kisilu recommend that Kenyan universities invest in developing the skills as well as knowledge of doctoral supervisors while building in support structures for students.
Join Business Talk next week as we dissect red flags to look out for in doctoral programs, the questions to ask before selecting a university, and how to choose the right PhD program for you.