REPOA's Annual Research Workshop has grown to be the largest and longest running annual event hosted by a Tanzanian research institute.
This year REPOA celebrated its 16th Annual Research Workshop (ARW) on March 30th – 31st, at White Sands Hotel in Dar es Salaam .
The objectives of this keynote annual event are:
- disseminating research findings as a contribution towards policy making,
- providing peer review as capacity building for researchers, and
- providing a networking forum for debate and dialogue among stakeholders.
This year’s theme was Productivity, Employment and Socio-economic Security.
Participants of the 16th ARW had the chance to hear several speeches including;
Opening Remarks by REPOA’S Chair of the Board, Professor Esther Mwaikambo
Speech by REPOA’s Executive, Professor Samuel Wangwe
Statement by H.E. Dr. Ad Koekkoek, Ambassador for Netherlands
The Opening address was presented by Honorable Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania, Mizengo Kayanza Peter Pinda who was the guest of honor at the event.
The Hon. Prime Minister remarked that the theme for this year’s workshop was a good theme which is very relevant, especially at a time when Tanzania is embarking on agricultural development.
The PM also commended REPOA for the work done in the 16 years since it’s inception and the use of it’s research products in policy discussion, policymaking, improving and guiding resources for poverty reduction, producing research on poverty and development such as the Poverty and Human Development Report, and in its role in furthering the nation’s development and poverty alleviation initiatives as a whole.
Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda emphasized the importance of productivity, employment and socioeconomic security in reducing poverty and raising incomes of the majority of Tanzania’s population, and challenged REPOA and similar research institutions to address the following: the reasons behind why poverty levels for individual citizens are not noticeably reducing despite a growing economy; how to increase entrepreneurship in agriculture, pasteuralism, fishing, construction and other industries; and to prioritise research on specific problems within the agriculture, fishing, pasteuralism and mining sectors.
Two keynote addresses were given. The first by Prof. John Page, a Senior Fellow in the Global Economy and Development Program at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. He is also affiliated with the International Growth Centre, Oxford and an advisor to the African Development Bank. This keynote presentation also featured a panel discussion chaired by Prof. Rwekeza Mukundala with Prof. Anna Tibaijuka as a discussant. Hightlights from Prof. Tibaijuka’s remarks will be posted on REPOA’s website soon. To visit our website, please click here.
The second keynote address was given by Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development in the United Nations' Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
The workshop continued with presentations given predominantly by recipients of REPOA research grants. These researchers were given feedback on their projects by participants and by formal technical review teams. REPOA’s Annual Research Workshop plays an important role in the capacity building of these researchers.
The workshop was concluded with a final plenary session to receive general feedback from participants. The session was lead by Prof. Samuel Wangwe with contributions from Prof. Marc Wuyts and Prof. Marjorie Mbilinyi. The powerpoint presentation by Prof. Marjorie Mbilinyi is available here.
For more information on the 16th Annual Research Workshop, please check our website using the following link:
http://www.repoa.or.tz/content/blogcategory/38/71/
Research on Poverty Alleviation REPOA
P.O. Box 33223 , Dar es Salaam , Tanzania • 157 Mgombani Street , Regent Estate
Tel: +255 (0) (22) 2700083 / 0784 555 655 • Fax: 255 (0) (22) 2775738
Email: repoa@repoa.or.tz
www.repoa.or.tz
