Academic capacity building: holding up a mirror

Abstract

Based on our involvement in numerous consortia and projects with colleagues from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), as well as on our extensive fieldwork experience in the global South, we have a shared concern on the actual inclusion of LMIC colleagues and institutions in coproducing highly valuable and policy-relevant science. While capacity building is stated as a major goal in various international research projects, especially when involving partners from LMICs or when focusing on research activities in these countries, we think that research from established groups and universities particularly in member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), receives more interest and respect on a disproportionate basis. With the present submission, we hope to feed the debate on the academic valorization of research performed by LMICs scholars. Though difficult to measure, this merits close scrutiny.