stakeholders to participate in the reformulation of the GPRS policy statement to
integrate national policy goals and practical delivery of sustainable development
(Boakye-Agyei 2007). These processes therefore incorporate the key values of
individuals (and the broader society), including traditions, culture and religion that
are collectively critical in shaping economic development and social coexistence.
National platforms that share research findings and applications will also increase
public awareness and encourage public participation in innovation processes for
development.
8.5 Conclusions
There is an increasing call on SSA universities to strengthen partnerships with
industry and government, to co-develop innovative solutions to meet national
sustainable development goals and optimize economic growth. However, despite
the strong national policy focus on sustainability in Ghana, numerous institutional
factors influence how such partnerships are formed and how the generated evidence,
knowledge, technology and research outputs are applied. This chapter provides an
in-depth and illustrative understanding of key facets on the relationship between the
University of Ghana with external actors from industry and government. In particular, we identified and critically discussed the different structures and processes
implemented by these actors as a means of facilitating collaborative research,
innovation and research and development in the context of sustainable development.
Our findings suggest that although significant progress has been made recently
through the establishment of supportive national policies and flexible institutional
structures, the actual collaboration and co-production of knowledge is still weak. For
one, universities need to improve dialogue with policy makers and substantiate their
capacity as credible sources of technology/knowledge generation and transfer for
industrial uptake. This can be achieved by (a) increasing internal capabilities
(e.g. capabilities of individual researchers), (b) developing structures to produce
and formally transfer technologies and (c) monitoring the performance of R&Dfunded contracts. Researchers engaging in sustainability research should clearly
outline knowledge co-development processes that enable the articulation and integration of multiple perspectives, values and methodologies.
When it comes to other actors, the industrial sector would need to adopt a more
proactive approach in providing inputs for research priorities, assessing research
progress, and co-funding research that is relevant for industrial uptake. Government
should focus on developing policies that could effectively support collaborative
processes and structures, such as providing credibility and standards for hybrid
organizations and a supportive environment to all institutions through minimal
bureaucracy. Finally, the statutory and non-statutory functions of local traditional
systems are also critical for local economic and social conditions in many parts of
SSA. They can be used to demystify research theories and solutions, thus encouraging community ownership and involvement in transdisciplinary research.
272
A. M. Mensah and C. Gordon
integrate national policy goals and practical delivery of sustainable development
(Boakye-Agyei 2007). These processes therefore incorporate the key values of
individuals (and the broader society), including traditions, culture and religion that
are collectively critical in shaping economic development and social coexistence.
National platforms that share research findings and applications will also increase
public awareness and encourage public participation in innovation processes for
development.
8.5 Conclusions
There is an increasing call on SSA universities to strengthen partnerships with
industry and government, to co-develop innovative solutions to meet national
sustainable development goals and optimize economic growth. However, despite
the strong national policy focus on sustainability in Ghana, numerous institutional
factors influence how such partnerships are formed and how the generated evidence,
knowledge, technology and research outputs are applied. This chapter provides an
in-depth and illustrative understanding of key facets on the relationship between the
University of Ghana with external actors from industry and government. In particular, we identified and critically discussed the different structures and processes
implemented by these actors as a means of facilitating collaborative research,
innovation and research and development in the context of sustainable development.
Our findings suggest that although significant progress has been made recently
through the establishment of supportive national policies and flexible institutional
structures, the actual collaboration and co-production of knowledge is still weak. For
one, universities need to improve dialogue with policy makers and substantiate their
capacity as credible sources of technology/knowledge generation and transfer for
industrial uptake. This can be achieved by (a) increasing internal capabilities
(e.g. capabilities of individual researchers), (b) developing structures to produce
and formally transfer technologies and (c) monitoring the performance of R&Dfunded contracts. Researchers engaging in sustainability research should clearly
outline knowledge co-development processes that enable the articulation and integration of multiple perspectives, values and methodologies.
When it comes to other actors, the industrial sector would need to adopt a more
proactive approach in providing inputs for research priorities, assessing research
progress, and co-funding research that is relevant for industrial uptake. Government
should focus on developing policies that could effectively support collaborative
processes and structures, such as providing credibility and standards for hybrid
organizations and a supportive environment to all institutions through minimal
bureaucracy. Finally, the statutory and non-statutory functions of local traditional
systems are also critical for local economic and social conditions in many parts of
SSA. They can be used to demystify research theories and solutions, thus encouraging community ownership and involvement in transdisciplinary research.
272
A. M. Mensah and C. Gordon