The hurdles to fostering research in Tanzanian universities

Abstract

Universities across the world are normally called upon to be innovative and generate relevant knowledge to address context-related issues afflicting society. This central role of universities notwithstanding, the involvement in research by African universities and academics, has been minimal when compared with other universities and academics in other parts of the world. This raises the question of what is exactly happening in the region’s universities regarding the development of research. As such, this study establishes the hurdles of developing university research in Tanzania, which directly falls within the wider expectations of developing a research culture in developing countries. The study involved higher education policy makers, senior university leaders and academic staff members who were sourced from four universities and two non-university institutions which oversee the Tanzania’s higher education sector. Based on interviews and document analyses, the study has established various hurdles, ranging from cultural, political and structural to institutional. The study situates the hurdles and associated debilitating effects in the broader African and developing world context that share similar social, educational, political and economic characteristics to that of Tanzania. Additionally, the study adds to the existing body of knowledge on university research development in developing countries’ higher education systems.