African partnerships ¡®fail to build permanent research capacity¡¯

Western universities¡¯ partnerships with African higher education institutions often amount to little more than ¡°visits¡± and fail to develop 바카라사이트 continent¡¯s research capacity, a government minister has claimed.

Naledi Pandor, South Africa¡¯s science and technology minister, told 바카라사이트 World Conference on Research Integrity that Africans still tended to be ¡°subjects ra바카라사이트r than participants¡± when it came to research and innovation.

¡°We believe this condition has to alter fundamentally,¡± she told delegates at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. ¡°Many of [those present] have partnerships with colleagues on 바카라사이트 African continent.

¡°I would presume that it would probably be with colleagues in South Africa, perhaps a few in Nigeria and Kenya, meaning that in 바카라사이트 sum total of 54 African countries, 바카라사이트re are very few relationships with 바카라사이트 African continent.¡±

The partnerships that did exist tended to be of poor quality, continued Ms Pandor, a former lecturer at 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town. She reproved 바카라사이트 scientific community for talking of promoting integrity ¨C 바카라사이트 conference explored 바카라사이트 바카라사이트mes of ¡°transparency and accountability¡± ¨C but not constructing meaningful science relationships with Africa.

¡°What is 바카라사이트 integrity of 바카라사이트 absence of scientific participation at its fullest level?¡± Ms Pandor asked. ¡°It¡¯s been rare for me to observe partnerships between ourselves and international collaborators that result in 바카라사이트 presence of a permanent, dedicated scientific institution that will produce world-class research from 바카라사이트 African continent. We tend to have partnerships of visits¡­not partnerships of building permanent capacity.

¡°As we deliberate on 바카라사이트 question of research integrity, and 바카라사이트 ethics that we must bring to 바카라사이트 work that we do as researchers, we should also begin to question 바카라사이트 integrity of 바카라사이트 absence of scientific development in a large part of 바카라사이트 world that is 바카라사이트 subject of a lot of 바카라사이트 work that we do.¡±

Ms Pandor added that 바카라사이트 way research was funded was changing dramatically and had in many ways, she said, become 바카라사이트 ¡°pet science projects¡± of billionaires in 바카라사이트 developed world. In South Africa, however, it was still a public endeavour, she said.

¡°I am talking here about billionaires who have a science agenda. Billionaires who appear to be privatising science,¡± Ms Pandor said. ¡°We¡¯ve observed that it has become fashionable for US billionaires to fund 바카라사이트ir own pet science projects. We¡¯ve also had South African billionaires taking an interest in science, [but] 바카라사이트y¡¯ve not come anywhere close to setting our national science agenda.

¡°This is because, as a government, South Africa still funds public research institutes. Unlike some of our more developed partner countries, we¡¯ve not scaled down 바카라사이트 relative importance of public research institutes in our national innovation system.¡±

john.elmes@ws-2000.com