forging links - cdn.sida.se

JUNE 2004 • DEPARTMENT FOR RESEARCH COOPERATION, SAREC

Research Cooperation 2003

Forging Links

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JUNE 2004 • DEPARTMENT FOR RESEARCH COOPERATION, SAREC

Research Cooperation 2003

Forging Links

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Contents

Forging links ................................................................................. 5

Sida research co-operation ..................................................................... 8

Promoting national research and research training .......................... 9

Burkina Faso ............................................................................... 10

Ethiopia....................................................................................... 12

Mozambique................................................................................ 14

Rwanda ....................................................................................... 16

Tanzania ...................................................................................... 19

Uganda ....................................................................................... 21

Bolivia ......................................................................................... 23

Nicaragua ................................................................................... 26

Laos ........................................................................................... 28

Sri Lanka .................................................................................... 31

Vietnam ...................................................................................... 33

Thematic Research ...................................................................... 35

Natural Sciences & Technology ..................................................... 37

Health Research .......................................................................... 45

Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources ................................ 49

Swedish Development Research ................................................... 52

Swedish Research Links ............................................................... 53

Members of the Sida Research Committee 2003 ........................... 54

Staff 2003, Sida, Department for Research Cooperation, SAREC .... 55

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Published by Sida 2004

Department for Research Cooperation

Text: SAREC

Editor: Johannes Borgegård, SAREC

Photographs: Phoenix Bildbyrå; SAREC: R Ankarfjärd, M T Bejarano, H Berg, J Borgegård,S Freudenthal, K Gbesemete, A Gerdin, H Herren, B Wahlund, L Wallén

Cover photo: Martin Borg, Pressens bild

Production: Edita Sverige AB

Printed by Edita Sverige AB, 2004

Art. no.: SIDA3907en

ISBN 91-586-8438-7

This publication can be downloaded/ordered from www.sida.se/publications

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Forging linksUnderdevelopment and poverty are to be addressed by all possible ways and means. This is the explicit

message of the bill: Shared Responsibility: Sweden’s New Policy for Global Development adopted by the

Swedish Government in 2003. The policy aims at permanent change in international relations.

This commitment to a coherent andconsistent approach applies to all ar-eas of Swedish politics, trade, agri-culture, environment, security, migra-tion and economic policy. Aid is butone of the measures envisaged. Thespecific goal for development co-op-eration is “to contribute to an envi-ronment supportive of poor people’sefforts to improve their quality of life”.One strategic measure is to strengthenthe capacity for qualified analyses insome of the poorest countries. Coun-tries need research for local analyses,to direct change and to evaluate theimpact of internal and external ef-forts towards reducing poverty.

In this account of research co-op-eration in 2003, we have chosen tolook into the past. We want to illus-trate the many links necessary to de-velop, sustain and make use of re-search. Research is essentially inter-national, but no country benefitsfrom its findings without local scien-tists capable of following and inter-acting with the wider research com-munity.

Sweden has a long tradition ofsupporting research on and for devel-opment, e.g. through internationalresearch programmes. Equally im-portant are the efforts to support re-search in and by developing countriesthemselves. The returns of researchinvestments may be difficult to assessand demonstrate in the short run.

We hope readers will appreciate theimpact of Sweden’s approach of tar-geting its support to the improvementof local conditions for research,focussing on capacity for universityresearch. This has contributed to thegrowing of budding local researchcommunities, increasingly capable ofsharing and contributing to the“global public goods” of commonlyowned knowledge.

Early Swedish support gave rise tosmall islands of capable researchers.As research groups developed, thesupport shifted from sporadic projectfunding to more systematic supportfor institutional capacity develop-ment. Problem formulation and pri-ority setting are now developed in thecountry itself and the research doesnot have to fall within specific Sidapriorities. Gender issues are being ad-dressed in the dialogue. Special sup-port has been directed to researchmanagement, including mechanismsfor evaluating and selecting researchproposals.

The basic philosophy has beenthat research capacity, in a broadsense, is better supported in an openmanner than in a directive approach.The fact that a few cases of corrup-tion were reported in 2003 has notaltered this assumption, even if it hasmeant a temporary restraint in allo-cating open funds while directingefforts to strengthening administra-

tive control and support functions.Sida continues to direct resources tothe cumbersome building up of insti-tutions for analytical capacity, essen-tial to the mission of creating condi-tions for development.

This approach has stimulatedinteresting links between disciplines,particularly when a thematic focushas been identified. In Bolivia, thefocus on the Aymara region has re-sulted in the near completion of anAymara dictionary, building on con-tributions from anthropology, history,archaeology and habitat studies, aswell linguistics. Co-operation in bio-technology has identified patentableprocesses for dealing with heavymetal pollution in the same region.In Burkina Faso, the focus on dryecosystems has led to findings of in-terest to the Sahelian region, and inUganda the focus on the Lake Victo-ria region has facilitated multi-disciplinary problem formulation andresearch efforts.

Locally defined research has natu-ral links with society. Health surveil-lance sites in Vietnam and Ethiopia,health research in Nicaragua and so-cial studies in Sri Lanka have moni-tored and assessed the impact ofvarious poverty reduction strategies.Post conflict studies in Rwanda arealso likely to have immediate use.Opportunities for innovations basedon links between local research and

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production are being explored in thenew collaboration between engineer-ing faculties in Mozambique, Tanza-nia and Uganda.

Many of the thematic researchprogrammes link together researchersin regions or sub-regions in efforts ofcommon concern, like the East Afri-can research on marine sciences, pro-moting appropriate coastal manage-ment, the African forestry researchnetwork, or the network forgingpolicy makers together with naturalscientists in energy policy studies.A series of Sida-funded Asian net-works join researchers together in thefields of environment technology,energy scenarios and environmentaleconomics.

In some cases, regional co-opera-tion has been created to enhance re-search capacity, like Bio Earn, the bio-technology programme in Eastern Af-

rica, and Netropica, the programmefor tropical disease research in CentralAmerica. Both initiatives have beenvery successful thanks to committedco-ordination in the region and bySwedish advisors. These programmesgo through different phases of initialsupport for Master’s level degrees, fol-lowed by PhD studies. The Netropicainitiative has evolved into co-operationamong the trained scientists, who nowplan to organise their own researchtraining programmes.

Social science, due to its contro-versial nature in times of oppression,reflects a long tradition of regionalco-operation. Today social sciencenetworks provide a Southern per-spective to development analysis.Sida looks into ways of strengtheninga platform for such interaction, facili-tating exchanges and comparativeanalyses between these networks.

Two exciting events during 2003were the general assemblies of theLatin American research networkCLACSO and the African networkCODESRIA. On both occasionsrepresentatives from African, Asianand Latin American social scienceorganisations engaged in lively de-bates based on their different per-spectives vis-à-vis central develop-ment themes.

All major international researchprogrammes are dependent on theirlinks with scientists world-wide.However, interaction with poor coun-tries suffers from a lack of capacity forresearch. The problem is not only thatpoor countries benefit less, but alsothat international research lacks thesituated perspective from these coun-tries. Therefore, special efforts are be-ing made to enhance their participa-tion in these programmes.

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Sida-supported biomedical researchfor the prevention of HIV/AIDSstands out as particularly successful inthis context, and findings from Tanza-nia have made significant contribu-tions to understanding the pandemic.A series of international programmessupporting basic sciences in develop-ing countries, e.g. the Third WorldAcademy for Sciences, the Inter-national Sciences Programmes andthe International Foundation for Sci-ences, have also decided to direct theirefforts to enhancing research environ-ments in the least developed countries.

Sida support for malaria researchis an interesting example of the forg-ing of links. In 2003, important stepswere taken to co-ordinate the re-search on malaria. Swedish scientistswere entrusted with the task of co-ordinating the Multilateral Initiativefor Malaria. Continued support for

WHO/TDR focussed on malaria,and the network of demographic sur-veillance sites, INDEPTH, intro-duced a platform for malaria inter-vention studies. Support was alsogiven to the European Malaria Vac-cine Initiative for vaccine trials inBurkina Faso, and malaria researchfigured highly among the bilateralsupport applications. Thus, the wholechain of support levels interact to ad-dress the prevention and cure of thisserious health threat.

Inequalities prevail in research co-operation, with the stronger partneroften taking a leading role, but we seeencouraging examples of change.Archaeology, for example, is an areawhere external views have dominated.Highly qualified African archaeolo-gists, trained in a long-term regionalsupport programme, have now cre-ated the African Association for Ar-

chaeological Research to co-ordinateresearch efforts. The successful con-clusion of Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea,presented at an international botanyconference in Addis Ababa in 2003, isanother example. This tremendouswork, co-ordinated by qualified Ethio-pian scientists who were initiallytrained in Swedish research co-opera-tion, has engaged botanists from allover the world for some 20 years.

In conclusion strategic and long-term efforts in supporting capacitymay contribute to change inequalitiesin research. Eventually, the forging oflinks continues in research co-opera-tion of true mutual interest.

Stockholm, June 2004Berit OlssonDirector, Department for ResearchCooperation, SAREC

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Sida research co-operation

MandateResearch co-operation was intro-duced in 1975 as part of the generalSwedish development co-operation.In 1995, the Swedish Agency forResearch Co-operation with Develop-ing Countries, SAREC, became adepartment within Sida. Its mandateis to:

• Support developing countries intheir efforts to establish a researchcommunity, train researchers anddevelop methods for planning andindica-ting priorities for research,as well as allocating resources forsuch tasks.

• Contribute financial and scientificresources to support the produc-tion of new knowledge and utili-sation of research findings ofimportance for development.

• Support scientific co-operationbetween re-search-ers in Swedenand developing countries andencourage the participation ofSwedish researchers in develop-ment-oriented research andresearch co-operation.

ModalitiesBilateral supportThe main avenue for strengtheningresearch capacity is under theumbrella of bilateral research co-operation with partner countries.

In countries with limited research,Sida normally focuses on support toresearch universities that have a cen-tral position in the national systemfor research and education. In coun-tries with established research capa-bilities, Swedish support may bedirected towards producing newknowledge in line with thematic re-search priorities and towards main-taining links with Swedish research.

Thematic research programmesSida may also support regional researchnetworks formed to enhance nationalcapacity and/or address thematic re-search priorities. Sida contributes tothe core funding of some well-estab-lished and recognised regional organisa-tions and supports international researchprogrammes that address issues of highrelevance for poverty reduction anddevelopment. Activities in 2003, pre-sented by sector, were:

• Natural resources and environ-mental sciences

• Natural sciences and technology

• Social sciences and humanities

• Health research

Swedish development researchAround 10 percent of Sida researchfunds go directly to Swedish develop-ment research. Grants are allocatedto project proposals which are sub-

mitted and subjected to peer reviewonce a year. The primary objectiveof this support is to maintain aSwedish resource basis for develop-ment issues and to contribute to in-ternational understanding at Swedishuniversities.

Swedish Research LinksSwedish Research Links is a com-paratively new programme to whichSwedish and developing country re-searchers may submit joint applica-tions. Proposals are peer-reviewedand grants allocated for visits andjoint work. The main objective ofthis programme is to promoterelations.

Other; 1.5

Swedish development research; 11.8

Thematicprogramme; 62.2

Bilateral programme; 24.5

Sida disbursements 2003 by programmepercentage of total SEK 743 million

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Promoting national researchand research training

Alleviating poverty and furthering de-velopment are major challenges forthe citizens and decision-makers ofevery nation, and locally generatedknowledge is essential in addressingthese issues. In this connection,Swedish development co-operationhas identified the need to strengthennational universities, as they are themost important focal points for re-search training and for the produc-tion and dissemination of scientificknowledge.

However, low-income countriesrarely can afford to prioritise scien-tific research. Sweden is one of fewdonor countries that supports the de-velopment of local research capaci-ties, which comprise a range of ac-tivities, including training Ph.D. stu-dents in research projects, buildinglaboratories and modern library fa-cilities, setting up local research fundsand mechanisms for allocating prior-

ity among research proposals and pro-moting dialogue on reform of univer-sities and national research systems.

