Return to search

Transnational science and technology co-operation in Africa : an evaluation of selected institutions and programmes

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT:
In the aftermath of the Second World War, the development challenges facing Third World
countries - those that were independent, those emerging from colonialism and those still
under colonialism - led to the proliferation of bilateral and multilateral development
institutions. These institutions were intended to assist the developing countries in terms of the
provision of both human (technical) skills and material resources as well as to formulate
programmes that would promote co-operation for socio-economic development and
transformation. If the enormous development problems facing Africa including poverty,
hunger, disease can be alleviated, then multilateral institutions have a major role to play in its
scientific and technological development as well as in helping to create the appropriate
institutional mechanisms for regional and sub-regional co-operation in science and
technology (S&T) in Africa.
The United Nations system, including UN-affiliated institutions, has therefore come to
represent the best hope of realising the dream of most developing countries in their quest for
development, due to its institutional capacity to provide development assistance as well as
influence the international development agenda which affects Africa. For example, among
the institutions in this study, the World Bank Group remains the biggest donor organisation in
terms of the funding of development projects and programmes. UNESCO has a leading role
as the UN agency whose mandate relates directly to S&T development and peace. The ECA
is the representative body of the UN in Africa and therefore able to influence the direction of
development policy and programmes. Similarly, the need to develop also led African
countries to establish their own regional and sub-regional institutions for co-operation to
draw together both human and material resources.
However, the development issues discussed and promoted in the developing world over the
years have focused more on national income, terms of trade, market access and in recent
times on structural adjustment and poverty reduction strategy programmes. But the most
important aspect of the development process - the knowledge capability gap (in terms of
S&T) - has been much neglected especially at the regional and sub-regional levels.
Therefore, in using regional and sub-regional levels of analyses, the research project looks at
the programmes supported by the following institutions: the United Nations Education,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the World Bank, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the African
Development Bank (AIDB), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Thus the study uses a theorydriven
evaluation based on INEXSK (INfrastructure, EXperience and Skills, and Knowledge)
approach broadly, to investigate the extent to which these multilateral institutions live up to
their stated goals of improving the knowledge base for development in the African continent.
An important aspect of the study also entails a historical review of science, technology and
institutional co-operation in Africa.
Furthermore, an important outcome of the study reveals the lack of functional regional and
sub-regional organisational frameworks to promote rigorous scientific and technological
research and development in the African continent, except for a few centres and programmes
supported by some multilateral and bilateral institutions including NGOs. In spite of many
years of structural adjustment the World Bank's lending for S&T has marginalised African
countries; while the AIDB support for S&T and regional programmes is woefully inadequate.
This is a momentous task it has to address if the NEP AD Initiative is to be successful in the
years ahead. To guide future initiatives the study draws on the lessons and experiences of the
European Union's and the Association of South East Asian Nations' (ASEAN) regional
scientific and technology co-operation programmes. The study advocates a knowledge-based
development paradigm, which is transnational in approach, and it makes specific
recommendations for regional and sub-regional programmes and strategies to promote the
socio-economic development and transformation of Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: OPSOMMING
Ná afloop van die Tweede Wêreldoorlog het Derde Wêreldlande - dié reeds onafhanklik, óf
besig om kolonialisme af te skud, óf nog steeds onder 'n koloniale moondheid se bewind -
