British Academy: The UK's National Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences
1. Introduction
The humanities and social sciences are critical – and are in a critical condition
1.1. Research in the humanities and social sciences across Africa is in urgent need of support. [1] Undoubtedly, the continent’s research community – like the universities to which its members belong – faces many challenges.The long decline of funding, insufficient investment in basic infrastructure, and falling incomes, coupled with huge increases in undergraduate enrolments, which have overstretched academics and seen research dry up as a result, have been well and widely documented. But there is also great potential for new and exciting research, and there are researchers strongly committed to taking this forward. For its part, the UK has a vibrant Africanist community, with a long history of academic collaboration.This report therefore does not ignore the many challenges facing African research, but argues that there is a pressing need and that there are clear opportunities to develop new partnerships to revitalise research, and to support existing partnerships as they develop in new directions. A collaborative approach is, we believe, vital.
1.2. The humanities and social sciences are critical and much needed fields of scholarship; their value must be emphasised and their profile raised. The perspectives and knowledge which they offer on history, culture, social interaction, political systems, economics and much more are vital to development and well being; and there are many examples of such quality of work within existing scholarship. It is only by engaging with history and its expression through literature and performance that communities and nations are able to understand and reflect on their origins, to understand their pasts and define their place in the world. Securing space for these conversations will be essential if Africa is to confidently articulate its own identify, define its own approaches and to build on the foundations of its own scholarship. Similarly, subjects like anthropology, sociology, psychology and African languages enable scholars to learn from and interrogate the breadth of social and cultural forms which underpin daily life. Such understanding will be vital if scientific and technical knowledge is to be effectively adapted and applied to tackling problems in public health or the environment, for example. Beyond individual subjects, the humanities and social sciences are important for the analytical and critical abilities which they help to cultivate in their students, and the debates which they foster on the major issues facing the world today. [2]
1.3. Persuading hard-pressed governments of this will not be an easy task. While humanities and social sciences research should not be forced into limited agendas defined by ‘relevance’, scholars will nevertheless need to make the value of their work clear, particularly its contribution to policy making, and the returns that governments can expect from their investment. [3] Pressure on capacity building in basic science to meet medical, environmental and technical needs and on sustaining graduate employability, has understandably seen science and technology rise up national research agendas. Many undergraduates in African universities have been drawn to business or finance-related courses, perceiving these to offer better potential routes to employment.The next generation of humanities and social science research will not be secured unless its profile is raised and students are convinced of the value of these disciplines to their own futures and that of their countries and societies. There is a need for academics who offer a vibrant and stimulating departmental environment, with a passion for their subject, and capacity to demonstrate how their own work is engaging with critical issues.
A serious and extended discussion
1.4. This report represents the culmination of a substantial two year project, commissioned by the British Academy from the Association of Commonwealth Universities, which began in early 2007. The aim was to consult African and UK humanities and social science researchers in order to develop a better understanding of what needed to be done to strengthen the research base in African universities. A particular concern was how partnerships with the UK might be harnessed in support of this. It is not the first report in recent years to tackle the issue of research strengthening in Africa, although there have been few prior investigations specific to these two fields. However, it does represent a serious attempt to develop a practical programme of revitalisation, driven by the concerns and experiences of African academics and university leaders.
1.5. The discussion in this report and the recommendations it offers are based on a series of serious and extended conversations with African scholars, and are taken as directly as possible from a series of face to face and electronic consultations.The first phase of the project involved a desk-based survey of African researchers, from which an initial report was produced (Frameworks for Africa-UK Research Collaboration in the Social Sciences and Humanities: African University Perspectives). [4] It enabled a number of key people and constituencies to be identified, and it formed the basis of a follow-up conference, held in Nairobi in September 2008, to further and deepen the consultation, with the aim of developing a series of practical and policy-relevant interventions. Submissions were gathered from participants in advance of the conference to frame the debate, and the results – of two email consultations and a three day working conference – are presented here. [5]
1.6. This report is presented to African and UK researchers, to African university vice-chancellors, and to their counterparts in the UK, to African research and university associations, and to UK, African and international research funding communities. It does not seek to be prescriptive, or to offer complete solutions. It recognises that the challenges, and the obstacles to tackling them, are complex, but it nevertheless attempts to propose a series of practical and workable solutions. The duty to take these forward, where appropriate, rests with a diverse group of people and organisations. Where possible, we indicate who we feel that these should be. The complex and interlinked nature of the problems means that ultimately research will only be strengthened by all parties working in partnership – donors, academics and institutions. What each is able to achieve will depend to an extent on work done and support provided by another constituency; without this, the efforts of a single constituency are likely to founder.
A complex set of issues requires joined-up thinking
1.7. In general terms, levels of research, including postgraduate supervision, are relatively low in many African countries, and the familiar constraints of resources, finances and time have suffocated research cultures in many institutions. These few generalisations aside, it is vital to recognise that there is no single and homogenous African research landscape. Commitment to research and higher education (HE) at national level varies, as do institutional financing and governance structures, all of which have a strong bearing on research. Several relatively well-supported institutions (in many cases with external donor funding) exist alongside many others which are constrained by limited budgets and poor infrastructure. Equally, a single institution with struggling departments may boast one or two research centres which attract greater external funding, undertake significant levels of research and are relatively prosperous. Onesize-fits-all analyses and solutions are not possible; different institutions will need to set their own targets, according to local needs and what is likely to be achievable. It may make sense for some to concentrate on training to master’s level, others to PhD.What is presented here is therefore a series of components which might be assembled and adjusted according to local contexts, and which range from modest initiatives (a programme of faculty seminars or workshops for example) to substantial programmes (funded by major donor investments). ‘Africa’ is used here for convenience, but a country by country approach is undoubtedly required.
