Abstract
Ph.D.
This conceptual research study juxtaposes the notions of afrophobia and internationalisation of
public higher education in South Africa. In accounting for the significance of
internationalisation of public higher education, this study explores and proffers the ideals of
rainbow cosmopolitanism towards the elimination or combating of afrophobic attitudes and
practices within South African public higher education. While internationalisation of public
higher education is multifaceted and multidimensional, the focus of this study is on the
recruitment and retention of international students as a facet of internationalisation. In this
regard, South African public higher education universities attract and recruit many
international students from other African nation states. Yet, there have been violent instances
of anti-foreign practices and attitudes within the broader society of South Africa.
Chapter one gives an orientation to the study by describing and analysing the phenomenon of
afrophobia in South African higher education. The main objective of this chapter is to
conceptually introduce the concept of afrophobia and its underlying assumptions. Also, chapter
one as an orientation to the study presents the interlocking (intertwining) concepts in which
afrophobia arises. So, theoretical issues that underpin the study such as international migration,
international student mobility, internationalisation, nation state, citizenship, xenophobia and
afrophobia are introduced as they are discussed in details in the later chapters of the study. In
addition to the theoretical issues, the chapter presents the problem statement, justification,
research questions and a brief description of the methodology of the study.
By conceptually examining the two pronged phenomenon of afrophobia and the ideals of
internationalisation of public higher education in South Africa, this study employs the critical
race theory as a methodology. The pervasiveness of race in society and the existence of unequal
social power relations are some of the basic tenets of critical race theory. Moreover, there is
also a concern about the changeability of social structures that leads to social transformation.
Besides the methodological discussion, chapter two delineates afrophobia, a derivative from
xenophobia, as a social issue in which, race conceptualisation is the factor that distinguishes
the ‘tolerable’ from the ‘intolerable’ international (foreign) student.
In accounting the broad scope of this study falls under international migration, chapters three
and four explores the phenomenon of international migration in which the student migration
falls. To the extent of recruitment and retention of international students, international
migration is an indispensable component of internationalisation of public higher education...