sekere ontwikkelingstruikelblokke en -uitdagings in die gesig gestaar. Dit het gelei tot die
totstandkoming van verskeie bilaterale en multilaterale ontwikkelingsinstellings. Die doel
met sulke instellings se hulpverlening aan ontwikkelende lande was drieledig: om tegniese
vaardighede aan te bied; om materiële hulpmiddele te verskaf; en om programme, wat
samewerking vir sosio-ekonomiese ontwikkeling en transformasie sou bevorder, te
formuleer. Indien die las van die geweldige ontwikkelingsprobleme in Afrika (insluitend
armoede, hongersnood en siektes) verlig sou kon word, het multilaterale instellings 'n
belangrike rol om te vervul: om te help met, enersyds, die wetenskaplike en tegnologiese
ontwikkeling van die kontinent, en andersyds die ontwikkeling van toepaslike institusionele
meganismes vir streek- en sub-streeksamewerking in wetenskap en tegnologie (W&T).
As gevolg van die Verenigde Nasies se institusionele kapasiteit om ontwikkelingshulp te
verskaf, asook om die internasionale ontwikkelingsagenda te beïnvloed, verteenwoordig dié
stelsel die beste hoop van die meeste ontwikkelende lande om hulle ontwikkelingsdrome te
verwesenlik. Van die instellings wat by die VN geaffillieer is, en wat in hierdie ondersoek
geëvalueer word, is die Wêreldbankgroep, die grootste skenkerorganisasie vir die befondsing
van ontwikkelingsprogramme en -projekte. So ook het UNESCO 'n leiersrol as die VN agentskap
van wie die mandaat direk betrekking het op die ontwikkeling van W&T. Die
EKA is die liggaam wat Afrika verteenwoordig by die VN, en beïnvloed daarom die koers
van ontwikkelingsbeleid en -programme. Die noodsaak om die kontinent te ontwikkel het
ook gelei daartoe dat Afrikalande hulle eie streek- en sub-streekliggame, wat menslike en
materiële hulpbronne bymekaar bring, begin stig het.
Die ontwikkelingskwessies wat oor die jare in die ontwikkelende wêreld bespreek en
aangemoedig is, het egter meer en meer gefokus op nasionale inkomste, handelsvoorwaardes,
toegang tot markte en, in die afgelope tyd, strukturele aanpassings en armoede verligtingstrategie programme.
Die belangrikste deel van die ontwikkelingsproses - die
vernouing van die kennisgaping in W&T - is gevolglik afgeskeep, veral op streek- en substreekvlak.
Hierdie navorsingsprojek analiseer dus, op streek- en sub-streekvlak,
ontwikkelingsprogramme wat deur die volgende instansies ondersteun word: die Verenigde
Nasies se Opvoedkundige, Wetenskaplike en Kulturele Organisasie (UNESCO), die
Wêreldbank, die Verenigde Nasies se Ekonomiese Kommissie vir Afrika (EKA), die
Organisasie vir Afrika-eenheid (OAE), die Ontwikkelingsbank van Afrika, die Suider-
Afrikaanse Ontwikkelingsgemeenskap en die Ekonomiese Gemeenskap van Wes-Afrikaanse
State. Die navorsing gebruik 'n teorie-gedrewe evaluering gebaseer op 'n INEXSK
("INfrastructure, EXperience and Skills, and Knowlege") benadering, om te bepaal in watter
mate hierdie multilaterale instellings hulle doelwitte, met betrekking tot die verbetering van
die kennisbasis vir ontwikkeling van die Afrika-kontinent, bereik. 'n Historiese oorsig van
die wetenskaplike, tegnologiese en institusionele samewerking in Afrika vorm 'n belangrike
deel van die navorsingsverslag.
Die navorsing dui ook op 'n gebrek aan funksionele organisatoriese raamwerke om op streek en
sub-streekvlak streng wetenskaplike en tegnologiese navorsing en ontwikkeling aan te
wakker en te bevorder. (Daar is darem 'n paar noemenswaardige uitsonderings van sentra en
programme wat deur party van die bilaterale en multilaterale instellings ondersteun word.)
Ten spyte van strukturele aanpassings wat oor baie jare plaasgevind het, het die Wêreldbank
se lenings vir W&T Afrikalande gemarginaliseer; en die Ontwikkelingsbank van Afrika se
ondersteuning vir W&T en streeksprogramme is heeltemal ontoereikend. Daar is 'n
geweldige taak wat in die toekoms aangespreek moet word indien die NEPAD inisiatief
hoop om suksesvol te wees.
Die verslag gebruik die lesse en ervarings van die Europese Unie en die Vereniging van Suid-
Asiatiese Lande se streeksamewerkingsprogramme vir wetenskap en tegnologie as
rigtingwyser vir toekomstige inisiatiewe. Die verslag beveel 'n transnasionale
kennisgebaseerde ontwikkelingsparadigma aan, en maak spesifieke aanbevelings vir streek en
sub-streekprogramme en strategieë om die sosio-ekonomiese ontwikkeling en
transformasie van Afrika te bevorder.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53199
Date12 1900
CreatorsTeng-Zeng, Frank Kannigenye
ContributorsNel, P., Mouton, J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format339 p.
RightsStellenbosch University

Page generated in 0.047 seconds