Professor Dan Banik, his postdoctoral fellow in social psychology - Dr. Johanna S. Adolfssyn - and two other professors from Addis Ababa University - Dr. Yeshitla Wondemeneh and Dr. Aklilu Amsalu - visited PSI, on March 3, 2023, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m., to discuss collaboration with PSI.
Prof. Dan Banik, Prof. Beyene Petros, Dr. Johanna S. Adolfssyn, Dr. Aklilu Amsalu, Dr. Balew Demissie, Dr. Yeshitla Wondemeneh , Dr. Netsanet Jote
Professor Dan Banik is a Professor of Political Science and Research Director at the University of Oslo, Center for Development and Environment. He has conducted research in India, China, Bangladesh, Malawi, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, South Africa, and Mexico, and leads the interdisciplinary research program 'Poverty and Development in the 21st Century' at the University of Oslo.
Professor Dan Banik
Previously, he was head of the World Bank's Norwegian-Finnish Trust Fund for Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development and a member of the board of the Norwegian Crown Prince and Crown Princess Foundation. His books include The Democratic Dividend: Political Transition, Poverty and Inclusive Development in Malawi (with Blessings Chinsinga, Routledge 2016), The Legal Empowerment Agenda: Poverty, Labor and the Informal Economy in Africa (2011, Ashgate), Poverty and Elusive Development (2010, Scandinavian University Press), and Starvation and India's Democracy (2009, Routledge). Professor Dan Banik is also a consulting scholar at CDDRL and is currently completing a study examining the impact of development assistance from Norway and China on poverty reduction in Malawi and Zambia.
During the delegate's visit to PSI, Professor Beyene Petros, Director General of PSI, explained to Professor Dan the origin of PSI and its main activities. Professor Beyene said PSI is the right wing of the Ethiopian Government on public policy issues. Professor Beyene said that PSI has 14 research centers specializing in different economic and social fields. He said that the institute takes targeted policies based on scientific evidence and provides support to the government.
Professor Beyene mentioned to Professor Dan that he has gained extensive experience in working with various Norwegian universities and civil societies. He said he has supervised many Ph.D. students in collaboration with the University of Oslo under the Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education (NIFU) program. The Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research, and Education (NIFU) is an independent social science research institute organized as a nonprofit foundation. He said PSI has good relations with many Scandinavian countries, including Denmark and Sweden, and a large number of experts from PSI are now working with various researchers from those countries in the fields of economics and agriculture.
NIFU's sandwich program has been very successful, according to Professor Beyene, although it was recently discontinued due to problems with our students, who often cannot return to Ethiopia. According to Professor Beyene, this is causing a significant brain drain for Ethiopians.
According to Professor Beyene, researchers from PSI are often hired and promoted based on strict criteria. He also said that researchers must conduct, write, and publish their work in journals with a solid worldwide reputation. He said, "Good work is not an easy task." He pointed out that experienced researchers from PSI are now leaving the institute and joining international organizations such as the World Bank, IMF, and UN in search of better opportunities. He said that PSI, with its more than 40 Ph.D. staff, has done a lot of innovative research on public policy across the country. Finally, Professor Beyene emphasized the significance of Adwa to Prof. Dan.
Next, Professor Dan explained that he comes to Ethiopia as a representative of the Norwegian government's expert group, but he is also a research director at the University of Oslo's Center for Development and Environment. He has been to Ethiopia several times and specializes in famine, poverty alleviation, and development research. He also conducts research on pastoralists in Ethiopia, the Afar region, and a range of development-related issues in Malawi, South Africa, India, South Africa, and China.
Prof. Dan explained that the University of Oslo, in collaboration with Addis Ababa University has currently run a project called Governance for Sustainable Development Goals (SustGov) and opened a center called Centre for Sustainable Development (CSD) at Addis Ababa University, College of Social Sciences. The goal of the center is to provide a solid foundation on which researchers can make evidence-based recommendations to policymakers. He said the center will be a vibrant meeting place for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. It will also offer fellowships for doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows. The center will reach out to policymakers, civil society, business, the media, academia, and members of Parliament, and will work to disseminate research findings on sustainable development to end users.
Prof. Dan stated that he works with international organizations and that the purpose of his visit to PSI is to explore possible collaborations. He expressed his desire to work with PSI in a series of high-level forum discussions on sustainable development, climate change, renewable energy, etc. In order to make the sustainable development goals more successful, he also promised to connect PSI with some international partners. Prof. Dan explained that PSI and his institute can work on several issues within the framework of Pan-Africanism and South-South perspective. These areas include GERD, climate adaptation, solar energy, and renewable energy. Finally, Prof. Dan proposed to collaborate with PSI in two areas. These are a forum for policy dialog and roundtable discussions at the international level to bridge the gap between research and policy. Professor Beyene also stated that he would like to collaborate with the University of Oslo in the areas of green heritage and flood control, as well as various capacity-building programs.
Dr. Aklilu, Associate Professor at AAU in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, said that the recently opened Centre for Sustainable Development (CSD) at AAU, which is a Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development, will go beyond the Center as it will also apply independently for various projects. Dr. Aklilu said that he would like to collaborate with PSI in the areas of policy coherence research and the establishment of a sustainable development forum like the Tana Forum and that he would also like to sign a memorandum of understanding with PSI.
Prof. Dan said that the Centre for Sustainable Development (CSD) at AAU will host 10 doctoral students in two cohorts over a 6-year period and that researchers from PSI can also apply for this fellowship opportunity. According to Prof. Dan, many Ethiopian government officials have expressed to him their desire to have Ethiopian specialists lead the training offered by international organizations. Prof. Dan thinks this is a good idea, as it would reduce travel time and costs. In this context, he is also interested in establishing a link between India and China in Africa next time. In particular, he would like to work with PSI on research agendas related to energy security, such as solar energy, renewable energy, gas exploration, etc.
In conclusion, Prof. Dan stated that he had set up his social media accounts such as YouTube and podcasts during the pandemic and invited PSI officials and researchers to follow his social media accounts that deal with development issues. Prof. Dan concluded by saying that all research should be dependable, sound, fundamental, and rigorous. He also thanked PSI and Professor Beyene for inviting him for this visit.