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Sifelani Tsiko Agric, Environment & Innovations Editor

Zimbabwe is this week hosting a three-day workshop to strengthen grant writing and publishing of high impact papers by African researchers.

Juliet Thondlana, an associate professor at the University of Nottingham told The Herald that the workshop sought to provide African scientists with tools to increase their competitiveness, shape their skills and improve scientific outcomes and networking ability.

“This workshop attempts to raise the visibility of African scholarly works on the global stage,” she said.

“There is very poor sharing of African scholarly works in international journals. Africa is probably the least published and here at this workshop we have brought together key publishers and top-level speakers to help develop confidence in our own research work.

“Much of our African knowledge is still researched by outsiders and we need to change this through critical thinking and the publishing of our own research through books and high impact journals.”

The University of Nottingham and the Zimbabwe Council of Higher Education (Zimche), in partnership with the University of Zimbabwe, with funding support from the British Academy organised the workshop.

The workshop was being held under the theme: “Writing for Sustainable Development: Towards strengthening African grant and research writing for publication.”

Thondlana said the workshop will strengthen the grant writing and impact publication capacities of 50 career researchers based at universities in six selected Sub-Saharan Africa countries that included: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Most African universities are still struggling to produce high impact research papers, conduct data analysis, dissemination and implement recommendations from academics.

Professor Stella Nkomo, a South African academic, attributed this to resource constraints and lack of infrastructure.

Good quality research is essential for proper planning, budgeting and implementation of development activities, particularly those in essential services sectors such as public health, education, social services and agriculture.

Co-workshop organiser Dr Evelyn Garwe of Zimche said the workshop was being hosted jointly with UK institutions as a way of supporting Government efforts to re-engage with the West. “Re-engagement is at the heart of the re-branding of Zimbabwe and the rebuilding of local, regional and international partnerships,” she said.

“Government has set the pace and we are supporting re-engagement efforts through building closer collaboration with UK-based universities.  ‘‘This workshop in many ways supports sustainable development through research, education and science diplomacy.”

Zimbabwe has had more than 17 years of international isolation which has brought untold hardships on the country.

Ever since President Mnangagwa assumed office, he has spearheaded efforts to normalise relations with Britain, US and other western countries.