Research Capacity Building in Africa: Perceived Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Impacting on the Doctoral Training for Development Programme in Africa

Uduma, Ogenna; Glavey, Sarah; Doyle, Sarah; Hennessy, Martina; Barry, F. R.; Jones, Mike; MacLachlan, Malcolm

doi:10.1057/9781137361943_5

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The aspiration of these three international students in following 'Portuguese standards' and the emphasis on the idea that "all has to be similar" raises issues concerning the mainstreaming of Western knowledge and values (Nobes 2017;Santos 2003;Udoma et al 2014). Therefore, this should be taken into account in doctoral programs in order to avoid that education for research contributes (even though unintendedly) to the phenomena of neo-colonialism (see, for instance, Stein et al 2016;Lopes and Diogo 2019;Udoma et al 2014).…”

Section: (I) Knowledge Workermentioning

confidence: 99%

Unveiling ‘European’ and ‘International’ Researcher Identities: A Case Study with Doctoral Students in the Humanities and Social Sciences

Lopes

Lourenço

2019

Social Sciences

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The significance of ‘identity’ in doctoral studies is widely acknowledged. Nevertheless, despite much research on what is involved in the process of identification with/as a researcher, very little attention has been devoted to understanding the effects of the internationalization of higher education in promoting feelings of belonging to a researcher community that goes beyond the national space. This qualitative case study aims to understand whether and how doctoral students in the Humanities and Social Sciences develop a ‘European’ or ‘international’ researcher identity during their doctoral studies. To address this aim, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve home and international doctoral students from a Portuguese higher education institution. Results from thematic analysis suggest that although the dichotomy ‘European’/‘international’ was not always clear in participants’ minds, those students who undertook mobility experiences or took part in international research networks or supervisory teams were more likely to regard themselves as ‘international’ or ‘European’ researchers. The implications of these findings for doctoral programs in an era of internationalization are highlighted.

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Section: (I) Knowledge Workermentioning

confidence: 99%

Unveiling ‘European’ and ‘International’ Researcher Identities: A Case Study with Doctoral Students in the Humanities and Social Sciences

Lopes

Lourenço

2019

Social Sciences

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“…While this growing interest from donor institutions -and the resulting increase in programmes aimed at building health research capacity -is encouraging, the effectiveness of these varied approaches remains unclear (Uduma et al 2013). Our report will explore the impact of IAVI's approach to capacity building/strengthening through PDPs in three countries: Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya.…”

Section: Different Approaches To Research Capacity Buildingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative's capacity building activities in East Africa: Evaluating progress and impacts in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda

Cochrane¹,

Robin²,

Hanlin³

et al. 2015

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is a not-for-profit research institute whose mission is to help improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. Limited Print and Electronic Distribution RightsThis document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited. Permission is given to duplicate this document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.html. Support RAND Make a tax-deductible charitable contribution at www.rand.org/giving/contribute www.rand.org www.randeurope.org iii The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) is one of a number of PDPs created to bridge the gap between scientific and technological potential and the health needs of populations in LMICs. The remit of IAVI is to ensure the development of a safe, effective, accessible, preventive AIDS vaccine for use throughout the world. This work involves a wide range of stakeholders in industrially developing and developed countries. IAVI's capacity building activities aim to strengthen the ability of its partners to conduct clinical trials and also to enhance a variety of other areas ranging from scientific and technological capacity through to organisational, advocacy and broader development capabilities. In essence, IAVI's capacity building activities aim to build and strengthen health research systems that are conducive to HIV vaccine discovery and to increase preparedness for a vaccine's eventual licensure. IAVI's geographic remit related to capacity building includes both Eastern and Southern Africa as well as India. This evaluation of IAVI's capacity building activities is focused on East Africa and uses a multi-method approach, combining both desk-based research and fieldwork. The project aims to improve understanding of the type and scope of capacity building that IAVI has conducted and its impact at national and regional levels. IAVI's capacity building work in East Africa was funded by a diverse array of donors -a full list can be found on IAVI's website (www.iavi.org).RAND Europe is an independent not-for-profit policy research organisation that aims to improve policy and decision-making in the public interest, through research and analysis. RAND Europe's clients include European governments, institutions, non-governmental organisations and firms with a need for rigorous, independent, multidisciplinary analysis. This report has been peer-reviewed in accordance with RAND's quality assurance standards.

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Tracking the career development of scientists in low- and middle-income countries trained through TDR’s research capacity strengthening programmes: Learning from monitoring and impact evaluation

Halpaap¹,

Vahedi²,

Certain³

et al. 2017

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

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The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) co-sponsored by UNICEF, UNDP, World Bank and WHO has been supporting research capacity strengthening in low- and middle-income countries for over 40 years. In order to assess and continuously optimize its capacity strengthening approaches, an evaluation of the influence of TDR training grants on research career development was undertaken. The assessment was part of a larger evaluation conducted by the European Science Foundation. A comprehensive survey questionnaire was developed and sent to a group of 117 trainees supported by TDR who had completed their degree (masters or PhD) between 2000 and 2012; of these, seventy seven (77) responded. Most of the respondents (80%) rated TDR support as a very important factor that influenced their professional career achievements. The “brain drain” phenomenon towards high-income countries was particularly low amongst TDR grantees: the rate of return to their region of origin upon completion of their degree was 96%. A vast majority of respondents are still working in research (89%), with 81% of respondents having participated in multidisciplinary research activities; women engaged in multidisciplinary collaboration to a higher extent than men. However, only a minority of all have engaged in intersectoral collaboration, an aspect that would require further study. The post-degree career choices made by the respondents were strongly influenced by academic considerations. At the time of the survey, 92% of all respondents hold full-time positions, mainly in the public sector. Almost 25% of the respondents reported that they had influenced policy and practice changes. Some of the challenges and opportunities faced by trainees at various stages of their research career have been identified. Modalities to overcome these will require further investigation. The survey evidenced how TDR’s research capacity grant programmes made a difference on researchers’ career development and on south-south collaborations, by strengthening and localizing research capacity in lower income regions, and also showed there is more that needs to be done. The factors involved, challenges and lessons learnt may help donors and policy makers improve their future interventions with regard to designing capacity strengthening programmes and setting funding priorities.

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Research Capacity Building in Africa: Perceived Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Impacting on the Doctoral Training for Development Programme in Africa

Cited by 3 publications

References 1 publication

Unveiling ‘European’ and ‘International’ Researcher Identities: A Case Study with Doctoral Students in the Humanities and Social Sciences

Unveiling ‘European’ and ‘International’ Researcher Identities: A Case Study with Doctoral Students in the Humanities and Social Sciences

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative's capacity building activities in East Africa: Evaluating progress and impacts in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda

Tracking the career development of scientists in low- and middle-income countries trained through TDR’s research capacity strengthening programmes: Learning from monitoring and impact evaluation

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