The Current Column

Equitable scientific co-operation

Shaping equitable partnerships in international collaborative research

Flaig, Merlin / Detlef Müller-Mahn
The Current Column (2024)

Bonn: German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), The Current Column of 23 September 2024

English PDF Version

Bonn, 23 September 2024. On 19 August 2024, the German Commission for UNESCO (DUK) launched its position paper “Equitable scientific co-operation worldwide” (developed under the leadership of IDOS director Anna-Katharina Hornidge). It states that scientific co-operation between partners from low- and middle-income countries (LICs and MICs) on the one hand and high-income countries (HICs) on the other should be on an equal footing. It suggests 12 practical impulses that can be readily implemented to shape the prerequisites and practices of German scientific co-operation. These impulses are actionable steps that can be adopted by science funders, science policy makers and academic institutions.

However, in research and funding practice, equitable co-operation is not yet commonly applied and must therefore be implemented more broadly and systematically. Key elements of equitable partnerships are - on the basis of mutual trust, respect and learning - joint project design, budget development and responsibility, and implementation. This is affirmed by researchers from LICs, MICs and HICs. It means that all research partners’ expectations, interests and needs are considered throughout the research and funding cycle.

To develop a feasible approach, we must acknowledge that research conditions for scientists in LICs and MICs are highly unequal to those in HICs. This imbalance hinders research on core global challenges. It cannot be overcome by scientific co-operation alone, but it can be mitigated in the short term, and should be reduced as part of a long-term strategy. Scientific co-operation across this global divide presents an opportunity for both sides to transparently address the imbalance and to fully realise the potential of collaborative research. Equitable co-operation is thus in mutual interest. However, German funding agencies and regulations are still partly inhibitive for equitable co-operation. Consequently, German research cooperation may appear less attractive in comparison to other international partners that allocate more funds to research partners in LICs and MICs.

Therefore, there are two major obstacles that need to be addressed to further promote equitable co-operation. First, equitable partnerships must be established as standard requirement for international collaborative research and for applications for international funding lines. A critical engagement with the issue is by no means new, dating back as early as the mid-1970s, emphasising the inexpedience of hierarchical, Northern-dominated practices and calling for rethinking the setup of cooperative research. Since then, the critique of HIC-dominated practices turned into palpable trends. Yet, the degree of engagement varies across national borders and research fields, e.g. development, global health or ocean governance. Recently, there have been concerted efforts to address this concern more systematically. Some examples are advisory processes to the G7 and G20, the Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations, the work by the Swiss KFPE and the UKCDR & ESSENCE equitable partnerships resource hub. Noteworthy efforts in Germany are the 2022 open letter by numerous leading research centres and scholars directed at the German Research Foundation (DFG), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Federal Ministry of Research, as well as the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) 2023 flagship report “Healthy living on a healthy planet” and the DUK position paper. While these are notable commitments, we need a broader and more systematic application and dedicated practice of these affirmations by science funders and academic institutions.

Second, legal frameworks have to be adapted to accommodate the key elements of equitable partnerships. In Germany, just like in many other HICs, the normative goal of equity in international scientific co-operation is affirmed in funding agencies and science policy strategies. Yet, the practical implementation of equitable partnerships is often challenged by complicated bureaucratic procedures and legal hurdles, which stand in the way of trust-building and fostering reliable partnerships. Also, liability regulations have to be revised to have an appropriate framework for co-operative research instead of unbalanced liability risks for individuals. Science policy-makers must therefore act and adapt legal frameworks to allow longer-term-oriented, equitable partnerships and adequate liability. They have to create regulations that, among other things, enable shared budget responsibilities and allocation of funds, a strategic mitigation of persisting inequities, especially for young researchers from LICs and MICs and a more equitable treatment of all project partners, e.g. with regard to remuneration, insurance, protection and security.

In short, the way forward for the German science and research landscape is to apply equitable practices more broadly and systematically in international research co-operation, and to adapt legal regulations that facilitate more equitable partnerships. This is in Germany’s own interest because equitable science co-operation is essential for successfully tackling the pending transformation challenges worldwide.

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Merlin Flaig is a Social Scientist and researcher in the research programme Transformation of Political (Dis-)order.

Detlef Müller-Mahn is Professor of Geographical Development Research at the University of Bonn.