Universities South Africa (USAf), in partnership with the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), recently convened national higher-education leaders to address and strengthen the pipeline for Early Career Researchers and Scholars (AECRS).
The two-day AECRS event, held near O.R. Tambo International Airport from November 27-28, 2025, gathered university executives, academics, policymakers, and early-career researchers. The goal was to confront the persistent capacity shortages that restrain South Africa’s research ecosystem.
Key Objectives and Systemic Challenges
USAf’s sustained programme aims to enhance research throughput, improve supervision quality, and boost institutional collaboration. Professor Stephanie Burton, Programme Leader, underscored the importance of recognizing the long-term impact of investing in the early-career phase.
USAf CEO Dr. Phethiwe Matutu highlighted the systemic challenges AECRS was designed to tackle:
- Research capacity shortages.
- Uneven institutional readiness.
- Limited cross-institutional support.
Dr. Matutu stressed that the sustainability of the academic system relies on “coordinated national action.”
The Call for National Coordination
A consistent message emerged from the workshop: strengthening the academic pipeline cannot be left to individual institutions. Delegates emphasized the need for stronger national coordination and standardized mechanisms to support emerging scholars.
Key issues raised included:
- The essential role of universities in providing structured supervision, support, and collaborative mentorship.
- Practical barriers such as funding shortages and uneven access to training.
- The necessity of national networks to reduce the isolation felt by young researchers.
AECRS as a Model for Collaboration
The AECRS programme, funded by the DSTI, was presented as a functional model for the required national structures. It has established key initiatives:
- Community of Practice for Postgraduate Education and Scholarship (CoP PGES).
- Thuso Resources: A national platform offering a repository of training resources and academic tools.
- Thuso Connect: A match-making platform designed to connect early-career researchers to mentors.
These platforms are specifically designed to support smaller institutions and researchers across diverse contexts, and participants called for their expansion in the coming years.
Forward Commitment
The event successfully built a national consensus on shared priorities and practical solutions. The final phase of AECRS in 2026 will focus on expanding accessibility, increasing institutional collaboration, and encouraging the retention of emerging scholars within the university system.
The workshop concluded with a commitment to continued cooperation between the DSTI, USAf, and participating universities.
