Social scientists gather in Lilongwe
Social scientists gather in LilongweBy Moses Kuwema
Wed 29 Aug. 2012, 10:10 CAT
EMINENT social scientists from eastern and southern Africa have gathered in Lilongwe, Malawi to address the link between public policy and social science research for development in the two regions
According to a statement by the First Secretary for Press at the Zambian Mission in Malawi, Chansa Kabwela, the scholars, drawn from over 15 countries including Zambia, are meeting under the auspices of the Organisation for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (Ossrea) which has its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Kabwela stated that the two-day meeting was also set to look at challenges in social science research and teaching under the current scenario where governments pay attention to natural sciences and the status of research and teaching in social sciences in eastern and southern Africa, among other issues.
During the meeting which opened on Monday, Ossrea executive director Professor Royson Mukwena said no society could properly develop itself without mobilising and effectively deploying indigenous knowledge and research capacities.
Professor Mukwena, Zambia's former envoy to the United Kingdom, said no society could go far with its efforts at development solely on the basis of wholesale importation of foreign ideas and ideologies.
"To go far in achieving sustainable development, a society must grow domestic capacities to identify, analyse and resolve development challenges. Thus, it is important for our region to build an effective nexus between research and policy," Mukwena said.
He said there was overwhelming evidence that research and knowledge played a critical role in the development process of any nation and historically, the transition of most advanced economies' development experience was underpinned by major investments in research and development.
"Scientific research in its totality, encompassing all sciences, including natural and social sciences, should occupy centre stage in Africa's efforts to overcome underdevelopment, create wealth and improve human livelihood," said Professor Mukwena.
OSSREA president Professor Habtamu Wondimu noted that Africa was aware of the need for high-level human resource and expansion in higher education.
Professor Wondimu said much as Africa was regarded as unstable, underdeveloped, poorly-governed and a continent which lacked respect for human rights, it had vast resources and huge potential to develop. The participants were drawn from Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Labels: RESEARCH
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