Social Science Research Context

Rohit Kumar Nepali

Envisioning a Social Science Research Council in Nepal -

Stakeholder Consultation Workshop

Context of Education in Nepal

• Since 1990, various attempts have been made to advance education programmes

• Educational management, quality, relevance and access are some of the critical issues of education

• Partisan politicking and militant unionism of higher education are few of the serious problems

• This has affected negatively on the environment of education

• This has promoted the state of impunity and culture of violence in the education sector

Context of Social Science ResearchThe advent of democracy in 1951 provided a space for

producing social science knowledge through teaching and research

Currently Nepal has many researchers working in almost all branches of social sciences

But not many of these disciplines have strong academic or research foundation

Beside lack of funding there are many technical, social, political and financial problems

The lack of co-operation between researchers working in the same field

Social sciences research in the university is becoming neglected and marginalized

Context of Social Science Research continues.....

The quest for money has led TU social scientists to work more in private campuses, NGOs and INGOs

There is void in the serious empirical social science researches and quality academic works

Commercialized education and consultancy research business seriously hampered the academic environment

The separation of research and teaching jobs and the existence of a degree of hostility between those working in research centres and others in teaching departments

Major Research Institutions in Nepal• University Affiliated Research Institutes:

– Tribhuvan University (TU): CEDA, CNAS, CDSA– Kathmandu University (KU): HNRS

TU is the biggest and oldest university with four research centres (CNAS, CEDA, RECAST and CERID)

• Private Research Institutions– New ERA, NIDS, Shtri Shakti; IPRD, NDRI, SAP Nepal, INSEC;

MC, SSB, NSG, NEPAN; IIDS, JSTOR, NIPS, NREN

Major Research Institutions in Nepal continues....

Private institutions have some similarity in terms of actions and initiatives

However, there are differences in terms of their mission, operation and approaches

These are not academic research institutionsThese social science research institutions are conducting

survey, study, policy and action researchAs the action research and policy advocacy institutes

many of these institutions have their own libraries and run their own training courses

Research Grants and Funds• Foreign aid provides 60% of the country’s budget.• The development plans, policy and practice,

including lifelong learning policy and practice executed have failed to address counter poverty and social exclusion

• Most of the northern and some developed Asian countries offer grants to Nepalese students for under graduation and graduation programs

• These funds are channelled either through the Embassies or through the project grant/aid offices.

• There are regional and international fund also available periodically to Nepali on a competition basis

Research Grants and Funds continues......

Donors have their own subject priorities and goals to support the research initiatives

However, most of the donors want to support for enhancing the capacity of southern research personnel and promote relationship among institutions of developing and developed countries

Lack of support to guide research institutions for developing a practical and effective course of actions

Need support for enhancing better understanding of the reality of the existing society, social dynamics and root causes of continuity of discriminatory practices, hierarchical social structure and traditional mindset

Comprehensive institutional development program is necessary

Private viz a viz Public Research Institutions

Establishment of several private research centres in the form of private NGOs, centres and institutions- post 1990

• Broadly these can be categorized in terms of their nature of accountable management – private or public

• These can be classified by its dedicated human resources, appropriate infrastructure, experience in conducting quality social science research, competency in producing and disseminating knowledge effectively and assured funding for the research

• Nature of management has a direct relevance to the institution’s contribution for the social science sector.

Private viz a viz Public Research Institutions continues.....

• Considering the culture of Nepal, nature of management and leadership style of the institution determine the dynamism of the organization, scale of resource mobilization and its availability for sustaining the research efforts and its commitment towards the social science research.

• Categories of organizations only in terms of research, advocacy and academic may not be the appropriate and sufficient parameters to make judgment about their qualitative output results

• Private organizations and institutions have comparative advantage against public universities and institutions in terms of flexibility in making decisions for hiring the researchers, selection of research themes, disseminating knowledge and generating resources

• However, in terms of secured funding assistance for the research & competent human resources public universities are more reliable

Private viz a viz Public Research Institutions continues.....

