With research for credits, varsities can play vital role in country’s development

Our universities have been accused of not engaging enough in research. They have cited lack of funds as one of the key reasons for their pitiful research output.

They have also cited lack of time since lecturers are burdened with teaching, handling large classes and having to move between campuses.

The government and its agencies have not escaped this problem either, as evidenced by the many policies that are implemented without the backing of proper research.

For example, what study informed the National Transport and Safety Authority’s 50kph speed limit on our highways? What about Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero’s wastage of taxpayers’ money on expensive traffic lights and camera systems whose sole purpose seems to be to annoy drivers at night with their bright flashes?

While many private organisations allocate a sizeable chunk of their operating capital to research, the opposite seems to apply to the government and its agencies, where there is little or no provision for this purpose. Many government policies face opposition because there is no evidence to back them up. They appear to be based more on whims, hearsay, and poorly conducted comparative studies.

RESEARCH IS EXPENSIVE

Research is an expensive undertaking. That is why governments step in to fund high-cost, high-return long-term research projects.

This is not the case in Kenya. Even vital research organisations such as the Kenya Medical Research Institute have a sizeable chunk of their funding coming from sources other than the government.

This is understandable only to a small extent. Yes, the government has a lot to throw money at, from satisfying MPs’ greed to improving the pay of our long-suffering teachers. However, some of the problems it faces could easily be solved with adequate investment in research so that we can get it right the first time round.

So, what can the government do to increase research without affecting government expenditure? What can our universities do to increase their research output and promote such studies among their students? Research participation for credits could be one approach. This involves crediting a student for participating in a research, whether as an assistant or as a respondent.

An introductory course in the first year at university would acquaint the student with what research is all about. In subsequent years, the student’s participation in research, organised by the government in collaboration with the university, would be credited to them.

DATA COLLECTION

The student would have research credits to fulfil every subsequent academic year and would participate in a number of activities, including developing data collection tools and collecting and analysing the data. The students would be closely supervised by their lecturers or a research coordinator appointed by the government agency concerned to ensure quality data and credible results.

University students are expected to take several research courses and undertake independent research or project work at the end of their training. Under the participatory approach, students would interact with research throughout their training to gain practical skills that employers would find useful. This could also be the solution to the problem of students cheating in research projects: continuous participation in research means that the student would be well prepared for their final individual projects. The approach would also help to build a research mindset in students, creating a workforce that relies on research rather than whim and hearsay.

CUT COSTS

Since there are more than 20 public universities, with campuses spread across the country, the government would cut two major research costs — paying personnel and travel expenses — as each campus would have students conducting research within its locality. Universities would further cut costs if they cross-collaborated on research projects.

The Commission for University Education recently placed advertisements in newspapers, calling for proposals on the development of a research training policy for local universities. It is my hope that the commission will not settle for run-of-the-mill policies, but consider a radical shift, such as research participation for credits.

Mr Mugendi is a publisher in Nairobi. [email protected]