Lecturers Urged to Prioritise Research Relevance Over Academic Gatekeeping

Kenyan universities, particularly business schools, grapple with a persistent challenge. Some lecturers appear more focused on asserting personal relevance than on advancing knowledge that serves industry and the broader economy. Scott Bellows, an academic with experience across Kenyan institutions, highlighted this issue following discussions with colleagues.

Instead of producing original research or delivering high-impact teaching, certain faculty members channel energy into gatekeeping roles. They serve on PhD committees or review boards where they can critique and delay others’ work. This behaviour, according to Bellows, creates unnecessary obstacles for students and junior researchers while contributing little new knowledge themselves.

The pattern manifests in several ways. Some reviewers demand wholesale changes to studies that have already received approval from multiple supervisors. Others attach their names to student papers without substantial contribution. When asked to demonstrate their own scholarly output, responses often involve deflection rather than concrete publications or books.

Such dynamics affect doctoral programmes. Student numbers in research tracks have declined in part because of how candidates are treated. Grown adults pursuing advanced degrees sometimes encounter systems that feel overly paternalistic. Lecturers who help design these systems can be among the loudest voices calling for improvements, even as they contribute to the problems.

Kenya’s higher education sector plays a critical role in supplying skilled professionals for key industries. Construction, infrastructure development, engineering, and project management all require graduates equipped with both technical knowledge and practical problem-solving abilities. Business schools in particular should generate research that addresses real challenges faced by contractors, developers, and government agencies implementing large projects.

Yet much academic output remains theoretical or repetitive. Bellows argues for a shift toward research of global standing that delivers practical insights for Kenyan and East African businesses. When major infrastructure projects encounter financing, procurement, or execution difficulties, universities should be natural partners for evidence-based solutions.

The Commission for University Education provides regulatory frameworks intended to maintain standards. These rules are sometimes invoked selectively during reviews, creating perceptions of arbitrariness. True academic freedom, proponents say, involves constructive criticism aimed at improvement rather than outright dismantling of work that has already undergone significant scrutiny.

Performance measurement offers one potential path forward. Objective metrics that assess publication records, industry engagement, and contribution to policy or practice could help identify and reward productive faculty. Resistance to such transparency sometimes comes from those most concerned about their own output.

Kenyan universities have made strides in expanding access and introducing new programmes. Sustained relevance, however, depends on faculty who build rather than obstruct. Business schools that produce actionable knowledge can strengthen linkages with the construction sector, where demand for skilled managers and innovative approaches continues to grow.

The conversation reflects broader questions about the purpose of higher education in a developing economy. Institutions must balance teaching, research, and community service while preparing graduates for a competitive job market. Lecturers who focus on genuine scholarship and mentorship contribute more meaningfully than those engaged primarily in internal power dynamics.