UONGOZI Institute and United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) officially launched a new research project which aims to facilitate the development and implementation of public policies that promote economic transformation and inclusive growth in Tanzania and the Eastern African region.

Supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finland, the Project focuses on six themes: macroeconomics; domestic resource mobilisation extractives; small scale enterprises/industrialisation; sustainable livelihoods; and gender. The announcement was made during a one-day workshop in Dar-es-Salaam on 4 March, 2019 to identify and discuss specific research topics under the themes.

Speaking at the workshop, Prof. Joseph Semboja, CEO of UONGOZI Institute, said, “It is a great honour for UONGOZI Institute to collaborate with UNU-WIDER in this novel research project to promote sustainable development.”

Prof. Semboja went on to note that the collaboration brings together UNU-WIDER’s recognised expertise in research and policy analysis as well as UONGOZI Institute’s strategic focus on sustainable development to inform policy decisions. He also stated that the project aligns with the Institute’s strategic plan and is an important initiative for the organisation.

In his remarks, Prof. Kunal Sen, Director of UNU-WIDER, said prior to the launch event an extensive set of discussions took place that led to the design of a work-plan for 2019/2020. He said: “Today we will discuss the work-plan and finalise a set of research papers.”

Prof. Sen further stated that the papers to be commissioned need to clearly address ‘policy-relevant’ questions for Tanzania and the wider region.

He added: “They also need to be methodologically rigorous and build up from past knowledge.”

The event attracted researchers, research associates and development partners. The former Governor of the Central Bank of Tanzania, Prof. Benno Ndulu, was also in attendance.