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‘Capacity for what? Capacity for whom?’ A decolonial deconstruction of research capacity development practices in the Global South and a proposal for a value-centred approach

Mormina, Maru; Istratii, Romina

Authors

Maru Mormina

Romina Istratii



Abstract

Whilst North to South knowledge transfer patterns have been extensively problematised by Southern and decolonial perspectives, there is very little reflection on the practice of research capacity development (RCD), still strongly focused on technoscientific solutionism, yet largely uncritical of its underlying normative directions and power asymmetries. Without making transparent these normative and epistemological dimensions, RCD practices will continue to perpetuate approaches that are likely to be narrow, technocratic and unreflexive of colonial legacies, thus failing to achieve the aims of RCD, namely, the equitable and development-oriented production of knowledge in low- and middle-income societies. Informed by the authors’ direct experience of RCD approaches and combining insights from decolonial works and other perspectives from the margins with Science and Technology Studies, the paper undertakes a normative and epistemological deconstruction of RCD mainstream practice. Highlighting asymmetries of power and material resources in knowledge production, the paper’s decolonial lens seeks to aid the planning, implementation and evaluation of RCD interventions. Principles of cognitive justice and epistemic pluralism, accessibility enabled by systems thinking and sustainability grounded on localisation are suggested as the building blocks for more reflexive and equitable policies that promote research capacity for the purpose of creating social value and not solely for the sake of perpetuating technoscience.

Citation

Mormina, M., & Istratii, R. (2021). ‘Capacity for what? Capacity for whom?’ A decolonial deconstruction of research capacity development practices in the Global South and a proposal for a value-centred approach. Wellcome Open Research, 6(129), https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16850.1

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date May 20, 2021
Online Publication Date May 26, 2021
Publication Date May 26, 2021
Deposit Date Jul 4, 2021
Publicly Available Date Jul 4, 2021
Journal Wellcome Open Research
Electronic ISSN 2398-502X
Publisher Taylor and Francis
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 6
Issue 129
DOI https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16850.1
Keywords research capacity development, low- and middle-income countries, science technology and innovation, knowledge production, cognitive justice, localisation, decolonial reflexivity
Publisher URL https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/articles/6-129/v1

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