The aim of the support is to reacha situation where universities haveachieved credibility for managinggovernmental funds for basic researchfacilities and are able to attract exter-nal funding from the private sector,foreign donors and foundations.

In 2003 Sida supported the build-ing of research capacity in twelvecountries. In most of these countriesuniversity reform was alreadyunderway. Experiences show thatgood governance is a concept thatalso applies when conducting re-search. The collaborating countriesthat have inaugurated a transparentand accountable management struc-ture at their universities are also theones that are most successful in re-search and research training. Theability to establish good governance

at the university level is very muchdependent as a rule on the generalsituation for democracy in the coun-try, but there are examples of univer-sities that act as forerunners in thedemocratisation processes.

Another conclusion drawn in 2003and which has been slowly emergingis that the financial aspects of researchmanagement have been severelyunderestimated by both the universi-ties and the donors. The process ofcarrying out research managementand the administration of funds in aneffective and transparent manner ismore complex than previously under-stood. Far too little resources havebeen set aside to deal with these mat-ters. Lack of harmonisation betweendifferent funding agencies, their re-porting requirements and the admin-istrative systems at the universitiescreate a workload that is counterpro-ductive to research endeavours.There have been examples where re-searchers, trained in collaborationwith Sweden and with well-estab-lished research environments at theirhome universities, have been ap-proached by major research fundersfor participation in international,high-prestige projects, only to behampered by insufficient managerialcapacity in the final stage. Donorsand universities must work togetherto find remedies to such problems.

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25

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Burkina

Fasu

Eritre

aEti

opia

Mozam

bique

Rwan

da

Tanz

ania

South

Africa

Ugand

a

Sri Lan

ka

Vietna

mBoliv

ia

Nicarag

ua Laos

Hondu

ras

Bilateral programme disbursements by country Total bilateral disbursements SEK 182 million

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Burkina Faso

Multi-ethnic Burkina Faso is a land-locked country primarily dependenton self-subsistence agriculture.Owing to a very dry climate, thecountry faces great challenges in termsof food security, land degradation andnatural resource management.

In September 2001, Sida launcheda bilateral co-operation pro-

gramme with the overallaim of alleviating

poverty by strengthening the researchcapacity of the country’s institutes ofhigher education. Issues that theBurkinean and Swedish researchersagreed to focus on were the relation-ship between land degradation andpoverty; the environmental problemsof dry areas, the continuous degrada-tion of the Sahelian ecosystems; un-sustainable management practicesand their effects on food security;animal husbandry; migratory move-ments; and the environment.

So far, research on these topical is-sues has unravelled different manage-ment aspects of soil fertility, forest re-generation and production and thepotential for commercial develop-ment of forest products. Hopefully,the findings will lead to improve-ments in the situation for ruralcommunities and to better

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management of the remaining natu-ral resources in the country, throughrecommendations to users regarding

better conservation andrestoration techniques.

In the field ofanimal hus-

bandry, whichinvolves fod-

der resources, poultry farming anddairy production, the goal is to im-prove production so as to strengthenthe economic situation of ruralhouseholds but also to attain self-sufficiency for the country, especially

in dairy products. This re-search also seeks to un-

derstand the nutritive value of avail-able natural resources for the feedingof milkers. The establishment of acartography of the composition ofpastures and their mineral and traceelements is desirable, as well as theidentification of the responsibleagents and epidemiology of the dis-eases that strike milkers.

Sida commitment for current agreement period 2001–2003: SEK 24.5 million

Disbursed 2003: SEK 3.7 million

Burkinabée InstitutionsOU – University of OuagadougouUPB – Polytechnic University of Bobo-DioulassoCNRST – Central National Research Institute, Ouagadougou

Collaborating InstitutionsSLU – Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala and UmeåUMU – Umeå University, UmeåUU – Uppsala University, Uppsala

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Ethiopia

Over the past several years, Sida hassupported research in Ethiopia in thefields of biology, medicine and tech-nology. Recently other areas havealso been included, such as socialscience and environmental economy.Most of the research programmesare conducted in co-operation withSwedish universities and researchers.

The key objectives of the Sida-supported research are to build up anational capacity to generate andapply appropriate technologies forthe realisation of Ethiopia’s socio-economic objectives and to rationally

conserve and utilise its naturalresources and human capital.

An important long-term project isthe Butajira Rural Health Programme(BRHP), for which a registry of dataconcerning the births, deaths, mar-riage and migration of over 100,000people has been compiled since early1987. The purpose of the registry isto obtain a picture of the healthsituation in the region over a longerperiod of time.

Data from the project and evalua-tive information on mortality inButajira show that the situation has

improved since the mid-80s. But theresults also show a number of set-backs due to drought and epidemics.The picture could change due to theHIV epidemic, which reached Ethio-pia later than the surrounding EastAfrican countries. Such long-termchanges can only be seen in long-term surveys.

The work has thus far resulted insix PhD theses. The theses have im-proved the knowledge within such ar-eas as women’s and children’s health,air pollution from open fires, violenceagainst women and mental disorders.

Sida commitment for current agreement period 2002–2004: SEK 103 million


Supported areas:Agriculture, Biology, Environmental Economics, Health, Natural Products Chemistry, Solar Energy, Water Resources

Ethiopian institutionsAAU – Addis Ababa University, Addis AbabaAHRI – Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis AbabaAU – Alemaya University, Dire DawaESTC – Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission, Addis Ababa

Collaborating InstitutionsGU – Göteborg UniversityISP – International Science Programs, UppsalaKI – Karolinska Institutet, StockholmKTH – Royal Institute of Technology, StockholmSLU – Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala and AlnarpSU – Stockholm UniversityUmU – Umeå UniversityUU – Uppsala University

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Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea is the result of an international joint project led by Ethiopians. The project was made possible through Swedish

financing and the successful co-operation between Ethiopia and Sweden, in which Uppsala University has played a key role. The project was

started 23 years ago and has resulted, in addition to the flora, in new and advanced local knowledge and an institution of systematic botany in

Addis Ababa. In the future, this knowledge could be used in ecological studies and biotechnological applications.

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Mozambique

When Sida began its support to theEduardo Mondlane University, UEM,in Maputo in 1978 there was hardlyany indigenous research capacity atthe university. Of about 80 teachingstaff at the time, 75 were expatriateand 5 were Mozambican; none ofthe latter had a research degree.Today UEM has an academic staffof 604 full-time employees, of which547 are Mozambicans.

Sida’s long-term support hashelped build up a considerable re-search capacity at UEM, with about55 Mozambicans now working toacquire their doctorate degrees. Sidahas helped equip the university’sresearch laboratories and libraries.A number of external evaluationshave confirmed that Sida’s support toUEM is a crucial factor in the crea-

tion of an emerging research univer-sity and the development of a na-tional research capacity.

At present Sida grants supportnine faculties, mainly concentrated tothe faculties of science, engineering,the arts and veterinary sciences, butalso to the Informatics Centre andthe Historical Archive.

The most successful support goesto the Department of Biology atUEM, initiated in 1984 upon a re-quest from the Mozambican govern-ment. These were hard times in Mo-zambique, with the raging of a civilwar and refugees accumulating alongthe coast. Few Mozambicans weretrained to manage the increased pres-sure on the resources of the sea andthe Government was acutely awareof the urgent need of a national re-

search capacity to obtain the neces-sary knowledge for dealing with thesituation. Swedish support was usedto build up the infrastructure at themarine biological station on the is-land of Inhaca, 30 km offshore fromMaputo. The station is to date theonly field station available to the uni-versity. Today the station is run bycompetent Mozambican staff, and atthe Department of Biology there is asmall but well educated “criticalmass” of Mozambican researchersand teachers. Sida’s new role ismainly to promote the marine pro-gramme in its efforts to develop andestablish the first Mozambican Mas-ter of Science curriculum in AquaticBiology and Coastal Ecosystems,which is planned to start in 2005.

Sida commitment for current agreement period 2001–2003: SEK 79.1 million


Supported areas:Anthropology, Archaeology, Biotechnics, Chemistry, Engineering, Geology, History, Informatics, Law, Linguistics, Mathematics, Marine Biology,Marine Science, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Physics

Mozambican InstitutionsINIVE – National Veterinary Research Institute, MaputoUEM – Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo

Collaborating InstitutionsCTH – Chalmers University of Technology, GöteborgGU – Göteborg University, GöteborgKI – Karolinska Institutet, StockholmKristineberg Marine Biological Station, FiskebäckskilKTH – Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm

LTH – Lund University of Technology, LundLU – Lund University, LundSLU – Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, UppsalaUU – Uppsala University, UppsalaUniversity of Northumbria, Newcastle upon TyneUniversity of Natal, DurbanUniversity of PretoriaWitwatersrand University, Witwatersrand

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The Mozambican coastline is almost 3,000 km long and the fundamental role of its marine resources as a source of protein for the population,

as well as their importance to the national economy through exports, has made it easy to attract students to the subject of marine biology.

The station is to date the only field station available to the university and it is extremely satisfying to find that more than 100 undergraduate

degrees, 10 international MSc and 5 PhD degrees have been obtained by Mozambicans based on their research at the station.

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Rwanda

Against the background of Rwandanhistory, the reconciliation process andthe end of the transition period in2004, peace and conflict researchwas given top priority by the Na-tional University of Rwanda (NUR)in discussions with Sida. Researchthemes discussed in the PhD propos-als included root causes of conflicts,justice, good governance and democ-ratisation.

A major issue for NUR is the edu-cational situation at the university. Agood deal of the curriculum, theteaching and learning methods andthe examination and assessment sys-tems are outdated and expensive.Sida believes that research in trainingmethods, ICT teaching, curriculumdevelopment and distant education is

necessary. There is also a great needto equip NUR teachers with modern,relevant and effective pedagogicalmethods.

The Sida allocation will be usedfor research training within the areasof peace and conflict and democrati-sation.

Three PhD programmes concern-ing the educational situation werestarted in 2003 and joint researchcollaboration with Linköping Univer-sity is scheduled to begin in 2004.

In the context of severe environ-mental threats to the natural re-sources of Rwanda, six PhD pro-grammes have been proposed. Theseprogrammes concern environmentalscarcity in Rwanda, the impact ofhuman activities on the Nyungwe

Forest Reserve, rural settlement plan-ning in Rwanda and wetland man-agement within the context of eco-logical agriculture.

A basic need in research is a func-tional library. The NUR library con-sists of one main library and ninefaculty libraries, all facing manyproblems: outdated books and a lackof funds to subscribe to journals,only four trained librarians and usersof the library without experience ofhow to use search tools and online re-sources. To handle these problemsSida is supporting a co-operativeproject between NUR and MakerereUniversity in Uganda, where the ap-propriate training can be offered.



Supported areas:Democracy and Human Rights, Human Resource Development and Economic ReformsRwandan institutions:NUR – National University of Rwanda

Collaborating partners:Linköping university, Linköping, SwedenBlekinge Institute of Technology, Blekinge, Sweden

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At the Faculty of Commerce and Management at UDSM, a research programme is investigating how business networks can influence small

and medium enterprise (SME) performance in Tanzania. During 2003 two licentiate degrees were successfully defended within the programme.

In addition, one of the programme’s studies, on the role of networks in the internationalisation of small handicraft businesses, won the best

paper award at the 4th International Conference of the Academy of African Business and Development. Within the collaboration a “supervisors’

course” has been given, with much success. During the coming agreement period this course will be expanded and adapted for incorporation

into the core course curriculum of the university.

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Tanzania

Research co-operation between Swe-den and Tanzania began in 1976.It currently comprises 21 pro-grammes at the University of Dar esSalaam (UDSM) and the MuhimbiliCollege of Health Sciences(MUCHS). The support is directedtowards three main areas: reform andmanagement, research capacitystrengthening, and research collabo-ration, the latter involving Swedishuniversities. The major part of thesupport goes to research collabora-tion and research training activities.

At the University College of Landsand Architectural Studies four PhDtheses during the year addressed thefield of urbanisation, with the follow-ing topics: “Compulsory acquisitionof land for urban development”,“Water and sanitation systems”,“Informal settlements in Dar es

Salaam” and “Urban food markets”.From the Institute of Resource

Assessment, a PhD thesis examining“Food insecurity and coping strate-gies in semiarid areas” was presentedwithin the Man-Land Interrelationsin Semiarid Tanzania programme.In addition, the programme is finalis-ing a monograph that is a synthesisof research findings gathered overthe programme’s 16 years.

