Research Model Canvas: A Strategic Response to Graduate Dropout in South Africa
Ishmael Obaeko Iwara 
Issue: Vol.4 No.14 Special Issue Article 8 pp.89-108
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20234149 | Published online 22nd December, 2023
© 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
South African universities, much like their counterparts globally, are confronted with the pressing need to diminish postgraduate student dropout figures, foster graduateness, and bolster cutting-edge research which would result in substantial socioeconomic advantages. This participatory qualitative action research delved deep into the multifaceted challenges confronting graduate students in their research pursuits, exploring their profound repercussions and advocating for the adoption of an entrepreneurial-oriented research model. Grounded in the lived experiences of postdoctoral fellows, this study presented the Graduate Research Model Canvas as a strategic response. This model canvas, meticulously designed, will serve as a potent mechanism empowering graduate students to adeptly chart their research trajectories, offering a robust solution to the intricate challenges posed by graduate research endeavours. Its implementation will potentially optimize graduate student throughput, enhance postgraduate effectiveness, and scale up research output towards a sustainable entrepreneurial university direction that South Africa is striving to attain.
Keywords: Postgraduate Enterprise, Research Efficacy, Entrepreneurial University, Model Canvas.
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Ishmael Iwara is a University of Venda-based researcher with an NRF South Africa Y-rating. He centres his emerging scholarship on entrepreneurship, economic development and sustainability. His academic journey includes post-doctoral fellowships from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Carleton University, Canada. Rooted in rural development, he holds a PhD and master’s from the University of Venda, specializing in entrepreneurship and economics. His other qualifications include B.A. Honours in African Studies and B.Sc. Honours in Economics. Dr. Iwara’s evolving research trajectory focuses on Afrocentric models for entrepreneurial development, business efficacy, finance, transformation in higher education and community livelihoods, showcasing his impactful scholarship in academia and sustainable economic growth.
Iwara, Ishmael Obaeko. “Research Model Canvas: A Strategic Response to Graduate Dropout in South Africa.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 4, no.14 Special Issue (2023): 89-108. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20234149
© 2023 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
