The Executive Director, Prof Ngila on 23rd August 2024, attended the closing ceremony of the Kenya National Research Festival (19th-23rd August 2024) at the Edge Convention Centre, Nairobi, whose festival’s overarching theme was, “Research Partnerships and Collaborations for Socio-Economic Transformation“.
She was a panelist in the first session of 5th day of the festival, having a discussion on the topic: Innovative Sustainable Research Funding in the Global South.
The issues discussed by the Panelists include sharing thoughts on; (i) innovative sustainable research funding in the Global South (GS); (ii) key challenges in securing sustainable research funding in GS; (iii) strategies that academic institutions could employ to attract and manage sustainable research funding that supports economic transformation; (iv) policies to be implemented to create a more conducive environment for research funding and how these policies drive economic growth; (v) metrices that should be used to assess the long-term economic benefits of research funding in the GS.
Quoting the Kenya National Research Fund (NRF) statement: “Research and innovation play a pivotal role in shaping the course of nations, fostering development, and addressing critical societal challenges. Recognizing the transformative power of research and innovation the NRF and Young Scientists of Kenya (YSK) proudly introduced the inaugural edition of the Kenya National Research Festival (KNRF).”
Prof Ngila indicated that she was happy to see primary and secondary school students participate as Young Scientists. The highlight of the day was the Award ceremony where school students, early career researchers, professors, senior citizens, all receiving awards in different categories of the festival. In particular, she indicated that more than 60% of the Award-recipients were women of all ages, in various science fields.
The festival was strategically designed to raise awareness about the diverse spectrum of research activities in Kenya and internationally. It aimed to encourage collaboration on both domestic and international fronts, providing a conducive space to instilling principles of robust leadership in research and elevating the overall research culture. The festival placed a primary focus on interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary research, encompassing current and future initiatives that contribute to the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 20 30. She commented the Kenya’s NRF CEO, Prof. Dickson Andala and his team, for a successful research festival event.