From MUCHS, a PhD thesis fromthe “Malaria” programme, entitled“Exploring malaria case manage-ment of under-five children in house-holds and public primary health carefacilities in Kibaha district, Tanza-nia”, was presented. The study com-pared different aspects of malariacase management before and after apolicy change in Tanzania. During

the study’s conduct of household sur-veys it was observed that majorchanges in drug stocking, self-treat-ment and care seeking had takenplace. It was thus concluded thatboth households and primary healthcare facilities need to be included inmulti-faceted interventions for im-proved malaria care. A second PhDthesis, coming from within the“HIV/AIDS” programme and enti-tled “HIV-1 infection in Tanzania:HIV antibody testing strategies andlymphocyte subset determinations”,was also defended during the year.

Preparations for a new agreementperiod, due to start on 1 July 2004and run for four years, have been ini-tiated. Within the new agreement anew programme in the area of statis-tics will be incorporated.

Sida commitment for current agreement period 2001–2003: SEK 116 million.

Disbursed 2003: SEK 27,8 million

Supported areas:Architecture, Education, Energy and Engineering (Electricity,Electrotechnology, New Materials), Health (HIV/AIDS, Malaria,Reproductive Health), Information and Communication Technology,Languages, Law, Natural Resources and Environment (Agropesticides,Coastal Zone, Drylands), Social and Economic Development, Institu-tional Support

Tanzanian InstitutionsUDSM – University of Dar es SalaamUCLAS – University College of Lands and Agricultural StudiesMUCHS – Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences

Collaborating InstitutionsGU – Göteborg University, GöteborgKI – Karolinska Institutet, StockholmKTH – Royal Institute of Technology, StockholmSMI – Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, StockholmSwedish Environmental Research Group, StockholmSU – Stockholm University, StockholmUmU – Umeå University, UmeåUU – Uppsala University, Uppsala

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In 2003 the Faculty of Medicine at Makerere University and Karolinska Institutet signed

a historic agreement to award joint PhD degrees. The negotiations behind this, which

required intensive dialogue between the two parties, resulted in satisfaction all round.

The precedent is being closely studied by a number of other universities.

The picture shows the signing of the agreement by the Vice Chancellor of Makerere

University, Prof. Ssebewufu and The President of Karolinska Institutet, Hans Wigzell.

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Uganda

To strengthen and develop the coun-try’s capacity for research and re-search training, Sida supports the“Lake Victoria and other watersources” programme in Uganda.Directed by Makerere University, theprogramme involves four facultiesand the co-ordinating office of theSchool of Postgraduate Studies.

The specific research at each fac-ulty focuses on issues of great perti-nence to Uganda’s Poverty Eradica-tion Action Plan (PEAP). The Facultyof Agriculture research is studying agrowing urban problem, “Utilisationof Urban Market Crop Waste inCrop/Livestock Production Systemsin the Lake Victoria Crescent Re-gion”. The Faculty of Medicine pro-gramme “Uganda’s health related toLake Victoria and other water re-sources” concentrates on malaria,reproductive health and HIV/AIDSas well as non-communicable diseases.The Faculty of Social Science is de-voting its efforts to “Consolidating

peace and development in the LakeVictoria Region and its environs: Thenational and local responses to trans-formation from turmoil to a moresustained development process”,while the Faculty of Technology pro-gramme is about “Sustainable tech-nological development in the LakeVictoria Region (Uganda)”. Sida alsosupports a programme aimed at sub-stantially strengthening local and re-gional collaborative research activi-ties at the Faculties of Engineering ineastern Africa (Uganda, Tanzaniaand Mozambique).

A demographic surveillance site,which will be a centre for many kindsof research, is also under developmentin the district of Iganga/Mayuge.

There is also an aim to establishresearch co-operation between seniorresearch scientists at Makerere Uni-versity and Swedish universities. In-stitutional development is focused onenhancing the Makerere research en-vironment, for which funds are being

provided for interdisciplinary coursesfor PhD students, the establishmentof functioning laboratory structuresfor the biomedical sciences and Geo-graphic Information Systems (GIS).In addition research administration,information communication andtechnology (ICT) and bibliographicsupport are being provided.

In 2003 the numbers of PhD stu-dents enrolled in the programmewere four in agriculture, 21 in medi-cine, three in the social sciences andeight in technology. The programmealso provides research funds for anadditional 18 PhD students throughthe School of Postgraduate Studies’competitive university funds.

Four interdisciplinary researchcourses were planned and imple-mented this year in collaborationwith Swedish scientists: Statistics andComputer Application in Research,Advanced Research Methods, Phi-losophy of Methods and AdvancedGender Research Methodology.

Sida Commitment for current agreement period 2002–2004: SEK 104 million


Supported areas:Agriculture (Environment), Health (HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Mental Health,Reproductive Health, Pharmacology), ICT, Technology (Architecture,Energy, Engineering, Environment), Social Sciences (Gender, HIV/AIDS, Political Science, Sociology), Epidemiology, Library Science

Ugandan InstitutionsMakerere University, Kampala

Collaborating InstitutionsGU – Göteborg University, GöteborgKI – Karolinska Institutet, StockholmKTH – Royal Institute of Technology, StockholmLuth – Luleå University, LuleåSLU – Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, UppsalaUU – Uppsala UniversityBU – Borås University

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Bolivian researchers studying heavy metal pollution originating from the mining industry in the

basin of Lake Poopó have found that micro-organisms isolated from the salt lakes of the

Andean High Plateau reduce sulphate to sulphide. That can be used to prevent the leaching

of heavy metals into the environment. The researchers have also found interesting results

from compounds extracted from plants, some of which are new structures with good

antioxidising capacity.

The greenish body of water to the south-east is Lake Poopó.

Lake Poopó is a salt water lake, with no outlet to the sea. Picture by NASA

23

Bolivia

Bolivia has a long academic traditiondating back to universities foundedsome two to three centuries ago.A large number of public and privateuniversities offer undergraduate edu-cation. During the last few years,some Masters courses have been setup, but, with a few exceptions, thecapacity and skills for doctoral train-ing is still lacking. At the universities,research environments are weak andthe educational policies do not suffi-ciently encourage lecturers and stu-dents to embark on research.

The Sida-supported research pro-gramme aims at contributing to achange in this situation, successivelyleading to a strengthening of the in-digenous capacity and competencefor research and local research train-ing. During the last few years, therehas been a growing public debate inBolivia on the need to modernise thehigher education system. The auto-nomous public universities are makingefforts to implement research and re-search-promoting policies and to es-tablish functional research manage-

ment systems. Sida’s co-operationwith Bolivia focuses on support forthese policy efforts and the strength-ening the research capacity at thecountry’s two largest public universi-ties, Universidad Mayor de SanAndrés (UMSA) in La Paz andUniversidad Mayor de San Simón(UMSS) in Cochabamba. The staffdevelopment programme, whichstarted in September 2000 in col-laboration with two Swedish and sev-eral Latin American universities, hassuccessively enrolled a total of 43university lecturers in PhD training.Most of them are expected to defendtheir theses in 2005–2007. Modernresearch facilities are being installedat their departments, and active re-search teams have been formed bylecturers and students.

In the area of social science andthe humanities, several papers havebeen published on the history andarchaeology of the Bolivian HighPlateau and the tropical Chapare.Knowledge in the Aymara region hasbeen enhanced substantially. In addi-

tion to studies on environmentaldegradation and mitigation, researchon housing, language and history hasbeen undertaken, and a large quan-tity of interview records, video tapesand photos has been collected.One major achievement is the ad-vances towards a comprehensive en-cyclopaedia of the Aymara language.

In the meantime, chemists arestudying indigenous plants in the coun-try, following availability criteria andancestral information. A large numberof species has been selected for com-prehensive chemical analyses andstudies of photoprotection mecha-nisms and antioxidising capacity.

Still another project aims to pro-duce biogas from local raw materials,including llama dung. A viablemethod could provide inexpensiveenergy for a population now lackingelectricity and wood fuel. A project inchemical engineering is working to de-velop processes for the bioconversionof lignocellulosic resources on theAltiplano for industrial production ofvalue-added goods.


Disbursed 2003: SEK 16 million

Supported areas:Biotechnology, Chemistry, Food Science, WaterResources Engineering, Regional Planning,Social Economics, History, Anthropology,Archaeology, Linguistics (Aymara)

Collaborating InstitutionsLU – Lund University, LundUU – Uppsala University, UppsalaFLACSO – Latin American Facultyof Social Sciences (network), Peru

Bolivian InstitutionsUMSA – San Andrés University, La Paz

UMSS – San Simón University, CochabambaVice Ministry for Higher Education,Science and Technology, La PazCEBEM – Bolivian Center of MultidisciplinaryStudies, La PazCERES – Center of Studies of Economic andSocial Reality, Cochabamba

24

Honduras

Systems of higher education and re-search in Honduras need strengthen-ing and modernisation. This was theconclusion of a Sida-commissionedstudy, called “Higher Education andResearch in Honduras”, which servedas the basis for an in-depth prepara-tion for research co-operation be-tween Honduras and Sweden, initi-ated in 2002.

The national university in Hon-duras, UNAH, is primarily responsi-ble for the management and co-ordi-nation of higher education. UNAH

has recently initiated a reform processrequiring support and a legal frame-work approved by the country’s con-gress. Sida’s strategy views the uni-versity reform as essential to its sup-port and contribution to the imple-mentation of research co-operation.

During 2003 Sida engaged invarious activities to support the re-form process and raise the issue tothe national and international levels.To this end, Sida contributed to ac-tivities aimed at increasing awarenessof the reform and to establishing

links between UNAH and the Inter-national Association of Universities(IAU).

UNAH submitted researchprojects in the areas of health, socialsciences and natural sciences/tech-nology, covering subjects that are inline with the national priorities.These projects were evaluated bySida, and the principal heads of theselected projects established prelimi-nary contact with Swedish universities.

26

Nicaragua

When Swedish research co-operationwith Nicaragua was first establishedin the early eighties the aim was tocreate research capacity in the areasdefined as high priority by the Nica-raguan government. Today there aresmall, well-established research groupsat the public universities. The gen-eration of upgraded academics capa-ble of lecturing at different levels hashad a positive effect on the quality ofthe courses in various professionaldisciplines and in the creation ofgraduate programmes. This has gen-erated groups of highly motivated re-searchers and trained technicians.Most of the groups maintain linkswith Swedish researchers and an in-

creasing number are becoming in-volved in regional projects. A numberof students are expected to completetheir PhD theses in the near future.

By identifying common needsamong the universities in Nicaragua ithas been possible to solve problems.Individual themes for research arehighly relevant, with strong links tosociety. The universities are continu-ously improving their routines for themanagement of external funds andfor the administrative developmentnecessary for supporting research ac-tivities. The modernisation of labora-tories, libraries, communications andinstitutional facilities for supportingscientific activities is another positive

outcome of the co-operation.These achievements at the public

universities must be seen in the con-text of Nicaraguan universities con-tinuously struggling with poor ornon-existing national budgets for re-search, limited laboratory facilitiesand a small number of relatively iso-lated research groups. It is within thiscontext that the National Council ofUniversities (CNU) plays a crucialrole in drawing up a national policyfor higher education and research inNicaragua. A necessary condition forthe successful and sustainable devel-opment of higher education in Nica-ragua is that this process is stronglysupported by the government.



Supported areas:Agriculture, Health, Engineering and Environmental Sciences

Nicaraguan InstitutionsUNA – National University of Agriculture, ManaguaUNAN-Léon – National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, LéonUNAN-Managua – National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, ManaguaUNI – National University of Engineering, Managua

Collaborating InstitutionsHS – Huddinge University Hospital, HuddingeKI – Karolinska Institutet, StockholmKTH – Royal Institute of Technology, StockholmLU – Lund University, LundSLU – Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, UppsalaSMI – Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, StockholmUmU – Umeå University, Umeå

27

The impact of some projects is clearly reflected in the importance given to them by the

ministries. One example is the Ministry of Health and the epidemiological data generated by

UNAN-Léon investigations. Many of the diagnoses of infectious diseases in Nicaragua, along

with the detection of pesticide skin contamination and upgraded laboratory and epidemiologi-

cal techniques carried out at UNAN-Léon, are unique and therefore constitute a very valuable

asset to the country as a whole.

