Research Funding Needs for African Engineers: Challenges and Perceptions

Eugine Makaya^1,

¹Department of Civil and Water Engineering, National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Cite this paper:
Eugine Makaya. Research Funding Needs for African Engineers: Challenges and Perceptions. American Journal of Educational Research. 2017; 5(9):933-938. doi: 10.12691/education-5-9-1

Abstract

Africa and sub-Saharan Africa in particular, with the exception of South Africa, have lately lagged behind in postgraduate research, an issue attributed to lack of research funding for engineering sciences. This paper investigated the funding needs of engineering sciences in Africa. Specifically, it established the funding needs of African engineering sciences, factors affecting higher learning institutions in securing research funding and assessed the prevalent engineering research needs for Africa. Key informants to this paper were postdoctoral candidates drawn from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Through a questionnaire survey, the study found out that Africa has the capacity to carry out high profile engineering researches but the funding needs are not fully met resulting in frustration, whose ripple effects culminate in brain drain. Institutional frameworks in many African countries have been found not favouring engineering sciences. Although efforts are being made, as evidenced by increase in scientific publications, the growth of Engineering Sciences lags behind other disciplines. Thus, the international community of research funders should forge partnerships and collaborations with engineering institutions in Africa for availing and putting to good use research funding.

Keywords:
African engineers engineering sciences postdoctoral research sub-saharan Africa

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