The specialist skills behind peer review, research governance and evaluation often
operate behind the scenes – yet they are central to maintaining credible research
systems as South Africa’s research landscape develops.
A quiet shift is underway in South Africa’s research landscape. At the centre of this shift are the specialist skills that sustain the country’s research system – from peer review and research governance to the careful evaluation of scholarly work. While public universities have historically dominated national research structures, the ecosystem is gradually shifting – bringing greater attention to the expertise required to steward research quality.
My recent appointment as Convener of a National Research Foundation (NRF) specialist panel has provided a close view of these processes – and of the specialist expertise required to maintain credible research standards. While the appointment itself is an honour, the more important story lies in what it reveals about the direction of research leadership in South Africa.
The systems behind research excellence
Research excellence is often measured through visible outcomes – publications, discoveries or innovation. Yet behind those outcomes lies a less visible infrastructure that supports the credibility of the entire system.
The NRF rating system plays an important role in South Africa’s research ecosystem by evaluating the standing and contribution of researchers through peer review involving national and international experts. These processes help recognise research excellence and maintain consistency in how scholarly contributions are assessed across disciplines.
Ultimately, the credibility of those discoveries depends on the fairness and rigour of the systems used to evaluate them. Convening a specialist panel within such a system involves far more than administrative oversight. It requires identifying appropriate reviewers, managing conflicts of interest, facilitating scholarly debate and guiding panels toward informed consensus.
Research evaluation systems rely on academic judgement, governance literacy and the ability to navigate diverse research communities while safeguarding research integrity. Much of this work involves bringing together different academic perspectives, weighing expert input and helping panels reach thoughtful decisions.
Why research governance matters more than ever
The importance of these capabilities is increasing as the research environment becomes more interconnected and collaborative.
Digital technologies and emerging tools are transforming how knowledge is produced and shared. At the same time, expectations around research impact are expanding. Researchers are increasingly expected to contribute to their disciplines while engaging with broader societal questions and collaborating across fields.
Evaluating research in this environment requires systems that are both robust and adaptable. It also requires leaders who understand the governance, ethics and judgement that underpin credible evaluation processes. Strong research systems rely on excellent scholarship and on the expertise required to steward the processes that recognise and evaluate it.
A shifting research landscape
South Africa’s higher education landscape is diversifying. Public universities remain central to the national research ecosystem, but more institutions are developing research capacity and contributing to national knowledge production.
Historically, private institutions have often participated in national research processes through partnerships with public universities. As the sector continues to develop, there is growing recognition that strengthening national research systems requires contributions from across the higher education landscape.
Responsible participation from both public and private institutions can expand research capacity, introduce diverse perspectives and strengthen the credibility of
evaluation processes. In this environment, the focus shifts from institutional boundaries to the expertise required to sustain credible research systems.
Preparing the next generation of research leaders
Research leadership itself is evolving. Publishing and disciplinary expertise remain essential, but leadership within research systems increasingly requires additional capabilities – including facilitating peer review processes, engaging across disciplines and ensuring research evaluation remains transparent and fair. These specialist skills are not always discussed when considering academic careers, yet they are central to sustaining a credible research ecosystem.
For early-career researchers, this landscape presents both challenges and opportunities. Tomorrow’s scholars will need to combine disciplinary depth with
broader capabilities – collaborating across fields, engaging with emerging technologies and understanding how research governance systems work.
Increasingly, research is also expected to demonstrate relevance beyond academia. Community-based and participatory research approaches recognise that knowledge
does not emerge in isolation but through engagement with the communities researchers seek to understand and support. When communities become partners in research rather than simply subjects of study, the resulting insights can more effectively address real-world challenges.
Preparing future scholars therefore requires cultivating critical thinking, ethical scholarship and the ability to engage with complex social questions. Higher education institutions across the sector have an important role in nurturing these capabilities by strengthening postgraduate research cultures and encouraging
interdisciplinary collaboration.
Institutions such as Eduvos are expanding research capacity while supporting scholars who understand both the intellectual and governance dimensions of research. Through postgraduate programmes and interdisciplinary collaboration, institutions across the sector – including Eduvos – contribute to strengthening the country’s broader research ecosystem. Strengthening South Africa’s knowledge economy requires paying as much attention to the systems that evaluate research as to the research itself.
As South Africa’s research landscape continues to strengthen, the specialist skills behind research governance and evaluation will remain essential to ensuring that research excellence is recognised fairly – and that the country’s research future remains both credible and inclusive.