28

Laos

Research co-operation between Laosand Sweden started in 2003. Five ofthe ten faculties at the National Uni-versity of Laos (NUOL) were in-cluded in the initial co-operationphase: forestry, science, social science,education and agriculture. The mainobjective of the research co-opera-tion is to build the research capacityat NUOL. At present the educationallevel is comparatively low. Among theNUOL teaching staff of 920 people,there are currently 4% with a PhDdegree and 17% with a Master’s.This percentage is expected to risesoon, as many teachers are currentlyinvolved in training programmes.Ten staff members are expected to

start their PhD training in 2004, inco-operation with either the SwedishUniversity for Agricultural Sciencesor the University of Umeå. Curricu-lum development and regional MSctraining are also important parts ofthe co-operative plan. Parallel to theresearch and training, support is alsobeing directed at strengthening the fi-nancial management capacity atNUOL and information and com-munication technology (ICT) infra-structure and management.

NUOL is a fairly young university.It was established in 1995 through amerger of several colleges and insti-tutes. NUOL now has 22,000 stu-dents, which is a dramatic increase

since the start. Two new brancheswere established in 2003: one inChampassak in the south and one inLuang Prabang in the north. NUOLcan presently offer two kinds of de-grees: Higher Diploma and Bach-elor’s degree, but there are advancedplans for offering a Master’s degreewithin the near future. This ratherquick development at NUOL has puta lot of pressure and demands on itshuman resources.

The initial phase was limited totwo years to allow for preparationsfor training (e.g. improving Englishproficiency) and for further planningof activities.

Sida commitment for current agreement period: 2003–2004: SEK 16.0 million, ICT support 9.5 million


Supported areas:Social Sciences, Education, Agriculture, Forestry, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and IT

Lao institutions at the NUOL – the National University of Laos:FOSS – Faculty of Social SciencesFOE – Faculty of EducationFOS – Faculty of ScienceFOF – Faculty of ForestryFOA – Faculty of Agriculture

Collaborating Institutions:SLU – Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala and UmeåUMU – Umeå UniversityKTH – Royal Institute of Technology

29

Increasing the research capacity in Laos is important for finding ways and means to combat

poverty. Raising human capacity and generating knowledge relevant to local conditions is

one means of stimulating local enterprise initiatives.

31

Sri Lanka

Research co-operation with SriLanka began in 1976. The greaterpart of this co-operation has been re-search training and research projects,supplemented with support to re-search funds, access to scientific in-formation, and infrastructures forICT at and among universities. Since1997 previous concentration on sci-ence and technology has been suc-cessfully concluded and the co-opera-tion has gradually shifted to the socialsciences, with regional developmentand the social reconstruction of awar-torn society as focus areas.

Sida’s research committee de-cided on continued support in Janu-ary 2003. Signing of the agreementhowever was delayed, so the actualperiod will be from October 2003–September 2007. The main objec-tives are to conclude ongoing PhDtraining and extend ICT investmentsto Jaffna University.

In recent years, Sri Lanka has hadno clear direction in terms of re-search policy and funding. Rather, adismantling of existing structures anda downgrading of universities has be-come apparent. Apart from a lack ofuniversity reform, a major drawbackhas been weak research managementat the universities. Higher educationlacks relevance to growing industries,and unemployment among the aca-demically educated is high. If nosigns are seen in the political will tochange this situation, Sweden will fi-nalise its research co-operation dur-ing the coming agreement period.

The results of research trainingand research projects have on thewhole been good and have raised SriLanka’s capacity to conduct researchon an international level. In the fieldof social science research, policies ofpoverty alleviation and regional de-velopment have been evaluated and

three books on the topic have beenpublished. The latest publication cov-ers rural-urban interface in Sri Lanka,including the role of rural periodicmarkets. It was found that the loca-tion of such market places and themeans of transportation to them wereinadequate for meeting the needs ofboth urban consumers and rural pro-ducers. However, the current modeof operation is more beneficial to theurban consumer, while the cost ofmarketing is carried by the rural pro-ducer. Regional planners need to re-structure the system to better serve theneeds of the rural population. This isrelated to the need to integrate smalltown development policies and strat-egies for urbanisation with a broaderconceptualisation of rural develop-ment and poverty alleviation.



Supported areas:Archeology, Biotechnology (Medicine,Chemistry), Biochemical Pest Control,Electrical Engineering, Library, Marine Biology,Regional Development/Poverty Alleviation,University Staff Development, ICT & Post-graduate Studies in ICT

Sri Lankan InstitutionsNARA – National Aquatic Resources Agency,ColomboNSF – National Science Foundation, Colombo

UGC – University Grants Commission, ColomboUoC – University of Colombo, ColomboUoJ – University of Jaffna, JaffnaUoK – University of Kelaniya, KelaniyaUoP – University of Peradeniya, PeradeniyaUoR – University of Ruhuna, MataraUoSJ – University of Sri Jayawardenepura,Sri Jayawardenepura

Collaborating InstitutionsCTH – Chalmers University of Technology,Göteborg

GU – Göteborg University, GöteborgISP – International Science Programs, UppsalaKU – Kalmar University, KalmarKTH – Royal Institute of Technology,StockholmSLU – Swedish University of AgriculturalSciences, UppsalaSU – Stockholm University, StockholmUU – Uppsala University, UppsalaINASP – The International Network for theAvailability of Scientific Publications, London

32

A demographic surveillance site, FilaBavi, collects data and baseline information about 11,000 households-comprising some 55,000

inhabitants in the Bavi district of Vietnam. The field laboratory has been supported by Sida/SAREC since 1997. The data are used as the basis

for broader tropical studies, and many studies covering a large span of research areas have been carried out to date, some of which have

already resulted in PhD theses. Research on gender and tuberculosis has even affected national policy. During 2003 the focus was on health

care utilisation, health effects of migration, mental health, mortality patterns, domestic violence against women and non-communicable

diseases. Findings from these studies have been presented to community representatives and the Health Policy Unit of the Ministry of Health.

33

Vietnam

Over the last decade Vietnam hasmade considerable progress in mov-ing from a planned to a marketeconomy. This has led to increasedforeign investment, rapid economicgrowth and one of the best recordsof any low-income country in reduc-ing poverty. The overall goals ofVietnam’s “Ten Year Socio-EconomicStrategy 2001–2010” are to lay thefoundations for a modern-orientedindustrialised country by 2020.The strategy’s emphasis is on povertyreduction, and the ComprehensivePoverty Reduction and Growth Strat-egy (CPRGS) has strong backing andreflects the country’s determinationto tailor such strategies to its specificneeds, approaches and priorities.

The Sida-supported research pro-gramme up to now has been plannedin three-year agreement periods be-tween Sida and the Ministry of

Science and Technology (MOST).The funds have been used for re-search collaboration in the health,natural sciences, agricultural/forestryand social science sectors. Supporthas also been given to infrastructure(laboratories, libraries and informa-tion technology).

Examples of research and activi-ties carried out in 2003 include stud-ies of national innovation systems,which led to recommendations to the“Vietnam Science and TechnologyStrategy up to the Year 2010”,adopted by the Prime Minister in De-cember, 2003. MOST has also beenin contact with several Swedish re-search councils to learn how to set upbetter research management systems.In addition, marine scientists usedGIS methodology to map environ-mental risks and sensitive zones alongthe Vietnamese coastline. The re-

Sida commitment for current agreement period: 2000–2003: SEK 54.3 million, ICT Support SEK 20 million


Supported areas:Agriculture, Health, Biotechnology, Oceanography, Social Sciences,Technology and ICT (Information & Communication Technology)

Collaborating InstitutionsISP – International Science Programs, UppsalaKI – Karolinska Institutet, StockholmKTH – Royal Institute of Technology, StockholmSkogforsk – The Forestry Research Institute, UppsalaSLU – Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, UppsalaSSE – Stockholm School of Economics, StockholmSU – Stockholm University, StockholmUmU – Umeå University, UmeåUU – Uppsala University, UppsalaCMC – Coastal Management Centre, Manila

Vietnamese InstitutionsCLST – Central Library for Science and Technology, HanoiCTU – Can Tho University, Can ThoHué University, HuéUniversity of Agriculture and Forestry, Ho Chi MinhInstitute of Material Sciences, HanoiInstitute of Oceanography, Nha TrangInstitute of Oceanology, HaiphongMOST – Ministry of Science and Technology, HanoiNCSSH – National Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities, HanoiNIAH – National Institute for Animal Husbandry, HanoiNISTPASS – The National Institute for Science and Technology Policyand Strategy Studies, HanoiRCFTI – Research Centre for Forest Tree Improvement, HanoiHanoi Medical School, HanoiAgricultural Genetics Institute, Hanoi

searchers organised training coursesand seminars for the provincialauthorities and developed plans andstrategies for integrated coastal man-agement, based on the maps andrelated studies.

Sida support to research collabo-ration in Vietnam has been going onfor 25 years. The main aim has beento strengthen research capacity byhelping to create conducive researchenvironments, providing researcheducation and assisting with methodsfor planning, setting priorities andallocating funds for research.Eventually there will be a number ofdynamic research groups and viableresearch environments capable ofconducting research and trainingPhD students without Swedish bilat-eral support.

34

The need for critical research was underlined at the CLACSO general assembly,

Havanna 2003.

35

Thematic Research

International research findings andknowledge development belong toglobal public goods, in theory acces-sible to all. In practice however thereare serious constraints, preventingpoor countries from benefiting fromthe flow of information. Earlier sec-tions of this report have describedefforts to strengthen local researchcapacity, a necessary condition forlinking up with international knowl-edge. A further problem is the orien-tation of international research, mostof which is conducted and governedby interests in the North. It has beenestimated that a maximum of 10%of global research efforts are directedto problems primarily affecting poorregions, where in fact 80% of thepopulation lives.

During the year 2003, around60% of Sida funds for research wereallocated to research programmes

committed to fill this gap. Major in-ternational research programmeslinked to the World Health Organisa-tion (WHO) and the ConsultativeGroup of International AgriculturalResearch (CGIAR) are primarilyconcerned with knowledge of centralimportance to poor people and theirdevelopment efforts. They work tokeep abreast with existing knowledge,identify urgent gaps and promote re-search in these fields. A growing con-cern is the decreasing level of corecontributions that allow such organi-sations to implement an agreed re-search agenda. Many sponsorschoose to reserve their fund for spe-cial tasks, which contributes to a frag-mentation of research efforts.

The funding situation may beeven more precarious for regionalresearch networks, where there areother problems contributing to frag-mentation. A few well establishednetworks, like the African EconomicResearch Consortium (AERC) andthe Council for the Development ofSocial Science Research in Africa(CODESRIA) can count on a rangeof sponsors. Many others howeversuffer from a lack of broad-basedfinancial support. Sida supportsseveral regional research networkscreated by committed people whoare forging regional co-operation and

adressing urgent problems, like theconsequences of HIV/AIDS, themanagement of coastal zones andpolicies for energy provision inAfrica. In Asia, networks have beencreated for conflict studies, alternateenergy scenarios and farming systemsresearch, while in Central America,regional co-operation has been setup to strengthen research in socialscience, tropical diseases and disastermanagement. All of these initiativesbuild on local contributions and haveproduced thought-provoking com-parative analyses, which are sharedwithin the region. Most of themshoulder the double ambition of con-tributing to strengthening collaborat-ing national institutions while alsofilling the void of research councilsthat allocate funds to defined re-search topics.

Sida will look into the feasibilityof consolidating some of these effortsinto regular regional research coun-cils, capable of allocating grantsbased on qualified peer review.Ideally, such bodies could receivefunding from several sources.