1.8. The report identifies a number of cross-cutting themes which emerged as clear threads throughout the various stages of consultation and discussion, and which underpin much of the research process. Considerable emphasis is placed on the crucial early stages of an academic research career: the future of African humanities and social science research – and research in general – lies in ensuring that new and emerging researchers are equipped with the skills and knowledge to develop bold agendas and to lead research and their institutions forward. Recognising the critical importance of supporting researchers during this phase in their careers is, we believe, the key to any programme of support and investment.
1.9. As the report’s title indicates, this project has concentrated particularly on the social sciences and humanities, and on the specific challenges of improving research in these fields. Nevertheless, many of the issues outlined here and the recommendations made are relevant to research across all disciplines, and should be of interest to anyone researching on or in Africa. As far as possible this report draws out a number of key themes and issues; however, none of these can be entirely isolated, and all are interdependent. Success will depend on the extent to which ways are found to make the connections between these, institutionally or inter-institutionally.
The challenges should not be underestimated – serious support will take time and action at many levels
1.10. There will be no quick fixes to strengthening the African research base. Several decades of declining funding have hollowed out many universities, and the challenges to rebuilding research capacity and reinvigorating research cultures are substantial.The problems will need to be addressed at a range of levels – from national policy environments, to university governance, to that of the individual research career. This will take time, and programmes of long-term investment, support and partnership are required. All too often HE’s objectives and policy, and hence support, change direction and research is left stranded. External interventions must therefore be sustainable; funding agencies will need to set clear policies and stick to them.
1.11. This project did not set out to develop a comprehensive blue-print for strengthening higher education and research in Africa – a task both beyond its scope and which others are better placed to tackle – but rather specifically to address research activities in a defined area (humanities and social sciences), and to see where the UK particularly, but other countries more generally, might have a role to play. Nevertheless it is clear that research problems cannot be divorced from the wider higher education environment; some of the problems will need to be addressed at national levels and on a larger scale. These are acknowledged here where appropriate, and will be areas for further lobbying and advocacy. University governance and national HE reforms will not be achieved overnight. Solutions will therefore be found only in an approach which pushes for the necessary policy change at higher levels, while in the meantime seeking to bridge some of the gaps through targeted initiatives which recognise the urgent need to retain and develop a cadre of able researchers, who will go on to train future generations. Many areas are within the scope of individuals – or groups of individuals – and organisations to change. A higher degree of selectivity is needed and the conflicting aims of different policy goals also need to be recognised. Not everything can be achieved at once, and improving research will clearly cut across the political imperative to further expand undergraduate education.
Being realistic about what donors can and cannot do
1.12. It is important to emphasise that these are by no means just donor issues, although donors will continue to be a source of external funding. Donor agencies and research funders are diverse, providing different types and scales of funding; whether large or small, each can make valuable contributions, and smaller funders are often well placed to deliver particularly innovative and responsive forms of support. Opportunities for greater communication and coordination between donors should, however, be welcomed, such as that offered by groups such as the UK Collaborative on Development Science (UKCDS)-convened Research Capacity Strengthening Group. [6]
1.13. Donors are and will continue to be an important source of funding for research, and it is therefore important that while challenging them where necessary over the types and modes of research funding they provide, the limitations to what they can do – and should be expected to do – are recognised. First, it is the responsibility of national governments to finance the basic infrastructure and staffing of their higher education and research sectors – donors can only provide support to discrete projects and programmes, not fix national systems. Second, where donors are in a position to support research, they can only do this where institutions have the structures and systems to present a good case for funding and to make use of the money they receive, which means that governance and management are critical. Third, while donors can coordinate their efforts to a degree, each has a different set of objectives and each a different constituency to which they are accountable: UK research councils and academies, for example, have an obligation and a mandate to support UK research, and are only free to support international research where it partly meets these aims; development agencies for their part tend to look for clear outcomes relating to their poverty-reduction goals, though some such as DFID, Sida/SAREC and the US foundations have tended to take a relatively broad interpretation of research capacity building. Donors need to ensure that their interests are clearly explained, but it will help universities and researchers if they are able to understand and appreciate the basis on which support may be available, and when it is unlikely to be offered.
Notes
1 For the purposes of this report, Africa is taken to be Sub-Saharan Africa. [return to text]
2 A 2000 UNESCO and World Bank report strongly advocates the importance of a general or liberal education, arguing that “a specific expertise in technology will almost inevitably become obsolete. The ability to learn, however, will continue to provide valuable insurance against the vagaries of a rapidly changing economic environment”: Taskforce on Higher Education and Society (2002), ‘Higher Education in Developing Countries: Peril and Promise’ http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EDUCATION/Resources/278200-1099079877269/547664-1099079956815/peril_promise_en.pdf [return to text]
3 A UK perspective on the contributions of humanities and social sciences research is offered by the British Academy’s 2008 report Punching Our Weight: The Humanities and Social Sciences in Public Policy Making [return to text]
4 www.britac.ac.uk/intl/area_panels_africa.cfm (or contact africa@britac.ac.uk) [return to text]
5 For a list of those who participated in the Nairobi conference, and who have endorsed this report, see Appendix 1 [return to text]
6 UK Collaborative on Development Sciences (UKCDS): www.ukcds.org.uk [return to text]
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