Building sustainable research systems in a crisis
Executive Director John Young reflects on the challenges of 2020 and how the lessons feed into INASP's vision for the future.
Jules Mason, the newest member of INASP's Board of Trustees, shares reflections on the past year and on what working in coalition means for INASP.
Worldwide, the past year has been shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic and with it the requirement to respond, adapt and address the disproportionate effect on people who are already disadvantaged and existing cracks in knowledge ecosystems at all levels. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of the vision of a more equitable knowledge ecosystem, where every voice counts, that is central to INASP's new strategy.
Almost everything in 2020 was defined and shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. At INASP this meant an increased focus on the online approaches that we have been developing over the past decade, and an opportunity to share our learning with others.
We believe that every voice counts and we must recognise and support the inclusion of diverse voices and experiences in our work, and in knowledge ecosystems. Here we share some of the ways that INASP and partners have been considering and working to redress inequities related to gender during 2020.
Read more
Programme highlights
The importance of appropriate and timely use of evidence has been demonstrated many times over the past year as countries tackle the pandemic and its implications on education, employment and health in different ways. INASP supports government departments, parliaments and other public bodies to improve the use of knowledge in policy making. Over the past year our projects have included Strengthening the Use of Evidence for Development Impact and Data for Accountability. We have also reflected on the evolution of evidence-informed policy and the resulting changes in our own approaches.
Over the past year, we have continued to support research capacity through the AuthorAID project, trained and support journal editors and sought to understand more about the challenges facing researchers today.
Young people have a vital role to play in development, as change makers and future leaders in the public sector, in business, in NGOs and in communities. Over the course of 2020, INASP and partners have learned about and adapted support to higher education transformation in two partnerships in Africa in order to prepare students for future roles in society, business and public institutions.
Inequities within and between research and knowledge systems prevent the full potential of Southern talent from being brought to bear on local and global challenges. Over the past year, through a range of projects, we have supported actors across the global research and knowledge system to understand the most effective ways of supporting Southern knowledge production and use by driving engagement with and uptake of effective capacity development.
Thank you to members of our AuthorAID community and other partners for sharing their photos for use in this annual review.