AFRICA’s leading expert on law and development issues, Prof Issa Shivji has urged scholars in the country to conduct studies whose results will push for the formulation of research based policies.
Prof Shivji made the call on Monday at a one-day scholarly symposium organised by the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), College of Social Sciences (CoSS) heralded by them: ‘freedom, rights and responsibilities of academics’.
“There is no reason for the researcher to start shouting at the Government or policymakers to use their research.
“Citizens themselves will pressure the government to act on the research findings,” said Prof Shivji. “If you want the government to work on your research, come up with citizen based studies.”
Prof Shivji said academicians have pivotal role society, the reason why they should conduct direct research related to the community to establish sources of various problems and offer their recommendations.
“Research is not just writing information to the Government, administrator or donors. Research means doing study in the real situation of the people, especially to the low class communities to establish the gap that exists and to give solutions to address them,” the former UDSM don said.
On his part, the UDSM Senior Lecturer of Sociology and Anthropology, Dr Richard Sambaiga said the debate aims to look at the responsibility and freedom of researchers in processing ideas and research.
Dr Sambaiga said that the debate focused on two major areas including the challenges in conducting scholarly debates at UDSM, the steps taken and the challenges, a topic which was well presented by Prof Shivji.
The second area was about monopolies of academic publications which will be presented by Prof Domenico Fiomonte from the University of Rome Tree, Italy.