However, care must be taken notto destroy the fragile research com-munities and networks that manageto formulate and implement researchpriorities thanks to protected funding.

Thematic programmes disbursementsby continentpercentage of disbursements SEK 464 million

Africa; 28

Global; 54

Asia; 12 Latin America; 6

37

Natural Sciences & TechnologyAs the scientific and technological gap between the industrialised and low-income countries is widening,

capacity building is the focus for Sida’s support in the area of natural sciences and technology.

Support for basic sciences, i.e. mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology strengthens the essential

basis for research in agricultural, engineering and health sciences and is a necessary condition for

innovation.

Basic sciencesFor many years Sida has supportedthe development of basic sciences inbilateral research co-operation pro-grammes. Faculty staff has been in-volved in a “sandwich” mode of re-search training towards a PhD, whichmeans that they are active at boththeir home university and a univer-sity in Sweden. In this way, they neverloose their close relation with thehome institution but continue work-ing there during and after gradua-tion. In several low-income countries,support has made it possible for uni-versities to establish their own MSccourses and PhD training, and thefact that the PhD candidates work intheir home countries increases thelikelihood of locally defined research.The training carried out in Swedishand other counterpart institutionscreates long-term linkages betweenresearchers and institutions, for thebenefit of all countries involved.

In addition to bilateral co-opera-tion, Sida supports international pro-grammes offering grants and re-search co-operation to researchersactive at their home institutions indeveloping countries. Organisationslike ISP, ICTP, TWAS and TWOWSprovide links to high-level interna-tional networks of scientists. The com-bined impact of these efforts hashelped a number of PhDs and MScs

from low-income countries to gradu-ate each year. While many mid-in-come countries, with researchers thathave participated in these pro-grammes, have been able to establishtheir own research structures for con-ducting and financing research,scientists from low-income countrieshave become less able to compete forgrants. In the new agreements,signed in 2003, Sida support to theseprogrammes is earmarked for thetraining of candidates from the poor-est countries.

Engineering sciencesIn the area of engineering sciences,many low-income countries havedifficulties providing university leveleducation, let alone research.In 2003, Sida earmarked funds forregional co-operation as part of thebilateral support for engineering inMozambique, Tanzania and Uganda.The funds are expected to stimulateco-operation in training and researchand the capacity to identify innova-tion. The model for supportingregional interaction forges links be-tween researchers and colleagues inthe region and “forces” the institu-tions to be active partners. In thelong run it may also lead to a divisionof labour and investments in experi-mental facilities between the institu-tions, which in turn may facilitate the

creation of centres of excellence inlow-income countries.

Biotechnology capacity buildingA large part of the national econo-mies of countries like Ethiopia,Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda isbased on the export of raw materials,especially the export of unprocessedgenetic resources. Over the last dec-ade, integration of biotechnologyinto research and development pro-grammes has been initiated, espe-cially in the field of agricultural re-search. Enhanced knowledge andskills will increase the possibility ofchanging the prevailing export situa-tion and creating new job opportuni-ties and better living standards.

An example of efforts to spark offsuch a development was the establish-ment of the East African RegionalProgramme and Research Networkfor Biotechnology (BioEARN) in1999. The network, co-ordinated bythe Stockholm Environment Institute(SEI) and a regional co-ordinator, isengaged in scientific and policy as-pects of biotechnology. Through MScand PhD programmes, infrastructuresupport and networking, the pro-gramme is strengthening the biotech-nological capacity and competenceof eleven East African R&D institu-tions. Twenty PhD candidates are ex-pected to defend their doctoral theses

38

within the next two years. This ex-pertise will increase the involved EastAfrican institutions’ ability to usescience-based, agricultural, industrialand environmental biotechnology,including recombinant DNA tech-niques. Research activities within thenetwork address various subjects,among them the cloning of starch-branching enzymes in cassava thatwill make it possible for future pro-duction of the plant to have an al-tered starch composition; the charac-terisation of grey leaf fungus diseasein maize, facilitating diagnostics andthe future breeding of disease-resist-ant maize; micro-organisms from hotsprings around Lake Bogoria inKenya with potential value in indus-trial processes; and biological treat-ment of selected waste water types,facilitating improved treatment of in-dustrial and municipal waste water.Internationally recognised and inter-esting findings have been produced.In conjunction with these researchprojects, BioEARN has arranged sev-eral workshops on the national andregional levels, to build up capacityand create awareness in the fields ofbiosafety, intellectual property rightsand biotechnology policy.

Asian environment researchThe Asian Regional Research Pro-gramme on Environmental Technol-ogy (ARRPET) supports Asian insti-tutions in strengthening their capaci-ties to solve regional and local envi-ronmental problems. Twenty na-tional research institutions in eightcountries participate in this network,co-ordinated by the Asian Institute ofTechnology (AIT) in Bangkok.The research programmes comprisefour target areas, one of which iswaste water treatment and manage-ment. Studies of shrimp farmingshowed that the nutrient-rich effluent

could be used in cultivating fish,aquatic plants and weeds. Other re-search conducted in 2003 addressedsolid waste disposal practices andlandfill technology for efficient andeffective solid waste management inAsia and the improvement of airquality at various urban sites in Asiancountries during both wet and dryseason.

The Asian Regional ResearchProgramme in Energy, Environmentand Climate (ARRPEEC) is anotherSida-supported regional networkconducting environmental researchin Asia. Twenty-two national re-search institutes, co-ordinated by theAsian Institute of Technology, areinvolved. Four research projects inprogress in 2003 dealt with biomass,small and medium scale industries,the power sector and the transportsector. Also in 2003, participatingnational institutes carried out de-tailed characterisation of the mostimportant biomass energy technolo-gies in their own countries, rankingthe obstacles to implementation ofsuch technologies and measures toovercome them. Studies on technol-ogy transfer were initiated.Workshops on bioenergy technolo-gies were arranged in several coun-tries to strengthen the knowledge ofrenewable energy technologies andthe awareness of environmental pro-tection. An impact on national policywas achieved in some countries, e.g.in the Philippines, where the govern-ment is now studying the ability ofrenewable energy to contribute to thecountry’s energy supply. A 30 MWco-generation plant using bagasse asa fuel is currently under planning.

Awareness of greenhouse gasemission and its mitigation in small-and medium-size industry is on therise. Emission estimations have beenmade and obstacles that inhibit the

promotion of energy-efficient andenvironmentally sound technologiesin industry have been studied inChina, India, Philippines, Sri Lankaand Vietnam. The project networkoperating in the five countries dis-seminates research findings to gov-ernment agencies, industry associa-tions, research institutes, universitiesand NGOs.

Studies of the implementation ofclean production mechanisms in thepower industry and the subsequentdissemination of findings have led tointeresting changes in China, Indiaand Sri Lanka, including the adop-tion of clean coal technologies, fuelswitching and the use of renewablesources of energy. In Sri Lanka,ARRPEEC researchers were in-cluded on the national level in deci-sion-making on energy and environ-mental issues.

The use of certain cleaner andmore energy-efficient fuels in urbantransport and their impact on airquality was studied in Beijing,Jakarta, Delhi and several other largecities in Asia. Findings were dissemi-nated in workshops and via publica-tions and contacts with variousstakeholders related to the transportsector.

Energy supplyin sub-Saharan AfricaEnergy supply is a key factor in eco-nomic and social development, buttoo little attention is given to theneeds of rural households, farmersand small businesses. Rural house-holds in sub-Saharan Africa stillderive most of their energy frombiomass sources. Lack of modernenergy supplies in rural areas con-strains efforts to alleviate poverty andimprove living standards. In a newbook, Renewables and Energy for RuralDevelopment in Sub-Saharan Africa, pub-

39

Collaborating Institutions

Basic Sciences:International Science Programs, ISP, Uppsala, SwedenThird World Academy of Sciences, TWAS, Trieste, ItalyInternational Centre for Theoretical Physics, ICTP, Trieste, ItalyThird World Organisation for Women in Science, TWOWS, Trieste, Italy

Biotechnology, Biosafety and Biopolicy in East Africa (BIOEARN):Ugandan National Council for Science and Technology, UNCST, Kampala, UgandaStockholm Environment Institute, SEI, Stockholm, Sweden

Energy, Climate and Environment:African Energy Policy Research Network, AFREPREN, Nairobi, KenyaFood Woodstove Dissemination, FWD, Kilimani, KenyaAsian Institute of Technology, AIT, Klongluang Pathumthani, ThailandAsian Regional Research Programme in Energy, Environment and Climate (ARRPEEC), administered by AITRenewable Energy Technologies in Asia (RETS in Asia), administered by AITAsian Regional Research Programme on Environmental Technology (ARRPET), administered by AIT

lished by the African Energy PolicyResearch Network (AFREPREN),this situation is addressed. For the fivecountries discussed – Botswana,

Eritrea, Ethiopia, Zambia and Zim-babwe – the volume presents a set ofpolicy options that, if implemented,would result in increased dissemina-

tion and use of renewables and im-proved energy services in rural sub-Saharan Africa.

40

In 2003 the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) celebrated

its fortieth anniversary. The mandate of UNRISD, established as an autonomous institution

within the United Nations system, is to analyse the evolution of social relations, social

institutions and social welfare around the world.

Thandika Mkandawire, who is a Swedish national, is the 6th director of UNRISD. He was

given the post in 1997 by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. From 1986 through

1996, Thandika was Executive Secretary of the Council for the Development of Social

Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), another organisation with strong and long-with-

standing links to Sweden and Sida.

One of the cornerstones of UNRISD’s current work is a large new research programme on

social policy in a development context, to which Sida’s Department for Research Co-

operation (SAREC) is making a substantial commitment. The purpose of the effort is to

encourage genuine inter-disciplinary debate on how different approaches to social policy

can affect government capacity in promoting high-quality economic growth, strengthening

democratic institutions and improving social welfare.

41

Social Sciences & HumanitiesOver the past few decades, the role of social sciences and the humanities has assumed growing impor-

tance. As evidenced by the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995, the following

Copenhagen +5 in Geneva 2000 and especially the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG),

there is a growing need for social science and humanities research to lay the foundation for more knowl-

edge-based international and national policy-making in an effort to achieve social goals.

disciplinary approaches was theInternational Symposium on UrbanLandscape Dynamics and ResourceUse held in Uppsala in 2003. At thissymposium researchers presented re-ports showing how a multidisciplinaryapproach had led to thought-provok-ing results. For example, through themapping of levels and places ofsettlement through history it hasbeen shown possible to detect climatechange during various eras. Anotherinteresting finding of these inter-con-tinental research collaborations isthat large trade networks involvingthe Indian Ocean, the Red Sea andthe Mediterranean were intercon-nected as far back as in the first mil-lennium BC. Ethnology and linguis-tic studies also indicate that the seaand rivers were not seen as obstaclesbut as opportunities for transport andtrade.

The aim of the initiative was tocontribute to the current debate onglobal dealings with human-environ-ment interactions, e.g. long-term per-spectives on the resilience and vul-nerability of tropical urban systemsand resource use strategies. Howevermulti-disciplinarity creates new chal-lenges for researchers within the stillrelatively weak research environ-ments.

Social Sciences in AfricaNational support for the social sci-ences has been weak in many coun-tries in Africa. Regional organisationshave played an auxiliary role by sup-porting research on social, politicaland economic subjects of key con-cern for the continent. The Sida-sup-ported networks fund research activi-ties by junior and senior researchers,most of them active at African uni-versities. Research priorities are setby the networks and their research-ers, and a substantial amount of thefunds is allocated through opengrants.

The Council for the Develop-ment of Social Science Research inAfrica (CODESRIA) is a pan-Africanresearch organisation which celebrat-ed its 30th anniversary in 2003. It isrecognised not only as the pioneerAfrican social science research or-ganisation but also as the apex non-governmental centre of social knowl-edge production on the continent.CODESRIA facilitates multi-disciplinary research, promotes re-search-based publishing, contributesto capacity amongst African re-searchers through a strong trainingprogramme, promotes the principlesof academic freedom and createsmultiple fora for the exchange ofviews and information amongstAfrican social science researchers.

