In an era in which the identity and sustainability of higher education and the identity of staff are under threat, a renowned industrial psychologist from the North-West University (NWU), Prof Sebastiaan (Ian) Rothmann, together with co-authors Dr Lara Roll and Prof Hans de Witte, has not only raised their voices – they have amplified a global call to action. Through a landmark international publication, the NWU is helping to reshape the future of academia, one research breakthrough at a time.
The NWU has firmly established itself as a leader in confronting one of the most urgent and universal challenges of higher education: job insecurity.
The Optentia Research Unit recently hosted the international launch of the groundbreaking book, Global Perspectives on Job Insecurity in Higher Education: Precarity in the Ivory Tower. Already making waves around the world, the book is redefining how the academic community understands and responds to the growing crisis of precarity in the sector.
At the centre of this global academic milestone stands Prof Rothmann, one of South Africa’s most respected scholars in industrial psychology and a driving force behind the project. With decades of experience, a global network of collaborators and a legacy of supervising over 220 postgraduate students, Prof Rothmann’s leadership was instrumental in guiding this ambitious cross-continental study.
Drawing on data from 10 countries, the book represents the largest and most comprehensive cross-national investigation into academic job insecurity ever conducted. Its findings expose the hidden cost of casualisation, short-term contracts and institutional uncertainty for those who sustain the academic ecosystem – lecturers, researchers, PhD candidates, postdocs and administrative staff.
“This book is not just a scholarly resource – it is a wake-up call for institutions around the world,” said Prof Rothmann during the hybrid launch event, which brought together academic leaders, researchers and policymakers from multiple continents.
Co-authored with renowned international experts Dr Roll and Prof De Witte, the publication unflinchingly examines the psychological, structural and systemic consequences of job insecurity in academia. It captures the emotional and professional toll paid by those living with constant employment uncertainty, and the ripple effects this has on research output, teaching quality and institutional morale.
As higher education systems globally face mounting budget cuts, policy gaps and a shift towards short-term employment models, Global Perspectives on Job Insecurity in Higher Education is fast becoming a manifesto for change. It urges university leadership, human resource departments and government policymakers to re-evaluate how academic staff are supported, valued and retained.
Anjonet Jordaan, project manager at Optentia, praised the monumental effort behind the book.
“This work reflects commitment of the NWU to producing globally relevant, high-impact research that addresses real-world issues. We are incredibly proud of Prof Rothmann and the entire team for leading the charge on this critical international project.”
Through this work, the NWU has stepped onto the global stage not only as a thought leader but as a change-maker – positioning South African scholarship at the heart of an urgent international conversation. Watch the full book launch event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grniroTlb24.
