Status

Completed (2019-2022) 

This project sought to get data collected in Kenya, Zambia, and Malawi into the hands of junior scholars from those countries, and to facilitate new collaborations between the junior scholars and senior scholars from High-Income Countries (HICs). Six junior scholars engaged in a new research project with an assigned senior scholar. Using the Local Governance Process Indicators 2019 (LGPI 2019) data, these collaborations resulted in academic publications on a range of topics including: corruption, migration, ethnic voting, tax moral, political participation, local governance, and elections.

During the collaborations, three pairs of researchers engaged in first-hand data collection, providing a shared research experience that served to help solidify their new professional network. The junior researchers presented their findings at a conference comprised of 60 researchers from around the world. Attendee demographics allowed the junior scholars to strengthen their network with researchers based close to home and expand their network internationally. As a result, two of the junior scholars engaged in secondary collaborations. In addition to the new collaborations, the project also hosted a thesis support and networking workshop for a master's student. During the workshop, the student refined their thesis topic, explored the data needs for the project, and developed a plan for the fieldwork necessary to obtain that data. The student was also able to practice their public speaking by giving a seminar where they presented their proposed thesis and fieldwork plan, after which they received feedback from a range of scholars.

This project served as a bridge between promising junior scholars from Kenya, Zambia, and Malawi with senior scholars from High-Income Countries (HICs). The success of the resulting collaborations serves as a testament to the skill of junior scholars and to the vital importance of adequate resources and professional networks to academic success. It also serves as a reminder to all scholars to continually expand their professional network both across international lines and levels of academic maturity.

Locations of SRL's collaborating researchers 

SRL Research Teams

Alex Oguso (Kenya Revenue Authority)
Cecilia Ahsan Jansson (University of Gothenburg)
Ellen Lust (University of Gothenburg)

Eliphas Kuseni (University of Malawi-Chancellor College)
Adam Harris (University College London)

Hangala Siachiwena (University of Cape Town)
Jeremy Horowitz (University of Chicago)

John Maara (University of Malawi-Chancellor College)
Barry Maydom (Birckbeck College, University of London)

Gowokani Chirwa (University of Malawi)
Amanda Robinson (Ohio State University)

Patricia Funjika (University of Zambia)
Karen E. Ferree (University of California, San Diego)

Acknowledgments 

This project is supported by the Public Goods Provision in the Shadow of Urbanization: Learning from Experiences in Malawi, Zambia, and Kenya grant (Swedish Research Council - 2018-03967), PI: Erica Ann Metheney.