During almost 30 years of Sida/SAREC research co-operation,research in the social sciences andhumanities in developing countrieshas made substantial progress.There has been tremendous growthnot only in the number of researchersand research organisations but also inthe academic skills of researchers.

Today, many of the Sida-sup-ported research networks co-operatewith UN bodies or other global net-works/initiatives on an equal andhighly respected basis. Within thiscontext, the first steps were taken in2003 to establish a network of themajor social science research organi-sations in Asia, Latin America andAfrica currently supported by Sida/SAREC. The idea is to create a plat-form from which researchers fromthe South could benefit from in-creased research co-operation, andfrom which the researchers couldraise a “Southern” voice in the con-temporary international debate.This is an attempt to not only re-spond to the debate but to also playan active role in influencing it.

Over the years multi-disciplinarityhas become increasingly important inproviding new answers and insightsinto highly complex, multi-facettedissues of development. One exampleof the increased need and the newpossibilities opened by the multi-

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During 2003 CODESRIA held botha more major conference and somesub-regional conferences. The majorconference, which was held in Dakaron the theme “Intellectuals, Nation-alism and the Pan-African Ideal”, in-cluded discussions of: InterrogatingAfrican Intellectuals on Nationalismand Pan-Africanism; Fourth Genera-tion African Scholarship: Knowledge,Identity and Pan-Africanism; andState, Politics and Emerging Actors:Children, Students and the Youth inthe Nationalist and Pan-AfricanProjects.

Other African research networkssupported by Sida are the Union forAfrican Population Studies (UAPS),the African Association of PoliticalScience (AAPS) and the Organisationfor Social Science Research in Easternand Southern Africa (OSSREA).

The activities of the African Eco-nomic Research Consortium (AERC)focus on formal training within aMaster’s programme and a new PhDprogramme. The first phase of oneof the thematic research projects,“Poverty, Income Distribution andLabour Market Issues in sub-SaharanAfrica”, was completed during 2003.

Social Sciences in Latin AmericaConsejo Latinoamericano de CienciasSociales (CLACSO) plays a major rolein enhancing social sciences research,a role it has had for nearly 30 years.It is a pan-Latin American organisa-tion that supports regional researchco-operation among the more estab-lished researchers. In 2003 CLACSOheld its XXI General Assembly inCuba, a meeting that generated agreat deal of interest in the regionand attracted the active participationof Cuban president Fidel Castro.A major theme was the new globalhegemony. The discussions con-cerned new alternatives to global de-

velopment and social movements.Facultad Latinoamericano

Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO) is a fac-ulty with a strong emphasis on build-ing the national capacity for re-searchers in Latin America. Sida sup-ports three of its academic units inCentral America: Costa Rica, El Sal-vador and Guatemala. Each of thesehas a thematic focus linked to thesituation in the particular country.Guatemala, for example, with itslarge Indian population, focuses onethnicity and development.

Social Sciences in AsiaSida’s regional support to the socialsciences in Asia focuses on three criti-cal issues: political science, peace andconflict studies, and environmentaleconomics. As there are alreadystrong research environments in manycountries Sida seeks to support op-portunities for networking, compara-tive studies and dialogue around sen-sitive issues.

The Southeast Asian ConflictStudies Network (SEACSN) com-pleted the first phase of its activitieswith a conference in Malaysia inearly January 2004. In a book editedand published by SEACSN in 2003,dealing with the management andresolution of inter-state conflicts inSoutheast Asia, some of the authorsargue that a rethinking of strategiesand mechanisms for conflict manage-ment and resolution is necessary,given the changed nature of some ofthe ongoing inter-state conflicts in theSoutheast Asian region.

Environmental economics is a dis-cipline of increasing importance, asthere is a rising focus on sustainabledevelopment in view of the many en-vironmental problems facing Asiaand the great dependence on naturalresources of many countries and re-gions. The Economy and Environ-

ment Program in Southeast Asia,EEPSEA, celebrated its 10th anniver-sary in 2003, with SANDEE, theSouth Asian Network for Develop-ment and Environmental Economics,still a relatively new network coveringSouth Asia.

EEPSEA has proved to be highlysuccessful and is serving as a rolemodel for environmental economicsorganisations throughout the devel-oping world. Representatives fromAfrica, South Asia and LatinAmerica were invited to EEPSEA’sanniversary meeting to exchange ex-periences. EEPSEA-funded research-ers have also been successful in influ-encing policy-makers. One exampleis the first Marine Protected Area inVietnam, which was established aftera research report showed the benefitsand costs of protecting the area andproposed measures for protection.Another example is a research reporton policies for reducing deforestationin Sri Lanka, which was critical ofthe current system of timber permitsas it discourages investment in treeplantations. After discussions of theresearch findings with governmentofficials, the permit system for sometree species was eliminated.

InternationalSida’s support to international re-search, aimed at generating newresearch findings of interest to devel-oping countries, is granted primarilyto actively involved researchers. Co-operation with international or-ganisations is also intended to in-crease exposure to the findings of re-searchers and research organisationsin the South. An important role inthis regard is played by UNRISD,and another important UN researchorganisation with which SARECentered an agreement in 2003 isWIDER.

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In 2003, a special programme forco-operation on democracy/humanrights research between researchersin Sweden and researchers in Africa,Asia, the West Bank and the GazaStrip was completed. The pro-gramme was highlighted by a re-

Collaborating institutions:

Social Sciences:United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, UNRISD, Geneva, SwitzerlandCouncil for Development of Social Science Research in Africa, CODESRIA, Dakar, SenegalOrganisation for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa, OSSREA, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaAfrican Association of Political Science, AAPS, Pretoria, South AfricaUnion for African Population Studies, UAPS, Dakar, SenegalConsejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales, CLACSO, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaFacultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, FLACSO, San José, Costa RicaFacultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, FLACSO, Guatemala City, GuatemalaFacultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, FLACSO, San Salvador, El Salvador

Economy:African Economic Research Consortium, AERC, Nairobi, KenyaThe Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, Stockholm, SwedenEconomy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia, EEPSEA, SingaporeEnvironmental Economics Unit, Göteborg University, Göteborg, SwedenSouth Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics, SANDEE, Kathmandu, Nepal

Democracy and Human Rights Programme:Birzeit University, Birzeit, West BankJawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, IndiaUtkal University, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, IndiaUniversity of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaCentre for Research and Documentation, Kano, NigeriaInstitute for Free Flow of Information, Jakarta, IndonesiaInstitutt for Statsvitenskap, Oslo University, Oslo, NorwayCentre for East & Southeast Asian Studies, GESEAS, Göteborg University, Göteborg, SwedenPeace & Development Research Institute, PADRIGU, Göteborg University, Göteborg, SwedenDepartment of Political Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Peace & Conflict Research, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Government, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenCambodian Researchers for Development, CRD, Phnom Penh, CambodiaInstitute for Malaysian and International Studies, IKMAS, National University of Malaysia, Bangi, MalaysiaResearch and Education for Peace Unit, University of Science of Malaysia, REPUSM, Penang, MalaysiaThe Centre and Programme for Southeast Asian Studies, Indonesian Institute of the Sciences, PSEAS/LIPI, Jakarta, IndonesiaDepartment of Sociology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

Archaeology Programme:Department of History, Archaeology Unit, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (Pan African Association, PAA)Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

Gender Research:Institute of Southern Africa Studies, ISAS, University of Lesotho, Roma, Lesotho

search conference in Göteborg inSweden in 2003. The collaborativeprojects dealt with issues of democra-tisation in Southeast Asia, social capi-tal in India and South Africa, and thelinkage between education and de-mocracy with cases from Africa and

the Balkans. Other research areaswere democracy and human rights inNigeria and democracy in theMiddle East with particular referencethe Palestinian context.

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Health ResearchStrengthening the national capacity for health research, including research on health systems, remains the

long-term ambition for Sida-funded research co-operation. In addition, Sida supports research aimed at

the prevention and mitigation of serious infectious and parasitic diseases, with top priority being given to

HIV/AIDS and efforts to combat malaria. Another important field is research to improve maternal and child

health, including nutrition. These areas are supported through bilateral, regional and international research

programmes.

National support for health researchis directed at strengthening researchinstitutions, primarily universities.Included in the activities are researchtraining, equipment, managementand access to scientific information,with a focus on locally defined re-search needs. An important ambitionis to encourage local problem formu-lation and build national researchcapacity. As researchers from poorcountries where diseases are preva-lent need to be able to participate inand gain from new research findings,Sida strives to link health researchneeds in low-income countries to theinternational research agenda.

Capacity building throughregional co-operationDuring the year universities in Cen-tral America were involved in a long-term academic and scientific collabo-ration with the Karolinska Interna-tional Research Training Program.An important achievement of thecollaboration was the strengtheningof local and regional MSc and PhDprogrammes. A sandwich modelhelped alleviate the “brain drain”and so far, none of the students frompreviously supported graduateprogrammes have emigrated.The programme has evolved into theNetwork for Research and Trainingin Tropical Diseases in Central

America, NeTropica. The Swedishpartners are now more collaboratorsthan tutors. In joint studies of thebasic public health problems in theregion former graduates from variouscountries have exerted strong leader-ship in developing new tools for diag-nostic and control of infectious dis-eases. Several of the scientists main-tain strong links with local and re-gional health programmes and stepshave now been taken to establish aregional PhD programme.

Health research and policyWhile mainly supporting capacitybuilding at a national level, Sida alsobacks global initiatives aimed atenhancing national health researchcapacities. The Global Forum forHealth Research (GFHR), the Coun-cil on Health Research for Develop-ment (COHRED) and the Alliancefor Health Policy and SystemsResearch (AHPSR) represent organi-sations sharing this objective.The GFHR was founded to help cor-rect the uneven distribution of re-sources that go to research on theproblems of low-income countries.Even today only a small percentageof the world’s health research fund-ing is directed to the diseases thataccount for 90 percent of the globaldisease burden.

With many developing countrieslacking national demographic regis-ters, a demographic surveillance sys-tem (DSS) may fill the void and pro-vide the opportunity for researchwhere longitudinal baseline data areavailable. Sida has supported severalsuch DSSes within the framework ofits bilateral and thematic programmesin Guinea Bissau, Ethiopia, Bangla-desh, Nicaragua, Vietnam and, morerecently, Uganda. Thirty-one DSSfield sites in 17 developing countriescurrently make up an internationalnetwork, called INDEPTH. In 2003INDEPTH launched the HealthIntervention Trials Platform, initiallyfocussing on four poverty-related dis-eases: malaria, HIV/AIDS, TB androtavirus. Another set of activitieswas the expansion of health equitystudies, which analyse how interven-tions should be designed to reach thepoor and disadvantaged groups.

HIV/AIDS researchSida’s support to HIV/AIDS re-search is a good example of the im-portant link between national and in-ternational research. Recent findingsfrom Tanzania have shown, in con-trast to an earlier hypothesis, thatHIV-1 infected patients in sub-Saha-ran Africa display similar immuno-logical deterioration rates and timesfrom the onset of HIV-1 infection to

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clinical AIDS as has been observed insubjects in Europe and NorthAmerica.

Preventing mother-to-child trans-mission of HIV/AIDS has beengiven high priority in Sida-funded re-search. Follow-up studies of breast-feeding mothers have demonstratedthat a blood cell count in late preg-nancy, the so called CD4 lymphocytecount, gives a better prediction ofsurvival rate than the complicatedanalyses of viral load. This methodhas been used to identify high-riskgroups for treatment.

The Sida-supported programmefor HIV/AIDS research has madeimportant contributions to vaccineresearch, including help in develop-ing vaccines especially suited to theAfrican situation. The special HIV/AIDS programme also extends to so-cial science research, which is crucialin the light of the social and eco-nomic impact of HIV/AIDS inAfrica in particular. In 2003, Sidasupported four African social scienceresearch networks with projects infour main areas: patient welfare andrights in relation to HIV/AIDS, thesocio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS and responses, reversing theHIV/AIDS pandemic among youth,and the demographic, social andeconomic determinants and conse-quences of the HIV/AIDS pandemicin Africa.

