The SRA Symposium - College of Medicine

Research Management in Southern African Higher Learning Institutions
Prof Isaac N Mazonde, PhD
Office of Research & Development
University of Botswana
Corner Nyerere/Notwani Road
Gaborone, Botswana
mazondei@mopipi.ub.bw
Abstract:
Contemporary Southern Africa is characterized by one thing, a lack of innovation system at the
national level and a corresponding lack of research management in the national university. A consequence
of this is that the region is not as yet positioned to harness science & technology for its
economic development. This feature is at the bottom of the continuous lack of economic growth
in the region, despite the prevalence of natural resources such as minerals, and other natural
advantages like extensive coastlines. By contrast, the developed world has moved beyond science
& technology development to innovation. The result of this is that these countries are increasing
their national wealth through expanding their share of the global market for goods and services
which derive from science & technology based innovation. Using the innovation success achieved
in the western world, especially by universities, this paper attempts to point out where gaps exist in
some countries of Southern Africa, and how the sub-continent can arrange itself through research
management to meet development challenges of the time. The paper adopts a national perspective
in its argument in view of the fact that research management brings together the entire national
innovation system.
Introduction
Papers
Contemporary Southern Africa is characterized by one thing, a lack of innovation system at the
national level and a corresponding lack of research management in the national university. A consequence
of this is that the region is not as yet positioned to harness science & technology for its
economic development. This feature is at the bottom of the continuous lack of economic growth in
the region, despite the prevalence of natural resources such as minerals, and other natural advantages
like extensive coastlines. By contrast, the developed world has moved beyond science & technology
development to innovation. The result of this is that these countries are increasing their
national wealth through expanding their share of the global market for goods and services which
derive from science & technology based innovation. The developed countries have come a long
way with technology based development. They have satisfied the first pre-condition for technology
transfer, which is to establish a strong science system. Next, technology development and technology
transfer systems which are based on national economic needs and the global market are firmly
in place. For technology development to occur, at least two things must come together, social and
physical infrastructure or human resources and the machines. The developed world has all of that.
However, a major requirement is the presence of a political will that should manifest itself through
an overarching framework of a national research and an innovation strategy that largely works to
implement the national science and technology policy. Again this is essentially what is obtaining
in the developed world. The technology transfer system does have underlying dynamics which
need to be understood if expectations from investment must be realistic. These underlying dynamics
include the likely size of returns, time taken to generate a positive return, and the variability
of outcome. Through successful harnessing of these, the developed world continues to increase
its economic strength.
2005 Symposium Proceedings Book 161