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Research Programme Mandate and Objectives |
CODESRIA’s institutional mandate is organised around the
facilitation of research in the social sciences, broadly
defined. Within the framework of this mandate, the objectives
that were defined for the Council when it was created centred on
the promotion, by the example of its own work and through
collaborative relations, of a holistic understanding of the
historical and contemporary experiences that have shaped human
life on the African continent both as a goal of research in its
own right and as a condition for social transformation. In doing
so, the specific research objectives that emerged over time and
which continue to underpin the Council’s Research Programme to
this day include:
i.
The promotion and facilitation of social research and knowledge
production in Africa using a multi-disciplinary approach that is
capable of generating comprehensive insights and helping to
combat the fragmentation of African scholars along various
disciplinary, linguistic and geographical lines;
ii.
The constant expansion of the frontiers of knowledge production
in and about Africa and the world by Africans, and the
encouragement of the application of research-based knowledge to
debates on public issues on the continent;
iii.
The promotion and defence of the principle and practice of the
academic freedom of researchers in the production and
dissemination of knowledge;
iv.
The encouragement of the development of African comparative
research perspectives on problems affecting the continent;
v.
An investment of attention in the production of
historically-grounded knowledge that is, moreover, sensitive to
the specificities of the contexts of and conditions for the
development processes taking place in Africa;
vi.
The promotion of the publication and dissemination of the
results of research undertaken by African scholars;
vii.
The strengthening of the institutional basis of knowledge
production in Africa by proactively engaging and supporting
other research institutions and their networks of scholars
within its programmes of activities. As part of this goal, the
Council also actively encourages cooperation and collaboration
among African universities, research organisations and training
institutions;
viii.
The encouragement of inter-generational and gender-sensitive
dialogues in the African academy as a further investment of
effort in the promotion of awareness of and capacity in the use
of different perspectives for knowledge production; and
ix.
The promotion of contacts and dialogue between African
researchers and researchers working on Africa elsewhere in the
world, as well as interaction between the Council and similar
international organisations.
For more information on the Research Programme Mandate and
Objectives please
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