Date: February 16, 2024
Time: 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Venue : Online Zoom (Register now)
Theme: Media as tool for disseminating research result

Background                                                                                                        

Independent think tanks and research centers around the world play a key role in shaping policy, whether economic or social. These important contributions and the emerging global trends of think tanks around the world make them significant contributors to governments and civil societies. According to the University of Pennsylvania’s 2019 ranking of the world’s best think tanks and research centers, African think tanks are poorly represented in the global top 50. Think tanks from countries in the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) are virtually absent from this ranking (McGann, 2019).

This non-representation of ECCAS think tanks among the best in the world in the 2019 Go To Think Tank report published by the University of Pennsylvania is linked in particular to academic performance, the quality and reputation of the research and analyses produced, i.e. their capacity to produce high-quality, rigorous, policy-oriented research that is accessible to decision-makers, the media and the public. This multifactorial underperformance calls on ECCAS think tanks, whose role is to raise awareness through publications, scientific essays and relevant policy recommendations, to make more consistent efforts.

In view of the above, strengthening the research skills of think tank staff is a possible solution to improve their visibility and performance. To this end, the Nkafu Policy Institute is setting up an exchange platform for think tanks and independent research centers in Central Africa to share experiences and capitalize on lessons learned in research, in order to become more visible and influential at regional, continental and global levels. This exchange platform will take the form of collaborative online capacity building sessions for ECCAS think tanks.

Objectives

This capacity building workshop for researchers from think tanks and research centers in the ECCAS region aims to capitalize on research opportunities in key areas such as individual rights, governance and accountability, and regional integration. Specifically, it will focus on:

• Deepening general research knowledge
• Improving skills in policy proposal presentation and scientific writing
• Capitalizing on research communication skills and knowledge
• Optimizing the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of research projects

Target Audience

These capacity building sessions are planned for researchers from ECCAS think tanks and independent research centers, particularly women.

Expected output

At the end of the different sessions, participants will have acquired additional in-depth skills to conduct independent, evidence-based research. The training will also enable researchers across the ECCAS region to strengthen collaborations with different national and international stakeholders.

Logistic

The workshop will be held virtually via the Zoom platform and will be held in French and English. It will be live-streamed on the Foretia Foundation & Nkafu Policy Institute websites, and social media platforms.

Contact

Email: [email protected] / Tel: (+237) 654 86 72 54.