22nd RUFORUM PRE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)

CONCEPT NOTE

RESEARCH-READY HUMAN CAPITAL: EQUIPPING ZAMBIA’S NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS

Registration Links: See Table below

Venue: GSB-Main lecture theatre,

TLC- Lecture theatre 1,

TLC- Lecture theatre 2,

Side room- baby nursery

Dates: 12 -13 November 2026; 8:30-17:00 CAT

Contacts: Dr. Alice Mweetwa (alice.mweetwa@unza.zm)

Dr. Runyararo Jolyn Rukarwa (r.rukarwa@ruforum.org)

Professor Majaliwa Mwanjalolo (m.majaliwa@ruforum.org)

BACKGROUND

Postgraduate education is critical for strengthening research, innovation and human resource capacity and for developing the next generation of academics, researchers, professionals and leaders[1]. However, postgraduate training in many African higher education institutions continues to face challenges related to research supervision, limited access to mentors, inadequate research infrastructure and weak institutional support systems. Recent evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa identifies limited supervisor accessibility, heavy supervision workloads and inadequate peer-support mechanisms among factors associated with delays in postgraduate progression and completion[2]. Similar evidence shows that structured supervision, workshops, administrative follow-up and progress monitoring can contribute to improved postgraduate research completion[3].

In Zambia, a limited number of higher education institutions (HEIs) have well-established postgraduate programmes and systems. Even among institutions offering postgraduate training, many students experience delays in progressing from coursework to proposal development, data collection, analysis, thesis writing and completion.

Postgraduate students are also at different stages of the research process and therefore require differentiated forms of support. Some students have completed coursework but have not yet developed or approved their research proposals. Others have commenced or completed data collection but require support in data management, statistical or qualitative analysis and interpret ation. Another group needs structured guidance to organise research findings and complete their theses or dissertations, and to acquire skills for resource mobilisation. Students approaching completion may require assistance to prepare scientific manuscripts, present their findings and publish their work.

These challenges are often compounded by limited access to structured mentorship, uneven supervisory capacity, inadequate skills in research methods and scientific writing, and limited opportunities for peer learning. Evidence from African higher education institutions suggests that mentorship-infused supervision, peer support and collaborative learning can strengthen research skills, academic productivity and postgraduate progression. Therefore, there is need for coordinated postgraduate capacity-strengthening that provides stage-specific, practical and demand-driven support to students while strengthening the capacity of HEIs to manage and sustain quality postgraduate training. During this years RUFORUM AGM and conference season, these issues will be addressed hosted by member Universities in Zambia.

MAIN OBJECTIVE

To strengthen the quality, efficiency and outcomes of postgraduate training in Zambia by improving research capacity, accelerating student completion and increasing scientific research output.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

1. Strengthen the capacity of postgraduate students to develop high-quality and feasible research proposals.
2. Build practical skills in research design, data management, quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
3. Support students to analyse and interpret research findings and translate them into coherent scientific arguments.
4. Strengthen thesis and dissertation writing and accelerate the completion of outstanding postgraduate research.
5. Build capacity in scientific writing, manuscript preparation, oral presentation, publication and resource mobilisation.
6. Establish a structured mentorship and peer-support mechanism linking postgraduate students with experienced researchers, supervisors and technical experts.
7. Strengthen institutional systems for monitoring postgraduate student progress and supporting timely completion.

METHODOLOGY

TRAINING AND MENTORSHIP

The workshop will adopt a diagnostic, stage-based and hands-on training model. Rather than providing the same training to all students, the programme will begin with an assessment of each student’s research status, technical needs, supervisory challenges and expected completion pathway. Students will be grouped into five training and mentorship streams (Table 1).

TABLE 1. STRUCTURE OF STUDENTS AND YOUNG SCIENTISTS TO BE TRAINED

1. A) THE TRAINING AND MENTORSHIP PLAN
2. STUDENT MAPPING AND DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT

Participating HEIs will nominate postgraduate students and provide information using online tools on their:

• Degree programme and field of study;
• Current stage of research;
• Status of proposal approval;
• Data collection and analysis progress;
• Thesis or dissertation status;
• Expected completion date; and
• Key technical, supervisory and institutional challenges.

The assessment will be used to assign students to the most appropriate training stream and to develop an Individual Research Completion and Mentorship Plan.

2. INTENSIVE TRAINING AND RESEARCH CLINICS

Students will participate in intensive training modules combined with practical research and writing clinics. The programme will emphasise learning by doing, with students working directly on their own research projects, datasets, thesis chapters and manuscripts.

For example:

• Proposal-stage students will develop or substantially improve their research proposals.
• Students with datasets will work directly on data cleaning, analysis and interpretation.
• Thesis-stage students will work on specific chapters and address outstanding writing gaps.
• Publication-stage students will develop manuscripts suitable for submission to peer-reviewed journals.

Evidence from postgraduate supervision studies suggests that structured workshops, collaborative support and regular academic engagement can strengthen research progression and completion[4][5].

3. STRUCTURED MENTORSHIP AND PEER SUPPORT

Following the intensive training, students will be assigned to mentorship clusters consisting of a lead mentor, relevant technical resource persons and a small group of postgraduate students.

Each student will develop an Individual Research Completion Plan outlining:

1. Current research status;
2. Outstanding milestones;
3. Technical and academic support required;
4. Expected outputs;
5. Timeline for completion; and
6. Responsibilities of the student, supervisor and mentor.

