several services related to (a) research support, (b) grant management, (c) capacity
building, (d) intellectual property and technology transfer, (e) research dissemination
and (f) external funds. The Technology Development and Transfer Centre (TDTC),
housed within ORID, facilitates effective partnership between the university and the
industry for developing and transferring innovative demand-driven technologies to
meet industry needs. The second is the Institute of Applied Science and Technology
(IAST) (established in 2012), to build strategic partnerships between academia and
industry for mutual benefit. The institute serves as a conduit between industry and
society to allow the access to relevant academic knowledge, technical skills and
solutions that can address their needs and challenges. IAST also provides a platform
for academia to demonstrate research concepts before their full application and
commercialization. Both institutions provide a space for systematic engagement
with various stakeholders outside academia, which is usually announced through
information on their websites. The ORID Annual Reports also provide an overview
of the different activities with stakeholders. Despite the possibilities to generate
multiple beneficial outcomes, there has not been any comprehensive evaluation of
the extent to which national priorities and stakeholder concerns influence research
and knowledge production in the UG (as well as the nature of the relationships
between stakeholders and academic researchers).
UG does not have a specific policy on sustainability; however, its strategic plan
aims to ensure that general sustainability principles are achieved through academic
teaching, research programmes and campus-based activities. Examples of
sustainability-related initiatives include the (a) Centre for Climate Change and
Sustainability (created in 2017 with support from the Open Society Foundation)
and a MPhil in Sustainability Science at the Institute for Environment and Sanitation
Studies (started in 2018) that support UG efforts to promote inter- and transdisciplinary teaching, learning and research in sustainability science; (b) UG’s central
library, the Balme Library, displays information on one SDG every month in its
Reference Hall to promote awareness to the general university community and
(c) the Vice Chancellor’s Green Project, a campus-based programme established
in 2017 that seeks to green the university by ensuring sustainability for on-campus
transport, water supply, sanitation and landscaping, among others.
To evaluate how UG initiatives and projects align to global SDGs, Gordon (2018)
mapped the university’s existing priorities and research units’ activities with the
individual goals and targets of the SDGs. Overall, the assessment showed that the
UGs focus areas were SDGs 4 (Quality education), 8 (Decent work and economic
growth), 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure) and 10 (Reduced inequalities)
(Fig. 8.2). Other more specific analyses such as major themes of doctoral theses
(2006–2016) showed priorities in SDGs 2 (End hunger), 3 (Good health and wellbeing) and 6 (Water and sanitation for all). Across all research institutions, staff
publications prioritized SDGs 3 (Good health and wellbeing), 5 (Gender equality)
and 11 (Safe and sustainable cities) for the same period.
8 Strategic Partnerships Between Universities and Non-academic Institutions for. . .
253
building, (d) intellectual property and technology transfer, (e) research dissemination
and (f) external funds. The Technology Development and Transfer Centre (TDTC),
housed within ORID, facilitates effective partnership between the university and the
industry for developing and transferring innovative demand-driven technologies to
meet industry needs. The second is the Institute of Applied Science and Technology
(IAST) (established in 2012), to build strategic partnerships between academia and
industry for mutual benefit. The institute serves as a conduit between industry and
society to allow the access to relevant academic knowledge, technical skills and
solutions that can address their needs and challenges. IAST also provides a platform
for academia to demonstrate research concepts before their full application and
commercialization. Both institutions provide a space for systematic engagement
with various stakeholders outside academia, which is usually announced through
information on their websites. The ORID Annual Reports also provide an overview
of the different activities with stakeholders. Despite the possibilities to generate
multiple beneficial outcomes, there has not been any comprehensive evaluation of
the extent to which national priorities and stakeholder concerns influence research
and knowledge production in the UG (as well as the nature of the relationships
between stakeholders and academic researchers).
UG does not have a specific policy on sustainability; however, its strategic plan
aims to ensure that general sustainability principles are achieved through academic
teaching, research programmes and campus-based activities. Examples of
sustainability-related initiatives include the (a) Centre for Climate Change and
Sustainability (created in 2017 with support from the Open Society Foundation)
and a MPhil in Sustainability Science at the Institute for Environment and Sanitation
Studies (started in 2018) that support UG efforts to promote inter- and transdisciplinary teaching, learning and research in sustainability science; (b) UG’s central
library, the Balme Library, displays information on one SDG every month in its
Reference Hall to promote awareness to the general university community and
(c) the Vice Chancellor’s Green Project, a campus-based programme established
in 2017 that seeks to green the university by ensuring sustainability for on-campus
transport, water supply, sanitation and landscaping, among others.
To evaluate how UG initiatives and projects align to global SDGs, Gordon (2018)
mapped the university’s existing priorities and research units’ activities with the
individual goals and targets of the SDGs. Overall, the assessment showed that the
UGs focus areas were SDGs 4 (Quality education), 8 (Decent work and economic
growth), 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure) and 10 (Reduced inequalities)
(Fig. 8.2). Other more specific analyses such as major themes of doctoral theses
(2006–2016) showed priorities in SDGs 2 (End hunger), 3 (Good health and wellbeing) and 6 (Water and sanitation for all). Across all research institutions, staff
publications prioritized SDGs 3 (Good health and wellbeing), 5 (Gender equality)
and 11 (Safe and sustainable cities) for the same period.
8 Strategic Partnerships Between Universities and Non-academic Institutions for. . .
253