Research Model Canvas: A Strategic Response to Graduate Dropout in South Africa

Abstract

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.