As part of the new programme initiatives that are being launched by the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), proposals are hereby invited for the setting up of Comparative Research Networks (CRNs) to undertake comparative studies on any of the following themes:
Health, Politics and Society in Contemporary Africa;
Higher Education in Africa: Crises, Reform and Transformation;
Reforming the African Public Sector: Retrospect and Prospect;
The Changing Political Economy of Land in Africa;
Africa and the Challenges of Globalisation;
The Popular Arts, Identity and Culture in Contemporary Africa;
Rethinking (African) Development;
Migration Dynamics and Changing Rural-Urban Linkages;
New Regionalist Impulses in Africa;
Conflict and Reconstruction in Africa;
Colonialism, Customary Law, and Post-Colonial State and Society in Africa;
State, Political Identity and Political Violence;
Political Pluralism and the Management of Diversity.
The CRNs are being introduced to primarily encourage the development and consolidation of a comparative analytic perspective in the work of African social researchers. In so doing, CODESRIA hopes to establish a strong corpus of comparative studies produced by African scholars, which could enhance theoretical knowledge and further discussions. In developing proposals, therefore, interested researchers are requested to clearly highlight the:
Comparative theme they wish to develop, and its significance
Methodology they would employ; and
Output expected from the study.
Furthermore, each proposal should clearly indicate membership of the network, and include co-ordinator(s) of the group; the biodata and institutional affiliation of the network members; a copy of the curriculum vitae of the co-ordinator(s) of the network; the budget outline for the proposed acti-vity and the time frame for the launching and finalisation of research activities of the network, it being understood that each network will be accorded a life span of 18 months, starting from its launching date. Each CRN will organise two meetings: one methodological, and the other, to evaluate the group members’ work progress. For the 2002– 2003 period, the Council will be receiving propo- sals up to 30 September 2002. The results of the selection exercise will be notified by 31 October, 2002.
Proposals for the setting up of CRNs should be sent to:
Abdou Ndao, Programme Assistant,
Department of Research and Documentation,CODESRIA,
P.O. Box 3304, Dakar, Senegal.
Tel: +221-825.65.97 -
Fax: +221-824.12.89
E-mail: abdou.ndao@codesria.sn