The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) held a strategic online meeting on 30 January, to explore collaboration on a proposed open-access academic book that tackles South Africa’s persistent reading comprehension challenges in multilingual primary school classrooms. Open access refers to the free, immediate, online availability of research outputs.
The meeting brought together senior academics, research leaders, and publishing specialists from both institutions, underscoring a shared commitment to research impact, equitable access to knowledge, and education transformation.
Addressing a national education challenge
The proposed book, edited by Dr Tilla Olifant (TUT) in collaboration with Prof Madoda Cekiso (TUT) and Prof. Janet Condy (Cape Peninsula University of Technology), focuses on the critical transition learners must make from basic decoding of text to deeper meaning-making. This transition remains a major barrier for many South African primary school learners, particularly in multilingual classroom contexts, and is closely linked to broader structural challenges of poverty, unemployment, and inequality. Persistent reading comprehension difficulties limit learners’ educational progression, reduces long-term employability, and perpetuates intergenerational disadvantage—areas that align directly with the HSRC’s research priorities on inclusive development and social equity. Titled South Africa’s Reading Comprehension Crisis in Multilingual Primary School Classrooms: Moving from Decoding to Meaning-Making and Beyond, the volume brings together research on literacy development, language diversity, teaching practices, assessment, policy, and intervention strategies. It is intended to serve teachers, teacher educators, researchers, policymakers, and curriculum developers.
Commitment to accessibility through open-access
A key focus of the meeting was the importance of open-access publishing to ensure that the book reaches those most affected by literacy challenges, especially teachers, schools, and communities who may not have the financial means to purchase academic texts. TUT representatives highlighted the university’s strategic shift toward open access as a means of increasing research visibility, social impact, and inclusiveness. This approach aligns closely with the HSRC’s Open Access policy and publishing practices, which promote the free dissemination of publicly funded research to advance social development, reduce inequality, and maximise research impact beyond academia. Making research freely available, participants argued, supports national education priorities and enables evidence-based knowledge to reach policymakers and practitioners directly.
Publishing and funding challenges
Despite strong academic support for the project, the editors face a significant financial hurdle. The estimated cost of publishing the 18-chapter volume reflects broader increases in academic publishing costs in South Africa and internationally, particularly for high-quality open-access books that require rigorous peer review, editorial development, and digital dissemination. These rising costs pose a challenge to ensuring open access without transferring publication fees to contributing authors, many of whom work in resource-constrained institutions.
In response, the HSRC was invited to advise on alternative publishing routes, collaborative models, and potential funding mechanisms. Ms Roshan Cader, Director: HSRC Press, outlined the publishing process, which includes a formal book proposal, peer review, and editorial assessment, and confirmed openness to exploring open-access options. HSRC Press is the scholarly publishing arm of the Human Sciences Research Council, established to amplify research from South Africa, Africa, and the Global South through rigorous peer review and broad dissemination in both print and digital formats, including open-access platforms that remove financial barriers to access. HSRC delegates also suggested identifying multiple funding sources, including libraries, donors, and institutional partnerships, to support publication costs while preserving accessibility. Authors interested in publishing with HSRC Press are encouraged to consult the current Call for manuscripts, which invites submissions of original scholarly monographs and edited volumes aligned with HSRC strategic priorities.
Partnership development facilitated by Ms Samantha Linn Coert, Stakeholder & Partnerships Officer, Strategic Partnerships and Internationalisation Unit (HSRC).
Building on an existing partnership
The collaboration between the HSRC and Tshwane University of Technology stands as a strong example of a purposeful and impact-driven institutional partnership. Rooted in a shared commitment to critical, African-centred scholarship, the partnership has created platforms that elevate emerging researchers and strengthen locally grounded knowledge production. HSRC training programmes delivered at TUT have played an important role in leadership development and in building public sector and institutional capacity, while joint seminars reflect a shared research agenda that positions science, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation (STEMI) as a catalyst for African development and structural transformation. HSRC research on higher education quality has further supported evidence-based improvement and opened avenues for deeper collaboration. A notable milestone in the partnership is the successful placement of approximately 100 DSTI-HSRC interns at TUT, including around 30 interns since the programme transitioned from the NRF to the HSRC in 2021, contributing meaningfully to graduate employability, research capacity, and skills development.
Written by Ms Samantha Linn Coert, Strategic Partnerships and Internationalisation (HSRC)
