DDRN – Page 34 – Danish Development Research Network

Driving Tanzanian ‘Sayansi’

The tall building, which accommodates the Tanzanian Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), is popularly called ‘Sayansi’ – a simplified swahilification of the English word for science. COSTECH is a parastatal organisation with the responsibility of co-ordinating and promoting research and technology in Tanzania, including international cooperation. It is thus also the Tanzanian counterpart for the South-Driven Development Research Projects administered by the Danish Fellowship Centre (DFC) and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

The UN 2015 Report Transforming Our World defines a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to guide world development until 2030. The 17 SDGs are universal by definition. Private sector, public and civil society organisations worldwide refer to the SDGs. At ddrn.dk, the SDGs will serve as a basic classification when covering contributions of knowledge for sustainable development.

Research for advocacy

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) make use of research findings when advocating program interventions and policy reform. Anne Sørensen, who was the Chief Coordinator of DDRN 2007-2011, tells about a few examples from her present work as the Programme Manager for Education in Oxfam IBIS, Denmark. Anne Sørensen feels that a thorough mapping of research practises and research needs of development NGOs would help to set research agendas.