The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in a partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), has concluded an initiative centered on enhancing research capacity to strengthen public policy discourse in the country.

The two-year project included the submission of research proposals from undergraduate and postgraduate students of five public universities: Dr. John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology, Upper Nile University, University of Bahr El Ghazal, Rumbek University of Science and Technology and the University of Juba. The project also included the distribution of Information Communication Technology (ICT) equipment to the institutions and enhance research capacities with support of national and international professors to provide academic expertise and guidance for quality research. Read more on this here. 

During the closing event, Prof. Dr. Abraham Kuol Nyuon, the principal of the Graduate College at the University of Juba, said that academic research should be used to address national development challenges. While Dr. Ligane Sene, the Senior Economist Advisor for UNDP in South Sudan and Eretria said that the programme was designed to ensure that research is meaningful and contributes to the current public policy debate and policy formulation in the country.

The six finalists who presented their proposals to an audience of 150 participants at the University of Juba were commended on their efforts and received insight on how to improve on their research papers before publication by their assigned discussant.