Malaria researchImportant steps were taken in 2003to advance research efforts in theprevention of malaria. Swedish re-searchers shouldered the challengingtask of housing the secretariat of theMultilateral Initiative on Malaria,MIM, which is aimed at intensifyingefforts to combat malaria. MIMworks in close collaboration with theWHO Roll Back Malaria initiative

and WHO’s Tropical Disease Re-search programme, as well as withthe U.S. National Institute of Health,the Global Fund, the EuropeanUnion’s European and DevelopingCountries Clinical Trials Programme(EDCTP) and the European MalariaVaccine Initiative.

The MIM secretariat, jointly sup-ported by the Swedish ResearchCouncil, the Swedish Foundation forStrategic Research and Sida, facili-tates the mobilisation of researchersfrom different disciplines. Swedishmalaria researchers participate ac-tively in international, regional andbilateral research co-operation pro-grammes, in part funded throughSida’s support to Swedish develop-ment research.

A decision was also taken tocontinue supporting the EuropeanMalaria Vaccine Initiative, EMVI,formed to speed up the developmentof vaccines and to facilitate clinicaltrials. At the end of 2003, EMVI’sportfolio consisted of 8 candidatemolecules in various stages of devel-opment. Following safe Phase 1 clini-cal trials in Europe, a Phase 1 clinicaltrial with African adults in BurkinaFaso is now in progress, in collabora-tion with the African Malaria Net-work Trust.

A new anti-malaria combinationcalled “Lapdap” was developed in2003 by WHO’s Tropical DiseaseResearch programme (TDR), togetherwith partners in the UK, where itwas approved. The focus on develop-ing genetically modified mosquitoeswithout the ability to transmit themalaria parasite has also called atten-tion to the need to address ethical,legal and social concerns before thisorganism can be released.

Reproductive healthand child healthIn recent years the high level of illhealth and mortality in connectionwith pregnancy and child birth hasbeen given considerable attention.Sexually transmitted diseases are amajor health problem among bothmen and women. Sida has helpedfinance the WHO Human Repro-ductive Programme (HRP) as well asother initiatives, like the Centre forHealth and Population Research(ICDDR,B). A study investigatinghow arsenic-contaminated waterinfluences the health of pregnantmothers and the foetus has been initi-ated. Arsenic-contaminated water isknown to cause a variety of diseasesand is also suspected of causing mis-carriages and foetal deformities.Using the health and demographicsurveillance system at ICDDR,B, afood and micro-nutrient supplemen-tation trial was performed in a largegroup of people. The early phase ofthe study shows that it is possible toreduce the risk for miscarriage andfoetal deformities.

Children are extremely vulnerableto poverty-related diseases. Diarrhoeaand respiratory infections, combinedwith malnutrition, still comprise thelargest direct cause of child mortality.Simple and inexpensive treatmentmethods exist but more research intopreventive measures and their appli-cation in primary healthcare isneeded. For this reason, Sida sup-ports the research activities within theWHO Child and Adolescence Healthprogramme. For instance, WHO hasbeen helping conduct a study on howincreased duration of exclusive breast-feeding can influence on children’sdevelopment. The results show thatexclusive breast-feeding for sixmonths reduces the risks of stuntedgrowth and diarrhoea.

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Collaborating Institutions

Health research and policy:Global Forum for Health Research, Geneva, SwitzerlandCouncil on Health Research for Development, COHRED, Geneva, SwitzerlandAlliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, AHPSR, Geneva, Switzerland

Child health:Child and Adolescent Health and Development, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland

Sexual and reproductive health:UNDP/UNFPA/WHO/World Bank Special Programme on Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, World HealthOrganization, Geneva, SwitzerlandEast, Central and Southern African Organisation for Obstetrics and Gynaecology, ECSAOG

Tropical and other infectious diseases:UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, Geneva, SwitzerlandMekelle University College, Mekelle, EthiopiaInternational Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, ICDDR,B, Dhaka, BangladeshDepartment of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Göteborg University, Göteborg, SwedenDepartment of Immunology, Microbiology, Pathology and Infectious Diseases, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SwedenVaccines and Biologicals, World Health Organization, Geneva, SwitzerlandEuropean Malaria Vaccine Initiative, EMVI, Copenhagen, DenmarkInternational Vaccine Institute (IVI), Seoul, Korea

HIV/AIDS and related sexually transmitted diseases:National Public Health Laboratory Bissau, Bissau, Guinea-BissauMuhimbili University College of Health Sciences, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaDepartment of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Göteborg University, Göteborg, SwedenSwedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Stockholm, SwedenMicrobiology and Tumour Biology Centre, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SwedenInternational Aids Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), New York, USADepartment of Medical Microbiology, Dermatology and Infection (MMDI), Lund University, Lund, Sweden

Research training and networking in biomedicine in Central America:Fundación para el Desarollo Económico y Social de Centroamérica, FUNDESCA, Panamá, Panamá The Karolinska International Research and Training Committee, KIRT, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SwedenNetwork for Research and Training in Parasitic Diseases at the Southern Cone of Latin America, RTPD, Porto Alegre, BrazilRegional programme for environmental and health research in Central America:Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances, Heredia, Costa RicaDepartment for Systems Ecology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

Other:Non Communicable Disease Surveillance, World Health Organization, Geneva, SwitzerlandResearch, Policy and Co-operation, World Health Organization, Geneva, SwitzerlandInternational Network of Field Sites with continuous Demographic Evaluation of Populations and their Health in Developing Countries, INDEPTH,Accra, Ghana

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Maize is an important food crop in sub-Saharan Africa, but it is attacked by a number of stemborers, causing losses up to 40%. ICIPE’s answer

to this problem lies in applying the infochemicals used by stemborers to locate their host plants for egg-laying and in avoiding plants that

favour their feeding and reproduction. ICIPE has developed a so called push-pull strategy, which means that a preferred host plant, e.g. Sudan

grass or napier grass, is planted as a border around the maize to provide a “pull” to the borers to lay eggs in the bordering crop. It then

provides a “pull” for natural enemies (usually small parasitic wasps) to attack the borer larvae deep inside the stem. A third crop, e.g.

Desmodium, that repels the borers is planted between the maize rows to provide a strong “push”. As an added value Desmodium was also

found to suppress the parasitic striga weed (the pink flowers).

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Developing countries face enormouschallenges. They have to cope withthe environmental burden of the ac-tivities of the developed world andmanage the trade opportunities andrisks of globalisation. At the sametime, they have to fight poverty byusing their natural resources in a sus-tainable way. This requires knowl-edge and analytical capacity. It is notenough to have technical access tointernational research findings; tofind, evaluate and choose informa-tion, countries need to have theirown active research. This is not onlya question of choosing the right tech-nologies, it is also about experiment-ing and testing which knowledge isbest suited to local conditions andcan or will be accepted by those whouse it. It is also about the capacity oflocal researchers to evaluate the rightquestions and choose good hypoth-eses to test.

Support for local research institu-tions and research training capacityat national universities are importantelements of Swedish research co-op-eration. However, sustained researchefforts require access to researchgrants, ideally provided by nationalresearch councils. As few of the poor-est countries have appropriate techni-cal and financial resources, it isinteresting to note that some of theSida-supported regional research

programmes are moving towardsresearch council functions.

Lake Victoria Research InitiativeThe Lake Victoria Research Initia-tive, VicRes, has been established aspart of the Swedish comprehensivesupport to the Lake Victoria region.Co-ordinated by the Inter UniversityCouncil for East Africa (IUCEA),VicRes acts as a research councilwith the aim of encouraging regionaland multidisciplinary research thatwill offer practical solutions to pov-erty and environmental degradationin the Lake Victoria basin.

The long-term objectives arefour-fold: capacity building at the or-ganisational level; capacity buildingfor individual researchers and groups;generating new knowledge for thebenefit of the people living in the re-gion and beyond; and the forging ofother Sida-supported research pro-grammes in the region into a comple-mentary and/or synergistic system.

Proposals for research may ad-dress biological, chemical, physical orsocio-economic aspects important tothe conservation, production andsustainable utilisation of variousresources.

Research is conducted in thematicareas by regional teams. In this waythe international body of research isenriched by African perspectives,

which in turn contributes to illumi-nate global questions. In a longerperspective this could also have aneffect on the international researchagenda. In 2003, VicRes’s first year,the theme of “wetlands” attractedsome 100 applications. Thirteenteams were formed, involving 55 in-vestigators in the region. The re-search covers a range of disciplinesfrom pollution, fish farming and me-dicinal plants to gender and socio-economic issues.

Forestry ResearchAnother Sida-supported regionalresearch network is housed and co-ordinated at the African Academyof Sciences (AAS). To encouragecollaboration across the borders –between the countries and disciplinesin forestry, covering the main spec-trum of tropical eco-zones – a pan-African network has been formed.AFORNET, the African ForestryResearch Network, is essentially afunding mechanism allocating grantsfor joint research in forestry, with thetwo-fold objective of mobilising re-searchers for common objectives andenhancing African capacity in for-estry research.

Marine and coastal scienceThe Western Indian Ocean MarineScience Association (WIOMSA)

Environmental Sciences& Natural ResourcesSida support to “Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences” is directed towards new knowledge that

can contribute to environmentally friendly and sustainable growth, which is important to the goal of reduc-

ing poverty. The support goes to bilateral, regional and international co-operation programmes as well as

to Swedish development research.

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co-ordinates a marine science pro-gramme designed to support researchof broad regional importance andrelevance to science and society.

One of the recent milestonesachieved by WIOMSA is the initia-tion of a competitive research grantscheme. This has promoted multi-disciplinary research in the naturaland social sciences, with practicalapplications in a number of differentareas, including the valuation ofmangrove-associated fisheries andseagrass ecosystems, the manage-ment of coral reefs and aquaculture,and the impact of eco-tourism ondolphins.

Through support for scientificsymposiums, workshops, a profes-sional journal and selected bookpublications, the programme has alsohad major significance for the dis-semination of marine science find-ings and the international visibility ofcoastal and marine issues in the WIOregion. For example the ThirdWIOMSA Scientific Symposium,held in Mozambique in October2003, was attended by 150 partici-pants from most of the countries inthe region and a number of countriesin Europe. The proceeding Advancesin Marine Science in Eastern Africa:Multidisciplinary Research for ImprovedManagement of Resources is to be pub-lished in international journals.

Farming systemsin South East AsiaFollowing the positive experience ofresearch and training co-operationbetween the Nong Lam University inHo Chi Minh City and the SwedishUniversity for Agricultural Sciences,a regional research training networkwas formed. The programme in-volves 13 universities and researchinstitutes in Vietnam, Cambodia,Laos and Thailand. The research

focuses on the role of livestock inagricultural production systems forsmallholders, e.g. the recycling oflivestock or agricultural waste andvarious aspects of the use of localfodder species.

Research results are presented attechnical workshops and at the re-gional annual workshop (and in itsproceedings). MSc level courses havebeen arranged in Laos, Thailand andVietnam. Useful research findings fordeveloping sustainable agriculture inthe Mekong region have been gener-ated on systems for scavenging poul-try, buffaloes in integrated farmingsystems, tree foliage for goats, foragefor pigs and low-cost methods for re-cycling of livestock waste throughbiodigesters and water plants.

International ResearchThe Consultative Group for Interna-tional Agricultural Research, CGIAR

The CGIAR is the most impor-tant of the international researchorganisations in the field of naturalresources. Its 15 specialised institutesmaintain an overview of interna-tional research in their respectivefield and identify and conduct re-search in neglected research areas ofkey relevance to poverty reduction.

During 2003, steps were takentowards a reform to engage researchnetworks outside the institutes, the socalled challenge programmes.One aim of this evolutionary processis to open the CGIAR to otheractors, such as national agriculturalresearch systems, advanced researchinstitutes and the private sector.

A new science council, with themandate of overseeing scientificorientation and quality, was set up in2003. A policy issue of central im-portance is related to the propertyrights of plant genetic resources.This is an area where developing

countries need to develop a capacityto defend their rights and interests.

