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Leading think tanks of Botswana, the Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA) and the National Agricultural Research and Development Institute, (NARDI) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on collaborative research that harnesses synergies for national development.
Leading think tanks of Botswana, the Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA) and the National Agricultural Research and Development Institute, (NARDI) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on collaborative research that harnesses synergies for national development. Announcing the partnership, the Minister of Agriculture, Fidelis Molao, stated that the two research organisations have the potential to place Botswana as a leading player in the global economy. He described BIDPA and NARDI as important in advancing research and development backed by innovation to solve societal problems that hinder the country’s economic growth.
Minister Molao emphasised the need for research to be solution-driven, saying that research that is not backed up by solutions amounts to no research at all. Botswana is facing challenges, such as high unemployment, that require innovative solutions. Research can also be a key to transitioning the country to a high-income status by 2023. This is because research products of think tanks are key to the formulation of policies in areas of development that can help Botswana to escape the middle-income trap. Molao emphasised countries that escaped the middle-income trap did not do so by chance but through research and product development.
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This partnership will harness the depth of knowledge that exists in both organisations by leveraging the historical background of BIDPA to deliver needs-based agricultural research to Botswana, the southern African region, and the rest of the world. Going forward this will put Botswana in a foothold to produce research in a quicker manner and in a way that is more responsive to the economic needs of the country. Under the MoU, the two institutions will collaborate in various activities such as joint research proposals to bid for national, sub-regional, regional, and international projects, and sharing of expertise and resources, seminars, or conferences. The partnership will start with projects aimed at analysing energy transition as a factor in achieving sustainable economic transformation, carbon neutrality in Botswana, and assessment of tourism leakages in Botswana.
