Conceptualising a South African Private Higher Education Research Ecosystem

Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on New Approaches in Education

Year: 2026

[PDF]

Conceptualising a South African Private Higher Education Research Ecosystem

Portia Webb

ABSTRACT:

The South African higher education landscape is shaped by historical inequality and the continued dominance of public, research-intensive universities. In recent years, private higher education institutions (PHEIs), that are traditionally more teaching-focused, have expanded significantly but have not received recognition as formal universities. However, the 2024 Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) draft policy signals a shift by introducing criteria through which PHEIs may be registered as higher education colleges, university colleges or universities. The designation of “university” extends expectations around knowledge production, positioning research as an increasingly important activity within PHEIs. While research is well established in public universities, PHEIs does not have access to the funding, infrastructure, and support systems that underpin research activity in the public sector. In addition, research capacity has largely been conceptualised through a public university lens, often positioning PHEIs as lacking capacity rather than recognising their distinct institutional contexts. This paper aims to reconceptualise research capacity in PHEIs by developing a contextually grounded conceptual framework that explains how such capacity can be developed and nurtured. Drawing on ecosystem thinking, institutional theory and researcher development literature, this paper revises current understanding of research capacity in PHEIs. The paper proposes a Private Higher Education Research Ecosystem Framework, where researcher development acts as the central mechanism by which research capacity is developed and nurtured. It argues that research capacity in PHEIs develops through the mediated interaction between structural context, institutional positioning, ecosystem conditions, and researcher development.

Keywords: Conceptual Framework; Institutional Positioning; Structural Context; Research Capacity; Researcher Development