• These institutions have been playing varied role towards contributing in the social science sector through information and knowledge management

• There are many examples of ups and downs of Nepali organizations irrespective of them being affiliated to private (I/NGOs) or public (government supported university) sector e.g. CEDA, CNAS, IIDS, New ERA etc.

• These organizations have gone through the golden days, suffered setbacks and some of them have managed to come back to their original forms.

• Private and NGOs involvement in the social science research has been beneficial in terms of • 1) opening a new horizon and perspective to analyse the social issues, • 2) breaking the boundary of confining to pure acadmeic researach and

encompassing action research, and • 3) moving into evidence based advaocacy

Comparative Advantages of Universities• Universities comprise academic courses and basics as well as

applied research, and thus provides students with substantial interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of issues related to social science

• Use of classroom lectures, case study analyses, field surveys, seminars, discussions and presentation

• CNAS and CEDA of TU are the two institutes which are undertaking research in the social sciences

• CDSA and NHRS are two strong departments promoting social science

• Leading in debate, discussion and publication of social science researches in Nepal

Challenges and OpportunitiesJust a few university teachers made noteworthy contributions Highly qualified picked up by the government and or by

private consultancy officesA visible conflict among University Social Science Departments

and research institutionsIt has promoted the commercialization, deteriorated the

quality of outputs and enlarge the distance between the researchers and academicians

Promotion of social science research quality teaching should be integrated with research

Addressing Ngoizationa and politicization of academic and research institutions in Nepal

Challenges and Opportunities continues......

Power of knowledge has never received any respectMoney power and political/position power have attracted

most of the academics and researchers from the universities and institutions

The continued brain drain from the universities to private institutions have been quite a challenge in terms of maintaining the quality and quantity of research works

To sustain itself the academic and research institutions have compromised on professional ethics and serious academic research

Private institutions have privilege of flexibility of decisions due to their autonomous status and time bound projects with attractive financial package to work at the hard core areas of social issues

Challenges and Opportunities continues......

Concerted effort to bridge the gaps of unhealthy competitions between these two groups of institutions.

Self proclaimed egos of need to be balanced to churn out best qualities of both

Lifelong learning policy and practices to be made inclusive, bottom up, participatory and contextualised to match with the local context for protecting the interests of the marginalized

Culture of Bureaucracy in Nepal

Bureaucrats theoretically no longer remained the masters but the servants of the people

Peculiar and ancient type of bureaucratic system carried over from the cultural practices and hierarchical mindset

The principles of Chakari, Chugli and Chaplusi continued

The notion of Afno Manche culture still dominated the bureaucracy, civil and political sector

Politicization of BureaucracyThe civil and bureaucratic system is

being politicizedindiscipline increased trade unions multipliedmistrust developed

The bureaucrats gradually converted themselves into party cadre to sustain themselves in the power positions

Unstable political situation, poor governance and dysfunctional rule of law with the constant change of political leadership in the power positions of governance created confusion in the bureaucracy

Non Performing System

The Nepali bureaucracy is not only policy implementation agency but also possess characteristics to support the ruling authority by all means for their survival

Bureaucratic structure has hierarchies with limited delegation and rules that are defined in terms of responsibility but not in terms of task

Considering the absence of rule of law, unstable political governance and politicization of the system, bureaucratic make compromises to retain their positions

The culture of Afno Manche on one hand has benefitted many civil servants for accomplishing personal gain but has de-motivated some sincere and committed bureaucrats

Bureaucracy is known to be potentially competent but non-performing since it is generally demoralized because of low salary, unattractive incentives and limited career opportunities

ChallengesTo establish and sustain the independence,

professionalism and autonomy of an institution - Council for Social Science Research (CSSR)

To seek political commitment of the government, avoid politicization and ensure long term financial assistance

To attain credibility, maintain equal and balanced functional distance between the major stakeholders and draw regular flow of resources

To develop a “functional plan” by defining the concept, system and actions for maintaining autonomy, professionalism and sustainability of the envisaged council

Thanks