Building intellectual resources
Published : Wednesday, 06 March 2013, FE
Gopal Sengupta from Canada
There is a growing expectation that Bangladesh will play a proactive role in the emerging world order as a key player from Asia. But does Bangladesh have the intellectual resources to play the role? The answer may not be in the positive and should be a cause for worry to many. It is here that the roles of universities and think-tanks may be found critically pertinent
. There is a growing expectation that Bangladesh will play a proactive role in the emerging world order as a key player from Asia. But does Bangladesh have the intellectual resources to play the role? The answer may not be in the positive and should be a cause for worry to many. It is here that the roles of universities and think-tanks may be found critically pertinent
Universities focus on teaching and basic research. It is the think-tanks that help bridge the gap between the world of ideas and action. They are better equipped to generate policy-oriented research and to inform policy decisions. It is difficult to claim that think-tanks change policy, as political leaders receive inputs from many sources. But good policy research offers independent analyses, critical assessments, alternative perspectives, new insights and sometimes innovative ideas. Effective think-tanks can help in more informed decision-making, agenda-setting, sensitising the public, briefing lawmakers and testing new ideas. They can interpret issues, events and policies for the media and thus improve public understanding of foreign and security policy issues. They serve as a constructive forum for exchange of ideas. They can help develop "issues networks." They are a potential source of expert personnel for the government, the legislatures and the media. And they can also challenge the conventional wisdom of the establishment. Think-tanks exert greater influence in countries like Canada and the United States where key decision-makers move in and out of the government. There is a growing demand from foreign scholars, government delegations, parliamentarians, media personnel and businessmen for information on Indian perspectives on a range of issues. This is a natural consequence of India's growing international profile.
The state of international studies in Bangladeshi universities is dismal owing to the neglect of theory, research methodology and language skills, poor infrastructure, indifferent teaching and absence of incentives for good performance. Bangladesh's international affairs think-tanks are sandwiched between a university system in crisis and an indifferent policy establishment. They suffer from both demand and supply constraints. There is hardly any demand for their output, either because it is not regarded as relevant or because key officials believe they already know what is there to know. On the other hand, think-tanks are handicapped by the lack of talented young researchers. In order to ensure results in the near-term, greater attention needs to be given to develop the existing government-sponsored think-tanks into world-class institutions. This will require strong government support for institution-building and reforms, capacity-building of researchers through language training, field trips and continuity in research.
Changes in governance structures will also be needed to ensure speedier decision-making. As a nation, we have risen only to the level of corporate servants of multi-national corporations. To develop a sound intellectual capability, we need to reorganise our learning system and encourage individual capabilities lying dormant in millions of Bangladeshis.
gopalsengupta@aol.com
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