Research conference ideas to feed into NT2063 accelerators
The National Planning Commission (NPC) says information from the National Research Dissemination Conference (NRDC) to take place from Wednesday November 18 to Friday November 20, 2020 in Mangochi will input into strategies for operationalisation of the soon to be launched National Transformation 2063 new vision for Malawi.
The conference, which will be held under the theme ‘Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Towards a Productive and Resilient Nation’, has been jointly organised by the National Planning Commission (NPC) and the National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST).
It will be officially opened by the Vice President of the Republic of Malawi, Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima.
Speaking during a joint press briefing hosted by NPC and NCST ahead of the conference on Thursday, November 12 in Lilongwe, NPC Research Manager Dr. Andrew Jamali said the conference is in line with the new culture of evidence-based planning and implementation which is being promoted by NPC.
“We have to transform our attitudes towards research-based planning and implementation. Planning has to be informed by data, we cannot achieve development through guess work,” he added.
He said NPC is excited with the conference as it comes at the time when Malawi is about to launch the successor to Vision 2020, saying the conference will feed into various strategies, accelerators and other implementation tools for the successor to Vision 2020.
On their part, NCST Director of Documentation and Information Services Ms. Gift Kadzamira said one of aims of the conference is to promote usage of research in policy making and national development, saying there is currently less uptake of research outcomes in Malawi.
She cited donor influence and lack of access to some of the research findings among the factors.
“Sometimes when a research has been funded by donors, it serves their interests and not those of Malawi. Findings are often inaccessible to anyone else other than the donors or we have to pay to access them,” said Kadzamira.
She said the conference will also provide a platform for researchers and innovators to showcase their work, facilitate collaboration, networking and partnerships among researchers, innovators and other stakeholders as well as promote knowledge exchange and transfer.