As a developing country, what is expected from Ethiopia’s higher learning institutions is to produce knowledge that improves the lives of citizens. The issue here is not whether academic or applied researches should be the centerpiece of education or the main agenda of higher learning institutions.
Obviously, it is through conducting all kinds of research that universities accumulate valuable knowledge for the progress of humanity. While it is not necessary to prove the central position of academic research in academic discourse, it is a must to give recognition to the fact that applied research needs to receive due emphasis in a developing country like ours. Clearly, all researches require some sort of funding.
And in a country like Ethiopia where financial resources are scarce, all available resources have to be utilized efficiently. That is why investing in applied research is said to be something that comes with a huge reward. It is like hitting two birds with one stone i.e. boosting academic knowledge and at the same time come up with findings that solve practical societal problems. Without a doubt, as Ethiopia is striving to achieve overall economic progress, applied research will have a very important role to play.
Since the conception of modern education in Ethiopia, the research tradition in higher learning institutions has been more of an academic one. In fact, most of its universities and colleges were not located near or close to rural areas where the majority of the population reside. But, this is not to deny the fact that there were not any community centered researches in the past.
In fact, the imperial and the Dergue regimes had established agricultural colleges in different parts of the country to support agricultural research and mechanized agriculture. These research centers were not also without success. Further, renowned researchers such as Dr. Aklilu Lemma, have also come up with outstanding findings that have changed the lives of Ethiopians and beyond. Being this the fact, in the last two decades, Ethiopia has witnessed an incredible expansion of higher learning institutions.
As universities expand and are built in different parts of the country, they have become closer to communities. And, this will undoubtedly open the door for more community based applied research approach. In a similar fashion, the universities’ research targets have become their nearby communities. While this has given rise to applied research, there is still a gap in practically utilizing the research findings to bring about meaningful change.
But what makes this opportunity (the expansion of universities in rural areas) more effective is commitment and collaboration. Collaboration among universities, industries and government authorities for instance in health, agriculture or education sectors or community development is central to successful applied research.
As a developing country aspiring to become a middle-income economy, and to bring about significant improvement in the lives of its citizens, universities or higher learning institutions have to prioritize applied research. Government institutions and NGOs that work on development issues have to also collaborate with universities to utilize the findings of applied research in their development activities.
The Ethiopian Herald, March 21/2019