Mentorship will be delivered through:

• Monthly virtual or physical mentoring sessions;
• Peer-to-peer learning groups;
• Group mentorship;
• Targeted technical consultations;
• Data analysis and writing clinics;
• Periodic progress reviews; and
• Direct engagement with institutional supervisors.

Structured mentorship models have been identified as promising approaches for strengthening research competencies, critical thinking, academic productivity and postgraduate research leadership in African higher education[6].

4. PROGRESS MONITORING AND RESEARCH COMPLETION SUPPORT

This aima to strengthen ability of universities to supervise student completion within the stipulated academic time. A simple postgraduate progress-tracking system will be established to monitor agreed milestones and identify students experiencing delays or requiring additional technical support. Progress reviews will focus on measurable outputs, including:

• Proposal developed or approved;
• Data collection completed;
• Dataset cleaned and analysed;
• Results interpreted;
• Thesis chapters completed;
• Thesis submitted for examination;
• Manuscript prepared and submitted; and
• Research findings presented or disseminated.

5. SCIENTIFIC WRITING, PUBLICATION AND DISSEMINATION

This final phase aims to enhance the translation of research into scientific and development outputs. Students will receive support to:

• Prepare scientific manuscripts;
• Strengthen scientific arguments and discussion of findings;
• Select appropriate journals;
• Prepare conference abstracts and presentations;
• Develop policy briefs and other knowledge products; and
• Respond constructively to peer-review comments.

Selected students may also be supported to present their findings at national or regional scientific conferences.

1. B) LOGISTICAL ARRANGEMENT FOR DELIVERING TRAINING

Training: The training will be conducted via a virtual set-up with the different activities of training conducted separately under the stewardship of leading scientists and lecturers. Selected students will be invited to participate via shared links to the different training and scientific sessions. RUFORUM will provide certificates of participation.

Scientific Conference: Selected papers will be presented orally or as posters to audiences. Papers will be reviewed and accepted papers published in national or international journals. Other papers maybe published as part of the RUFORUM Proceedings.

KEY DELIVERABLES

The workshop will produce:

• A diagnostic assessment of postgraduate student needs and bottlenecks;
• A stage-based postgraduate training programme;
• Individual Research Completion and Mentorship Plans;
• Training and research clinic reports;
• A network of postgraduate mentors and technical resource persons;
• Improved and approved research proposals;
• Analysed and interpreted research datasets;
• Completed or substantially advanced theses and dissertations;
• Scientific manuscripts prepared for submission;
• Research presentations and dissemination products; and
• A postgraduate progress-monitoring and mentorship framework for participating HEIs (Initially a WhatsApp Group will be created).

TWO-DAY POSTGRADUATE TRAINING AND MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME

Time: 08:00–17:00. Three streams run in parallel each day. Students select one stream per day according to their research stage and support needs.

STREAMS, TARGET STUDENTS AND EXPECTED PRODUCTS

PREPARATION AND DELIVERY

• Sessions combine short facilitator inputs with guided exercises using students’ own research materials. The programme is an intensive clinic; continued supervision and practice will be needed.
• Before training, students should bring their proposal or thesis draft, supervisor comments, research tools or an anonymised dataset, as appropriate. Analysis participants should install the software selected by the facilitator in advance.
• Facilitators should select and circulate relevant open funding calls before Day 2 so resource mobilisation exercises use real requirements. Calls are to be confirmed before training.
• Resource mobilisation is open to all students but runs in parallel with two other streams. Share its materials and, where available, recordings with all participants, and arrange a follow-up funding clinic for those attending other streams.
• Each student leaves with a draft or revised research product and an action plan identifying the next task, a supervisor or mentor to consult, and a target date. Dates, venue and facilitators are to be confirmed.

DAY 1: 12^th November 2026

DAY 1: RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT, ANALYSIS AND COMPLETION

08:00–17:00 | Three parallel streams | All durations shown in minutes

DAY 2: 13^th November 2026

DAY 2: FUNDING, DATA COLLECTION AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION

08:30–17:00 | Three parallel streams | All durations shown in minutes

[1] Oladimeji, O., Londani, M., Moyo, S., et al. (2026). Mentorship-infused initiatives for postgraduate research supervision in African higher institutions of learning: A systematic review and meta-synthesis protocol. BMJ Open, 16(1), e107670. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-107670

[2] Japheth, N., Namubiru Ssentamu, P., Kyalo Wambua, B., & Jepkoech Kurgat, S. (2023). Strategies used for effective research supervision in the completion of postgraduate studies in selected universities of Uganda. Journal of the National Council for Higher Education, 10(2).

[3] Japheth, N., Namubiru Ssentamu, P., Kyalo Wambua, B., & Jepkoech Kurgat, S. (2023). Strategies used for effective research supervision in the completion of postgraduate studies in selected universities of Uganda. Journal of the National Council for Higher Education, 10(2).

[4] Japheth, N., Namubiru Ssentamu, P., Kyalo Wambua, B., & Jepkoech Kurgat, S. (2023). Strategies used for effective research supervision in the completion of postgraduate studies in selected universities of Uganda. Journal of the National Council for Higher Education, 10(2).

[5] Mireku, D. O., Bervell, B., Nyame, G., et al. (2026). Postgraduate thesis and dissertation supervision in higher education in the Sub-Saharan Africa region: A systematic review of a decade (2014–2024) literature. Discover Education, 5, 433. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-026-01383-3

[6] Oladimeji, O., Londani, M., Moyo, S., et al. (2026). Mentorship-infused initiatives for postgraduate research supervision in African higher institutions of learning: A systematic review and meta-synthesis protocol. BMJ Open, 16(1), e107670. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-107670