IK Monitor Editorial (9-1)

Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor, March 2001

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Editorial

'Here's how I do it,' said my father, as he cut the long strands of spaghetti into pieces that he could handle with his fork. The dish suddenly looked more like the meat-potatoes-and-vegetables that we were used to. You could call this an example of the fusion of knowledge and experience, i.e., tackling something new on the basis of what you already know. My father ran his business - a nursery in the western part of Holland - the same way. With one eye on new developments, he experimented with methods and techniques, and kept in close touch with colleagues and experts in the field. And he was always prepared to share his own knowledge and expertise with others.

In education, the fusion of knowledge systems and experience is becoming increasingly common, not least in higher education. In developing countries one of the major aims of higher education is to contribute to national economic goals, while enhancing the quality of life of individuals. This is done in partnership with families and communities, by introducing into the curriculum local knowledge drawn from the immediate physical and social environment.

The Cuban university system, which was initiated after the Cuban Revolution, is a case in point. It is based on a tripartite approach to work and study: académico, laboral and investigacion. A generous scholarship programme makes it possible for individuals to study at university. Within this work-plus-study framework, students then return to their communities and put what they have learned into practice or, alternatively, undertake research into issues which are of importance for those communities.

The fusion of knowledge systems and experience is becoming increasingly common in higher education.
Photo:Roel Burgler

Other, more recent, initiatives have also been undertaken elsewhere. In Uganda, for example, the Kampala Declaration of 9 December, 1999 sparked action aimed at the sustainable application of indigenous knowledge for development. The National Council for Science and Technology is a leading actor, while a National Curriculum Development Centre has also been established. Concrete initiatives include the new three-year degree programme in Ethnobotany at Makarere University (which also involves fieldwork carried out together with traditional healers), and the collaboration with staff of the National Chemotherapeutics Research Laboratory.

In South Africa the government's National Research Foundation has committed itself to developing indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) as an academic discipline. The University of the North offers courses on IKS on three levels, including a separate module at Master's level.

These examples highlight the growing recognition of the importance of keying programmes to the world and the mentality of students. Initiatives such as science festivals, national science weeks, and competitions for young researchers are now being undertaken in the South as well as the North. Last year's National Science, Engineering and Technology Week in South Africa is a good example, while in the North West Province, village elders and chieftains shared their knowledge of IKS systems with visitors.

Naturally, not every experiment will be immediately successful. But against a background of trust, it will be possible to learn from early mistakes and to continue to implement initiatives aimed at the integration of local knowledge into university programmes.