2019 was a dynamic and successful year for CSEA with several notable accomplishments, capping over a decade of producing evidence-based research and analysis in Africa. It also marks a significant period for the Centre, as the Institutional funding provided by the Think Tank Initiative (TTI) of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) ended.
A major highlight for the year under review is the Centre’s award as a Center of Excellence by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). As a Center of Excellence, CSEA and UNCTAD will
collaborate closely on research, capacity building and dissemination of research outputs. This strategic partnership will significantly enrich CSEA research work and increase its reach to a wider audience.
In 2019, we embarked on a year-long strategy of repositioning our research objectives to align with the hanges in the development space, in response to emerging opportunities. Thus, CSEA explored other relevant areas of research including- climate change, gender, and social inclusion policies. This increased the Centre’s success towards receiving a record number of awarded research projects in 2019.