and Cooperation for Problem Solving
by Bassey E. Antia
The Georg Forster fellowship is, according to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s programme information, an instrument with which the
Founda-are integral to the strategic development thinking of all the parties involved.
Figure 1 offers one view of strategic management, with five phases, viz.: an initial phase of vision-setting or goal statements; a second phase in which justifi-cations for, facilitators of, and impediments to, the vi-sion are specified in terms of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, which then serve to define viability and guide choice of strategy; a third phase in which structures, policies, processes, resources and specific objectives supportive of the vision are spelt out; a fourth phase in which a set of activities that embody vision and implement plans are detailed; in a fifth phase progress made on implementation is benchmarked, and feedback supplied.
Stakeholders on the awarding side would include German tax-payers, institutions of the German state,
Figure 1: Stakeholders in a Georg Forster Award in a strategic management context
tion “enables highly-qualified scientists and schol-ars from abroad spend extended periods of re-search in Germany”. It is considered to be “particu-larly suited to transferring knowledge and methods to developing and threshold countries”. This piece describes the Georg Forster fellowship as a strate-gic tool for stakeholders on the German (awarding) side and on the receiving side (developing coun-tries). Against the background of a strategic man-agement model, and the context of my involvement in the scheme, I offer a personalised view of how the Georg Forster fellowship is advancing the strategic interests of its stakeholders in science and development.
A
The offer of a Georg Forster fellowship and its acceptance may be construed as processes that
the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation as the ad-ministrator of the scheme, research and development institutions in Germany, and the host institution of the fellow. On the receiving end, there is the awardee as an individual, the home scientific and socio-political environments, as well as the awardee’s institution.
Figure 2 is a sample listing of development goals that can serve as basis for enlightened self-interest in the context of academic exchange for development. It shows at a variety of levels (international, national, institutional and individual) a pool of goals from which parties may draw rationales for offering and for accepting a fellowship. The listing could also serve for post hoc rationalisation. While stakeholders in a developing country may view the Georg Forster scheme as an instrument in support of the pursuit of millennium development goals, technology transfer, A strategic management context
development of a local scientific infrastructure, and so on, the German side of the stakeholder spectrum might be interested in the scheme for cultural policy reasons, for national goals that can be served by diversity management, for new kinds of data to enhance Germany’s competitiveness in the higher education and other kinds of markets, or in enhanc-ing Germany’s international standenhanc-ing in science.
sional ethics. In the research, language use in health care and in public health settings is being constructed as a means for critiquing practices and policies that exacerbate inequities and inequalities in health.
In addition to my primary research, I have also been part of a pioneer initiative aimed at
develop-Figure 2: Strategic vision options for stakeholders within a Georg Forster Fellowship Scheme
A reporting context
I took up a fellowship offer to enable me conduct re-search on the interface of language and health at the University of Bielefeld (School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology & International Public Health). The backdrop to the envisaged research was the so-called crisis in health care, as exempli-fied by, among others, the following: disparities in access to health care in the increasingly multicul-tural and multilingual environment of urban health care; distributional imbalances in personnel; ad-verse hospital/drug events; concerns about the success of disease control programmes; increasing care-recipient discontent; and the commodification of care and the impact of mercantilism on
profes-ing capacity for higher education management in Africa. Partners: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Conference of German University Presidents (HRK), Alexander von Humboldt Foun-dation (AvH), Centre for Higher Education of the Bertelsmann Foundation, Gütersloh, University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück, Moi University, Kenya and Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.
G
Knowledge generated and activities undertaken in the course of a fellowship form the basis of tangible and intangible benefits that accrue to stakeholder groups.
Table 1 sets out expectations of benefits that should ultimately derive from our specific experience.
Georg Forster, knowledge, development
Table 1: Knowledge and development in the biography of a Georg Forster Fellow Area Health manpower development Policy-making International visibility/advance of science Infrastructural development Knowledge exchange
Research or other activity basis Observed limitations of an exclusive biomedical model in health care and public health settings suggest that language & commu- nication can form part of the basis for complementary training of health professionals Evidence that look-alike and sound-alike drug names can be implicated in adverse drug events (arising from errors during prescribing, dispensing and administration) underscores the need for attention to names. Compare the orthographic distance (1/8) or similarity (7/8) between Novadex (paracetamol-based analgesic) and Nolvadex (tamoxifen-based drug for the treat- ment of breast cancer). Need for attention particularly acute in an environment of low literacy levels and a tradition of weak regulation of trade in medicines. Research publications and projects crediting funding agency and host institution. Mainstreaming of language in a public health programme (Biele- feld, Germany); mainstreaming of public health in a linguistics programme (Maiduguri, Nigeria). Books and equipment acquired by fellow and received as dona- tion at end of fellowship Noting that travel funds and other factors impede North-South, South-South exchange of knowledge, I conceived a project on technology-mediated knowledge sharing in the context of the train- ing programme on capacity building in higher education manage- ment referred to earlier. To view technological options used, please go to: <www.basseyantia.net>. ➞On the graphic of research areas, please click on translation technology ➞On the page that opens, click on the video lecture link, or if bandwidth is a concern, play the updated audio files and view the presentation slides.
Conceivable effects 1.Enhanced uptake of HIV/AIDS messaging 2.Enhancing the capacity of mothers and caretakers to manage childhood diseases in the home 3.Enhancing the quality of veterinary services in support of small animal husbandry as a strategy of poverty alleviation Enhanced drug name approval/licensing procedures that safeguard the health of the public. 1.Generation of new forms of knowledge, including problem-solving knowledge for diversity management in health services planning and delivery. 2.Attractiveness of Germany as study and research des- tination. In the same way as monetary remittances play a major role in several state economies, it seems that equip- ment/book grants, if strategically harnessed, might repre- sent a significant contribution to institutional, national and even regional scientific infrastructure. By the same token, familiarity with a range of tools encourages continued patronage of manufacturer. 1.Levelling out of some disparities in access to theoreti- cal knowledge and empirical data. 2.Promotion of international team-building activities/ syn er gies for projects.
Beneficiaries Germany/ Nigeria Nigeria Nigeria/ Germany Nigeria/ Germany Nigeria/ Germany
Conclusion
As an operative instrument in the strategic manage-ment processes of stakeholders, the Georg Forster Fellowship scheme will perhaps be seen by all as an excellent instrument, just like other instruments of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation: the Hum-boldt Kollegs, the re-invitation programmes and the Humboldt professorships tenable in Germany.
Other tools are conceivable. Sustainability of research directions initiated in Germany and trans-lation of research findings into policies, products and services for the benefit of the awarding and receiving sides can be secured by a number of ini-tiatives, including:
(a) courses exposing Georg Forster fellows (while they are in Germany) to topics in change man-agement, communication with government
bu-reaucracy and private sector leadership, public policy advocacy, patents, higher education management, and the like;
(b) in-country Humboldt professorships to support the creation of favourable framework conditions for alumni to create national/regional centres of excellence in specific focus areas;
(c) funding of projects (either in the context of the professorships or other contexts) that fore-ground concern for population empowerment, interdisciplinary collaboration, capacity-building and public policy advocacy.
Prof. Dr. Bassey E. Antiateaches Applied Linguis-tics at the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria. As a Georg Forster fellow, he carried out research at the University of Bielefeld from 2006 to 2008.