‘CODESRIA is best think-tank in Sub-Saharan Africa’

ITRealms:

The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) has been rated the best think-tank in Sub-Saharan Africa, reports ITRealms.

Disclosing this, the Executive Secretary, Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) Dr. Ebrima Sall, noted that this was contained in the just released 2016 Global Go-To Think Tanks Index published by the Lauder Institute of the University of Pennsylvania, hence CODESRIA has some reasons for celebration on this eve of its 44th anniversary.

This, he said, is an improvement on recent years when CODESRIA has generally been ranked 3^rd or 4^th.

The report, he said, which evaluates close to 7000 think tanks worldwide, also rated CODESRIA highly in many other categories, including its work on international development and social policy were acknowledged with rankings as the 18^th and 72^nd best think tank in these fields worldwide respectively.

“Our commitment to transdisciplinary research is also acknowledged in our ranking as the 26^th best think tank worldwide in that category,” he said.

As said by him, the wisdom in CODESRIA’s insistence on support for basic research in the social sciences and humanities as an effective way of contributing to public policy is positively endorsed by its ranking as the 35^th best think tank worldwide for influence on public policy. It is also ranked as having had the 48^th best advocacy campaign worldwide.

The executive secretary said that CODESRIA looks at the report as a reinforcement of the Council’s decision to undertake a wide-ranging process of self-reform that was set in motion in 2014.

“In the area of communication, we hope to improve on ranking as the 40^th best think tank worldwide in the use of the Internet. We also hope to improve on the use of print and social media for which we are not even mentioned in the rankings,” he said.

Also, he said, CODESRIA hopes to improve its reflections on and contributions to knowledge in the critical areas of health, the environment and science and technology. Just as the Council’s new 5-year programme cycle represents an opportunity to leverage the Council’s strengths to cement its position as the leading social science research organization in Africa and as a leading contributor to the broad visions for national, continental and global transformations that are captured in the many documents circulating today.

He expressed appreciation to all those who have been supporting CODESRIA including staff and the authorities of the country that hosts the CODESRIA’ secretariat, Senegal; for their confidence and support.

“I would also like to urge the African social science research community to continue to redouble our efforts to move African research forward and advance the production of knowledge on our continent,” Sall said.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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