Eduan, W; (2017) Tracking Study Abroad Outcomes: A Longitudinal Curriculum Vitae Analysis of Global Engagements in Research in Higher Education. Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Nations seeking to build world class universities need globally competent academic faculty, particularly in relation to research. The study acknowledges global inequalities in higher education among countries, and recognizes that one important way for disadvantaged countries to build capacity is to send faculty abroad for doctoral study. This research project investigated the links between the study abroad experience, and levels and forms of global engagement in research following students return to the country of origin and proposes a longitudinal curriculum vitae analysis method for the similar purposes. The investigation was conducted in relation to faculty from Uganda. The following research questions were addressed. (1) Do foreign PhD holders become more globally engaged in research following return to country of origin? (2) Do foreign PhD holders become more globally engaged in specific research dimensions following return to country of origin? (3) To what extent are study abroad factors associated with changes in global engagement in research dimensions for higher education faculty? (4) To what degree do associated outcomes of a foreign doctorate (if any) endure in global research engagements across generations of study abroad? The method of empirical inquiry was a Longitudinal Curriculum Vitae Analysis (LCVA) using faculty Curriculum Vitae (CV) data. The CVs of doctoral graduate faculty working in higher education in Uganda were drawn from the archives of the Uganda National Council for Higher Education. The LCVA method covered the six-year period between 2009 and 2014. Using the Generalized Estimating Equation method, rates of global engagements in research for foreign and domestic doctorates were compared and associated factors were assessed. The research found that study abroad graduates were more globally engaged than domestic graduates but with variations by gender, academic discipline, rank and education. Outcomes were partly attributed to study duration, study destination, and the intensity of the experience but also demographics. Foreign doctoral graduates stood out more in accessing international funding than in other research activity dimensions. Positive results from study abroad were more visible among early career cohorts than older cohorts, suggesting that study abroad outcomes had limited durability. The results suggest mechanisms for improving study abroad outcomes.

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