International Centre for InsectPhysiology and Ecology, ICIPEWhile the CGIAR system is prima-rily geared to the development ofnew knowledge, ICIPE and its re-search agenda are engaged in system-atic research training in collaborationwith African universities. The scopeof research and training activitiescovers e.g. the development of toolsand strategies for controlling andmanaging plant pests and diseasevectors; biodiversity; bioprospectingfor botanicals for human, animal andplant health products; and the studyof socio-economic aspects of arthro-pod-related development issues.In addition to research activities,ICIPE plays an important regionalrole in its PhD level research trainingin collaboration with African univer-sities.

International Foundationfor Science, IFSIFS was established as a grant alloca-tion mechanism for active researchersat developing-country institutions,thereby to some degree compensat-ing for the lack of a national researchcouncil. Support is given to projectsin areas such as agriculture, forestry,natural products, water and aquaticresources and research on the sus-tainable utilisation and conservationof natural ecosystems.

Over the years IFS has had a sig-nificant influence in countries withemerging scientific communities.Since beginning to fund activities in1972 it has supported more than3,200 scientists in more than 100 de-veloping countries. Some of thesecountries now have well functioningresearch councils and strong researchcommunities. Since 2003, applicants

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Collaborating institutions:

Regional marine research programmes:Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association, WIOMSA, Zanzibar, TanzaniaCoastal Management Research Centre, COMREC, Södertörn University College, Stockholm, SwedenCoral Reef Degradation in the Indian Ocean, CORDIO, Kalmar University, Kalmar, SwedenUniversity of Dar es Salaam, Institute of Marine Science, Zanzibar, TanzaniaNational Aquatic Resources Agency, NARA, Colombo, Sri LankaGöteborg University, Göteborg, SwedenStockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenUniversity of Ruhuna, Matura, Sri Lanka

Dryland projects:African Research Programme on Sustainable Use of Dryland Biodiversity, RPSUD, Nairobi, KenyaPastoral Information Network Project, PINEP, Department of Range Management, University of Nairobi, KenyaResearch Programme for Environmental Policy and Society, EPOS, Linköping University, Linköping, SwedenAfrican Forestry Research Network, AFORNET, African Academy of Science, AAS, Nairobi, Kenya

International agricultural research, food security and genetic resources:Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research, CGIAR:– International Potato Center, CIP, Lima, Peru– International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, ICIPE, Nairobi, Kenya– International Food Policy Research Institute, IFPRI, Washington, USA– International Rice Research Institute, IRRI, Manila Philippines– International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, CIMMYT, Mexico City, Mexico– International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria– International Center for Tropical Agriculture, CIAT, Cali, Colombia– International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, ICRISAT, Andhra Pradesh, India– International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, ICARDA, Aleppo, Syria– International Livestock Research Institute, ILRI, Nairobi, Kenya– International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, IPGRI, Rome, Italy– West Africa Rice Development Association, WARDA, Bouak, Ivory Coast– International Centre for Research in Agroforestry, ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya– Center for International Forestry Research, CIFOR, Jakarta, Indonesia– International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management, Inc., ICLARM, Makati City, Philippines– International Irrigation Management Institute, IMWI, Colombo, Sri LankaAfrican Centre for Technology Studies, ACTS, Nairobi, KenyaInternational Foundation for Science, IFS, Stockholm, SwedenLake Victoria Research Initiative – VicRes, Inter-University Council for East Africa, IUCEA, Kampala UgandaNational Biodiversity Institute of Costa Rica, INBio, Costa RicaNational Botanical Institute of South Africa, Cape Town, South AfricaNational Herbarium and Botanic Gardens of Malawi, MalawiRegional Farming Systems in Asia, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

from poor developing countries havebeen given priority and IFS grantsand support efforts are directed toresearchers from less developed coun-

tries. IFS’s world-wide network of wellestablished scientists can now serve asan important pool of advisors.

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Swedish Development Research

Approximately 10 per cent of Sida’sappropriation for research co-opera-tion is allocated to developmentresearch in Sweden. The figure for2003 was SEK 100 million.

Sida has a special responsibilityfor stimulating interest in develop-ment issues among Swedish researchinstitutes. The Sida DevelopmentResearch Council provides grants forresearch projects and support to Ph.D.students, post-doctorate researchersor guest lecturers. Proposals areevaluated by scientific advisorygroups. The support is mainly givento research themes defined by theacademic community, but Sida alsoinvites applications for specific themesof particular interest to Swedishdevelopment co-operation.

Funding is divided into five areas:natural resources and the environment;health research; science, technologyand industrialisation; economic, socialand political dimensions of develop-ment; and the humanities, educationand culture. Project applications relatedto environmental problems can befound in most of these areas.

In 2003, Sida received 454 fund-ing applications for projects dealingwith development issues, of which itaccepted 125.

In the field of natural resourcesand the environment, issues relatedto marine sciences dominate.Other subjects include the waytenure farming and other socio-economic conditions affect the useof natural resources and food distri-bution.

In health, studies of tropical dis-eases dominate. Other focus areasinclude research into mental health,HIV, reproductive health, mother/child health and nutrition.

The major themes in science,technology and industrialisation arewater, energy, urban issues and pollu-tion and industrialisation in develop-ing countries.

With regard to the economic,social and political dimensions ofdevelopment, political science andeconomics are the main focus areas.Sida-supported Swedish economicresearch covers a wide range of issues,including micro-finance, globalisation,

Health research; 18

Humanities, educaion

Natural resources &

Science, technology& industrialisation; 24

Economic, political& social dimensions of

environment; 22

& culture; 13

development; 23

The research grants distributedby research areapercentage of 2003 total allocation,SEK 88 million

regional integration, national produc-tion systems and the effects of HIV/AIDS on economic performance.Poverty alleviation and equity issuesare essential components of moststudies.

In the humanities, education andculture, the main areas are anthro-pology and archaeology. Related tothis are studies in human geographyand analyses of the history of cul-tural landscapes. In similar fashion,language studies contribute to knowl-edge about mental landscapes.

53

Swedish Research Links

medicine and most applicants camefrom Iran.

The reviewing process also en-gaged researchers from the MENAregion and took place both at theSwedish Institute in Alexandria andin Sweden. Out of 17 applications,12 were approved for 2003–2005.

Allocations for the first year (2003)amounted to SEK 3.6 million.

AsiaThe Asian-Swedish Research Partner-ship Programme solicited its secondround of proposals in 2003. The ma-jority of submitted applications werein natural sciences, technology andenvironment. Out of 46 joint appli-cations, four concerned inter-regionalcollaborations. The counterpartscame mainly from China, India,Vietnam and Bangladesh.

The reviewing process was carriedout by a Swedish advisory panel and33 applications were approved for2003–2005. Allocations for the firstyear (2003) amounted to SEK 6.5million.

With the aim to encourage coopera-tion between Swedish researchersand researchers in South Africa, theMENA region (Middle East andNorthern Africa) and Asia a specialprogramme, Swedish Research Links,has been launched. Joint applicationsfor funding of collaborative activitiescan be submitted annually.

South AfricaThe first research link programme,the South African-Swedish ResearchPartnership Programme, was initiatedin early 2000 and solicited its fifthround of proposals in 2003.

Out of 47 joint applications forthree-year grants, 19 were approved

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

South Africa Asia MENA

Medicine

Natural Science and Technology

Environmental Sciences and NaturalResources Sciences

Social Sciences and Humanities

for the period 2004–2006. Theawarded applications covered all dis-ciplines, with an emphasis on naturalsciences and technology.

The reviewing process took placeboth in South Africa, through theNational Research Foundation’s (NRF)advisory panel, and in Sweden,through Swedish research councilsFORMAS (the Swedish ResearchCouncil for Environment, Agricul-tural Sciences and Spatial Planning)and Vetenskaps-rådet.

55 joint projects are currently inoperation and 39 universities in SouthAfrica and Sweden are involved in thepartnership programme. Sida com-mitment for current agreement pe-riod, 2001–2004: SEK 30 million.

Middle East and Northern Africa– MENAThe MENA-Swedish Research Part-nership Programme solicited its sec-ond round of proposals in May 2003.The submitted joint applications forthree-year grants represented all dis-ciplines, but the majority concerned

54

Membersof the Sida Research Committee 2003

Professor Mårten Carlsson, ChairmanDivision of Horticultural EconomicsSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences Alnarp

Professor Barbara EkbomInstitution of EntomologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsala

Professor Ian BrycesonCentre for International Environmentand Development Studies, NORAGRICÅs, Norway

Professor Göte HanssonDepartment of EconomicsLund UniversityLund

Professor Lotta MellanderInstitute for the Health of Women and Children/Department of PaediatricsGothenburg UniversityGothenburg

Professor Bo SundqvistRectorUppsala UniversityUppsala

Professor Lena TrojerBlekinge Institute of TechnologyDepartment of Human Work Science and Media TechnologyBlekinge

Professor Aud TalleInstitutt og museum for antropologi, IMAEtnografisk museumOslo, Norway

Professor Hans WigzellMicrobiology and Tumor Biology CenterKarolinska InstitutetStockholm

Göran Holmqvist, Director, Latin America Department, Sida

Berit Olsson, Director, Department for Research Cooperation, SAREC, Sida

55

Staff 2003Sida, Department for Research Cooperation, SAREC

Berit Olsson Director

Jimmy Gunnarsson Financial officer

María Wibom-Willén Secretary to the Directorand the Sida Research Committee

Karin Ringberg Controller

Johannes Borgegård Information officer

Division for University Support and National Research Development

Tomas Kjellqvist Head of Division

Hannah Akuffo Acting Head of Division,Senior research advisor, Uganda,health research

Renée Ankarfjärd Research advisor, Laos,natural resources

Maria-Teresa Bejarano Research advisor, Honduras,health research

Håkan Berg Research advisor, Nicaragua,natural resources: marine sciences

Christina de Carvalho Research advisor Tanzania,health research

Anders Clarhäll Research advisor, Sri Lanka,natural sciences and technology

Måns Fellesson Research advisor, Ethiopia,social sciences

Solveig Freudenthal Research advisor, Vietnam,health research

Kwame Gbesemete Research advisor, Burkina Faso,social sciences

Zinaida Iritz Research advisor, Mozambique,natural sciences and technology

Lotta Jacobsen Programme administrator

Maija Lindroos Senior research advisor, Bolivia,natural sciences and technology

Tussi Lovén Registrar

Håkan Marstorp Research advisor, Ethiopia,natural resources

Irene Opira Registrar

Viveka Persson Research advisor,health research

Ingrid Rifflet Programme administrator

Beate-Marie Strömsnes Programme administrator

Esther Tewolde-Berhan Programme administrator

Bertil Wahlund Research advisor, Sri Lanka,natural sciences and technology

Division for Thematic Programmes

Sten-Åke Elming Head of Division

Karin Afli Programme administrator,natural sciences and technology

Ramses Amer Senior research advisor,social sciences

Monika Mörtberg Backlund Research advisor,natural sciences and technology

Gity Behravan Research advisor,natural sciences and technology

Marianne Boqvist Programme administrator,social sciences

Barbro Carlsson Senior research advisor,health research

Ann-Christine Eliasson Research advisor, health research

Anders Gerdin Research advisor,development economy, social sciences

Ellinor Gillberg Assistant

Marianne Lindqvist Programme administrator,health research

Jan Lundius Research advisor, social sciences

Nina Löfquist Programme administrator,social sciences

Marianne von Malmborg Programme officer,Sida Council for Development Research

Santa Nockrach Programme administrator,natural resources

Eva Ohlsson Research advisor, natural resources

AnnaMaria Oltorp Research advisor, social sciences

Anne Sisask Editor Sida Studies

Pär Svensson Research advisor, health research

Carl-Gustaf Thornström Senior research advisor,natural resources

Staffan Wiktelius Senior research advisor,natural resources

56

Notes

Halving poverty by 2015 is one of the greatestchallenges of our time, requiring cooperationand sustainability. The partner countries areresponsible for their own development. Sidaprovides resources and develops knowledge andexpertise, making the world a richer place.

SWEDISH INTERNATIONALDEVELOPMENT COOPERATION AGENCY

SE-105 25 Stockholm SwedenPhone: +46 (0)8 698 50 00Fax: +46 (0)8 698 56 [email protected], www.sida.se

forging links - cdn.sida.se

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