BEYOND BORDERS: TWO JOURNEYS – LESSONS LEARNED FROM RESEARCH SHORT STAYS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OLDENBURG, GERMANY

Abstract

International research mobility has become an increasingly important component of doctoral education because it enables researchers to acquire new methodological competencies, establish international scholarly networks, and participate in diverse research cultures. Although numerous studies have examined the outcomes of academic mobility, relatively little attention has been devoted to reflective accounts from African doctoral researchers describing how international research stays shape their academic identities and professional practices. This paper critically reflects on the lessons learned during two research short stays at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Germany, undertaken by two doctoral researchers pursuing PhD studies through the East and South African-German Centre of Excellence for Educational Research Methodologies and Management (CERM-ESA). Mgejwa and Ranji were classmates in the same PhD programme in Educational Research and Evaluation at Moi University, Kenya, and this shared doctoral pathway led both of them, a year apart, to the same host institution in Germany. Mgejwa, a Tanzanian doctoral candidate and lecturer, undertook a three-month stay between February 1 and April 30, 2025, while Ranji, a Kenyan doctoral candidate and researcher, undertook a five-month stay between April and August 2024, immediately after completing his data collection. Guided by a reflective collaborative autoethnographic approach, the paper weaves together two personal experiences within contemporary scholarship on doctoral education, researcher development, academic mobility, and higher education internationalization. The reflection demonstrates that the research stays significantly enhanced methodological competence, critical academic writing, scholarly independence, intercultural competence, research integrity, digital research literacy, and international collaboration. The paper further argues that international research mobility should not be understood merely as temporary geographical movement but as an important mechanism through which doctoral researchers reconstruct their academic identities and strengthen their contributions to institutional and societal development. The paper concludes by recommending greater investment in structured research mobility programmes for doctoral candidates within African higher education institutions.