Research Collaboration between Mzumbe University and the University of Agder

The NUFU-project 2007-2011:

Governance, Gender and Scientific Quality (GGSQ)

In 2007 Mzumbe University and the University of Agder jointly applied to the NUFU programme, administered under the Norwegian Centre for International University Collaboration and funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for financial support of a research project called “Governance, Gender and Scientific Quality” GGSQ.

The project was allocated 3.4 mill. NOK for the 2007 – 2011 project period.

Anne Ryen and Bjørn Furuholt are key University of Agder professors in the project with Anne Ryen as Project Coordinator.

GGSQ Management

Project coordinator University of Agder: Anne Ryen, Associate Professor, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences.

Project coordinator Mzumbe University: Dr. Eulalia Temba, Associate Professor., Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences.

Leaders of the GGSQ projects

G: How to utilise ICT for good governance (e-governance)

• Bjørn Furuholt, Associate Professor, the University of Agder
• Simon Njovo, Senior Lecturer, Mzumbe University

G: Gender: remuneration in private business:

• Anne Ryen, Associate Professor, the University of Agder
• Eulalia Temba, Associate Professor, Mzumbe University

SQ: AFRIQUAL: qualitative research in Africa:

• Anne Ryen, Associate Professor, the University of Agder
• Eulalia Temba, Associate Professor, Mzumbe University

GGSQ Objectives

G: Gender: remuneration in private business (Ryen/Temba)

The general objective of studying ”gender in business” is to get detailed descriptions of gendered and gendering processes in organisational remuneration policies in business organisations in formal sector in East-Africa in order to counteract systematic skewed access to welfare.

This project will explore the monetary (the cash part) and the non-monetary (fringe benefits) parts of the pay-packet from a gender perspective. We stress the variety in remuneration as former research has shown that payment in kind and services are by far more important contributors to employee welfare in Tanzania with minimum public welfare compared to the Nordic countries. The overall aim is to produce detailed knowledge of the Tanzanian pay-packet or the private business remuneration system.

The results will be published as national and international publications based on data from a survey and multiple qualitative studies in private businesses in Tanzania and safeguarding quality via AFRIQUAL (see SQ below).

G: How to utilise ICT for good governance (e-governance) (Furuholt/Njovo)

In line with the objectives of The Tanzanian National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP), the project is aiming to increase the competence about good governance in Tanzania in general, and to build up strategic competence on e-Government systems at Mzumbe University, in particular.

A baseline project, mapping all the e-Government initiatives and experiences throughout Tanzania will form a foundation for the following research activities. The projects will produce a number of scientific publications presented through international journals and conferences. Together with dissemination activities across Tanzania, this will give important input to decision-makers (politicians or governmental officers) as well as useful information to the general public.

SQ: AFRIQUAL (Ryen/Temba)

Background
External criticism of qualitative research has referred to the credibility of this methodology. Initiatives to counteract this tendency have been made by publications at the frontier in the field and others on specific methods like the interview, ethnography, on research practice or research ethics.

An initiative has been made by The European Science Foundation` s (ESF) international programme EUROQUAL. Courses in qualitative research will be offered in European research communities across countries. Ryen is member of the EUROQUAL programme steering group (appointed by the Norwegian Research Council as Norway‘s representative).

EUROQUAL initiated from researchers linked up with the ESA Network of Qualitative Research where Ryen is Vice-President (ESA= the European Sociological Association). AFRIQUAL takes this further across continents also due to contextual characteristics in East- African societies like frequently overlapping historical differences in culture, ethnicity, religion and economic resources that pose particular challenges in qualitative research practice, and due to epistemological traditions.

Objective
The objective of this part is to improve the scientific quality of qualitative research studies done at MU. This will be materialised by developing flexible methodology courses and seminars preferably at master level at MU to make sure that qualitative studies performed at MU keep a high scientific level that can withstand the criticism challenging the validity of the research.

Output commitment

In the period we have committed ourselves to the following outputs:

A: To fund two PhD candidates from Mzumbe University

Degrees will be awarded by Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, the University of Agder

B: The following publications and dissemination:

The Norwegian Programme for Development, Research and Education (NUFU)

The NUFU programme

• is part of the Norwegian development cooperation funded by Norad.
• supports independent academic cooperation based on initiatives from researchers and institutions in the South and their partners in Norway.
• supports institutional cooperation and projects between Norwegian universities/specialised universities/university colleges and their partner institutions in the South, directed towards building sustainable capacity and competence in research and research-based education in universities in the South.

Goal

The goal of the NUFU-programme is to support the development of sustainable capacity and competence for research and research-based higher education in developing countries relevant to national development and poverty reduction, and to contribute to enhanced academic collaboration in the South and between South and North.

(cited from http://siu.no/en/programoversikt/nufu_programmet)

Goals of Norwegian development cooperation

The purpose of Norwegian development cooperation is to contribute towards lasting improvements in economic, social and political conditions for the populations of developing countries, with particular emphasis on ensuring that development aid benefits the poorest people

(cited from http://www.norad.no/default.asp?V_ITEM_ID=1284).

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