1. Start-up Meeting at Sida December 15, 2015 Katri Pohjolainen Yap

2. 1. Sida and Uganda on: -The research context -The HE system -The scientific environment 2. Sida-Mak program background -Funding and Results 3. New Agreement 2015-2020 -Content -What is different? 4. Challenges and Reflections

3.  HE and knowledge prod – profound changes  Massive expansion – independent critical thinkers  Complex reality – access, funding, research  Key starting point: no ’one size fits all’

4.  Required: homegrown solutions:  Own experts  Own problem formulations  Own knowledge production  An intellectual autonomy

5.  Direct knowledge transfer – mostly not successful  Sida: funds research capacity strengthening and research based knowledge in low-income countries  Sida: research and teaching – fortified link

6.  Sida: systems approach to HE and research  Systems success: depends on articulation within broader social, econ and cultural framework of the country  Uga goal: differentiated HE system  Uga today: HE sector fragmented

7.  Uga today: HE/research critically underfunded  All public/private HEIs get less than cost of graduate  Access highly inequitable – determined by income  90% student population public univ - privately sponsored  Inadequate funding – limited research

8.  Content: almost all universities – same programs  Selection based resources/demand – not national policy  Uga gvm: no budget line for research  UNCHE: HEI allocate less than 1% to research  Research mainly externally funded  40 univ – Mak only stable research record

9.  Lacking: policy coordination HE – econ planning  Needed: link overall plan to national needs/prios  Needed: donor coordination

10.  Role of Sida: contribute to strengthening an integrated system  A HE system with: Clear national policy frameworks Transparent decision-making Systematic evaluation Adequate infrastructure Grants procedures Interconnectedness with other sectors  Critical: autonomous HE system is key to democratic development

11.  Critically important: trained scholars have an environment to operate in:  Equipped labs and libraries  Time for research  Outlets for dissemination

12.  Policy work: inform, critically appraise, and formulate policy alternatives  Innovations protected: intellectual property rights  Sida: institutional support, graduate training and research – organically linked – in one single effort

13.  Collaboration since year 2000  Disbursed 525 million SEK  325 Uga academics trained (210 PhDs; 95 MAs; 20 Post-Docs)  Sida remains largest funder research capacity

14.  Mak reform process  ICT – access/GradTrack  Curriculum development – CCC  Science results - Organic waste - Toward malaria vaccine - Road saftey - Conflict resolution & HIV/AIDS

15.  337 Uga univ staff to be trained  125 PhDs 147 MA/MSs 65 Post- Docs  17 projects  Mak Busitema Kyambogo Gulu Mbarara

16.  11 Swedish partner universities: Göteborg Uppsala SLU Linköping KTH Mälardalen Borås Lund KI Chalmers Stockholm

17. Examples of research:  Governance  Social protection  Gender, sexuality, religion, and ethics  Livlihood and service delivery  Climate change  Mathematics  Infectious deseases  Food security  Maternal,new born and child mortality  Communication technologies  Health systems and health care delivery

18.  275 million SEK – 60mSEK more  337 to be trained (5y)– 325 previously trained (15y)  105 local PhDs – 20 sandwich PhDs  7 multi-disciplinary themes  15 multi-disciplinary training teams

19.  Sandwich post-docs  Role of Swedish partners  Standard Operating Procedures (SoP)  UU/ISP coordination  Synergies with development coop: Gender equality Peace and Statebuilding Environment and Climate

20.  Delayed start – student recruitment  Multi-disciplinary work  Working in research teams  Swedish partners in new roles

21.  Comprehensively involving Uga public partner universities  Mak exit strategy defined 2017  Long term sustainability of results  Building cooperation beyond aid – scientific exchange on an equal footing

22.  A society that does not produce its own intellectuals cannot be independent  How: there is no single answer Thank you