Research Partnerships in a Changing World

In 2006 KEF has decided to launch a series of R4D roundtables, where primarily project partners from developing countries involved in KEF funded projects presented their findings, views and experiences regarding research partnerships to an audience of students, other researchers and interested members of the general public. This new initiative has been met with enthusiasm by both project partners and the (non-)scientific audience in Vienna and has therefore been established as a continuous serious of events with a full annual programme.

The R4D roundtables are an opportunity for project partners from partner countries to disseminate research findings to an interested audience in Austria. This serves the purpose of engaging in discussions with peers, as well as people with a general interest in research for development, and it serves to generate more knowledge and understanding for research for development among the Austrian scientific community. Last but not least, it allows students and junior researchers an insight into practical project work in research for development.

The R4D roundtables are a learning experiment. By bringing together different actors from science both in Austria and internationally and exposing them to a mixed audience and a variety of stakeholders, we hope to facilitate an exchange of knowledge and experiences. By providing insights into different life worlds of scientists of different parts of the world, and an audience with a broad interest in ‘development', we want to provide a space for dialogue.

The programme for 2008 was varied and stimulating: it ranged from sustainability research in Nepal, health research in Uganda, water analysis in Burkina Faso to the documentation of indigenous land rights in Peru. Three different continents, six different projects.

We invite you to participate, get involved and contribute to this exciting experience.