Kahn Michael Jeffrey
Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Scientometrics and STI Policy, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Front Res Metr Anal. 2022 Jun 9;7:849263. doi: 10.3389/frma.2022.849263. eCollection 2022.
This exploratory study adds to the under-developed literature on a Research Topic that laden with epistemological, philosophical, and ideological overtones, and that begs many questions. The literature on political economy generally, and that for Africa, enjoys full disciplinary status. In contrast the political economy of research and innovation remains an emerging interdisciplinary field that examines the overlap between innovation studies and political economy. The pursuit of "science and technology" was expected to play its part in the imperialist and colonial agendas, and in the post-colonial project, when science and technology policy was a strong element in advocacy for Africa's post-independence development. What have the policies achieved, and what explains the shortfalls? What indeed is the relationship between industrial policy and research and innovation policy? What is the social contract with research and innovation? The study commences with a general overview of the social contract for science before turning to Africa's post-independence modernizing agenda, and the roles ascribed to industrial policy and research and innovation policy. An eclectic methodology drawing on Cloutier (2021) is deployed to characterize and measure the social contract between research and innovation. The methodology adapts Cloutier (2021) to the functionality of national innovation systems. The responsiveness of STI policy is further probed using Martin, 2015 categorization of innovation policy informed by Theory of Change. Where possible reference is made to conventional STI indicators. Research and innovation policy is then assessed at continental and national levels, with attention given to the extent of linkages in national innovation systems. Further to tease out the various forms of social contract, five country-level STI policies are analyzed using the Martin categorization and Theory of Change methodology. It will be argued that a binding, social contract for inclusive research and innovation policy is largely absent, so that the prospects for attaining the SDGs remain elusive. Post Glasgow COP-26, donor pressure might be re-oriented to promote engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals, though the upholding research sovereignty could mitigate against this. Africa might rightly chide against such pressure, given her experience of what has been labeled as "vaccine apartheid."
这项探索性研究补充了关于一个研究主题的欠发达文献，该主题充满了认识论、哲学和意识形态的色彩，并且引发了许多问题。一般而言，政治经济学文献，尤其是非洲的政治经济学文献，具有完整的学科地位。相比之下，研究与创新的政治经济学仍是一个新兴的跨学科领域，它审视创新研究与政治经济学之间的重叠部分。在帝国主义和殖民议程中，以及在后殖民项目中，人们期望“科学与技术”发挥作用，当时科学技术政策是非洲独立后发展倡导中的一个重要因素。这些政策取得了哪些成果，又是什么导致了不足？产业政策与研究和创新政策之间究竟是什么关系？与研究和创新的社会契约是什么？该研究首先对科学的社会契约进行总体概述，然后转向非洲独立后的现代化议程，以及赋予产业政策和研究与创新政策的角色。采用一种借鉴了克鲁捷（2021年）的折衷方法来描述和衡量研究与创新之间的社会契约。该方法使克鲁捷（2021年）的方法适用于国家创新系统的功能。利用马丁2015年基于变革理论对创新政策的分类，进一步探究科学、技术与创新（STI）政策的响应能力。在可能的情况下，参考传统的STI指标。然后在大陆和国家层面评估研究与创新政策，同时关注国家创新系统中的联系程度。为了进一步梳理社会契约的各种形式，使用马丁分类法和变革理论方法分析了五项国家层面的STI政策。可以认为，包容性研究与创新政策的具有约束力的社会契约在很大程度上并不存在，因此实现可持续发展目标的前景仍然渺茫。在格拉斯哥举行的第26届联合国气候变化大会之后，捐助方的压力可能会重新调整方向，以促进对可持续发展目标的参与，尽管坚持研究主权可能会对此起到缓解作用。鉴于非洲有过被称为“疫苗种族隔离”的经历，非洲可能会合理地抵制这种压力。
