EU: Strengthening international research with Africa
The European Union has announced that it will be offering a grant of over EUR 600,000 to a joint partnership between the School of Social Sciences at the University of Southampton and the Regional Institute for Population Studies at the University of Ghana. This grant will bolster research into urban poverty and health issues in the West African country of Ghana as well as strengthen partnership ties between the EU and Ghana. The initiative 'Population Training and Research Capacity for Development (PopTRCD)' will be a joint effort and will involve social scientists from both institutions working side by side. Together they will investigate the effects of the social and demographic change currently underway across the continent. Their research will increase understanding about the current condition of health of low-income people living in the cities of Africa. 'The PopTRCD project aims to increase knowledge about inequities in health and welfare among poor people in the cities of Africa by improving the quality of teaching and learning in population sciences,' explained Professor Jane Falkingham, professor of demography and international social policy at the University of Southampton, who is leading the research. The Ghanaian team is led by Professor Francis Dodoo from the Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana. In speaking about the current situation, Professor Falkingham noted the lack of data that currently exists. She continued, 'There is very little knowledge about deepening urban poverty in countries such as Ghana, so it is difficult for governments and international organisations to take action.' The Population Studies Departments of two other African universities, the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, and the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, are also involved in the project. In addition, the Fourah Bay College of the University of Sierra Leone is involved as an associate. In carrying out the project, postgraduate students from all four universities will meet with community leaders in Accra, the capital of Ghana and carry out surveys on population, health and poverty issues among local people. These field studies will also offer the students an excellent opportunity to be trained in social science research skills, especially study design, questionnaire formulation, sampling, data collection and analysis. Professor Falkingham also added, 'PopTRCD will give professionals in Africa the knowledge and expertise to study inequities in health and human welfare between the urban poor and other groups in Africa. The work will help transform students into much-needed specialists to support development efforts in Africa in future.' The project will also improve student and staff skills in handling longitudinal studies, a correlational research study with repeated observations over time. These techniques are critically short among many researchers, academic staff, and development planners. Ghana, the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence, maintains good relations with the EU. It is one of the first countries to undertake negotiations with the EU on forest law enforcement, governance and trade (FLEGT). In response to public concerns over illegal logging, the EU adopted the FLEGT Action Plan, which aims to encourage sustainable forest management. Currently the EU is also assisting Ghana in the areas of transport connectivity and regional integration and governance.