The Changing Nature of Strategic Research Management at Selected South African Universities: 1997-2007

Abstract

Universities and other institutions of higher education are key players in the knowledge, information, and data-driven economy, particularly more so in the context of developing countries, where the footprint of industry and the private sector in science and technology investment is still marginal when compared to the highly industrialised economies. In the case of South Africa, the latest available data show universities continuing to be major contributors to the national scientific and research enterprise, where they account for the largest proportion of research and development (R&D) personnel, and the second largest R&D expenditure after the business sector (Department of Science and Innovation, 2022).