CENTRE FOR EDUCATION RESEARCH AND INNOVATION AT DUCE

"Advancing Knowledge, Inspiring Innovation: Pioneering Education Research at DUCE"

Centre for Social and Political Research (CSPR) is a multidisciplinary research unit established in 2018 to provide a platform for members of the Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE) to effectively engage in research and community outreach services. CSPR intends to promote democratic values and good governance through multidisciplinary research and public dialogue. In particular, CSPR seeks to promote academic-society linkages through research-informed dialogue, policy engagement, and community outreach. CSPR takes a methodologically pluralistic and multidisciplinary approach, embracing any topic relevant to the study of social and political issues. CSPR’s commitment to multi-disciplinarity offers its members and affiliates excellent opportunities for networking and collective reflection.

Researchers at CSPR contribute broadly to scholarship in a number of areas such as democracy, governance, gender, development evaluation, education policy and management, public administration, development ethics, history, anthropology, just to mention a few. In pursuit of its goals, the Centre is involved in the organization of both national and international conferences and workshops. Furthermore, it seeks to establish and enhance networks, links and collaborations in the areas of research and community outreach programmes such as training and capacity building to communities and institutions in areas that CSPR and DUCE have enough expertise.

CSPR LEADERSHIP

CSPR is led by the Steering committee which is responsible for overseeing the Centre’s activities. The day-to-day administration of CSPR is done by the Management team, which is led by the Coordinator.

To become a research centre of excellence for innovative and transformative education, training, research, and public service.
To advance socio-economic development, human rights and democratic values through effective research, training, innovation and knowledge exchange.

Core Functions

The Core Functions of the CSPR include:
  • Conducting research and disseminating research-based knowledge for national development.
  • Providing mentorship to staff and fostering networks between staff and visiting scholars researchers, and professionals from local and foreign institutions.
  • Providing supervision and training support for research students.
  • Organizing and facilitating regular science-policy-practice dialogues.
  • Developing and sustaining research links and collaboration with other research institutions.
  • Responding to societal needs through public service and community engagement.

Thematic Research Areas

  • Social, political, economic and environmental history
  • Democratization processes, public administration and management
  • Development planning, monitoring and evaluation
  • Public health and social services delivery
  • Natural resource management, climate change and human security
  • Gendering social, political and economic processes
  • Culture, heritage and ethics
  • Digital Governance and Innovation (DiGI)
  • Governmentality and Political Economy (GOPE)
  • Public Administration and Management Reforms (PAMARE)
  • Cultures and Ethics of Sustainability (CESU)
  • Peasantry and Rural Livelihood (PERULI)
  • Urbanization, Social and Environmental History (USEHI)
  • Decentralization, Governance and Public Health (DEGOPU)
  • Intellectual History, Ethnic and Gender Studies (IHEGE)
CSPR has been involved in different projects in the domain of social and political research.
Faculty of Education