Research has been a major contributor to social and economic advancement of society. To increase economic growth and productivity, many countries often invest in research and development (R&D). However, there has been insufficient investment in the research sector. This has led competitive R&D, poor research training, infrastructure, and a lack of strategic research planning for many organizations. This has been recognised as a major impediment to economic growth, innovation, and advancement of human development.
Research and Development has increased lately in many countries Kenya included because it has helped in strengthening the economic development, create new knowledge and support the countries to achieve higher GDP. This therefore calls for many institutions including academia to start making research to inform our daily lives.
As the Covid pandemic has shown, a critical pre-condition for solving complex global challenges is the development of institutions that are committed to scientific research and technological innovation and the creation and sharing of knowledge. These are vital elements in the design and implementation of a social and business environment that can support sustainable development, wellbeing, and prosperity.
High impact research, that is, research with demonstrable contribution to society and the economy, can only be undertaken by institutions with a critical mass of motivated researchers, strongly connected to global networks of expertise and knowledge. High impact research can involve academic impact, economic and societal impact.
Institutional capacity strengthening through establishment of Communities of Research Excellence offers one of the best opportunities for establishing such a critical mass of researchers to undertake research for national development. Establishment of strong and cohesive communities of research excellence can open a resource-sharing environment among universities in Africa and other institutions of higher learning and research from other parts of the world. Communities of Research Excellence offer a platform for the establishment of attractive research career paths, and formation of meaningful and mutually beneficial international research collaboration and partnerships.
Strathmore Academy for International Research Collaboration (SAIRC) has been established to promote excellence in research and innovation that can help address the world’s most pressing challenges concerning human development and improve quality of life for all.
SAIRC contributes to addressing challenges facing the research sector in Africa through
- solving societal problems through accelerating research into results
- supporting the expansion of international networks,
- strengthening and promoting the role of universities and other research institutions in society,
- contributing to the reimagining of university education across the world under a vision of service to society, ethical leadership, and governance,
- advancing impacts of research for the betterment of society and the expansion of research.
Through its Communities of Research Excellence SAIRC harnesses capabilities of collaborating institutions trying to generate knowledge for sustainable economic growth through thought leadership, innovation, transformation and cutting edge research.
SAIRC provides a new framework to donors for funding research and solving problems. This approach will accelerate research into action for community transformation. This will be done by relying on years of experience and on an international network
