Driving Societal Impact Through Research: Key Insights from a recent SARUA webinar
The initiative explored the incentives and barriers for producing research that drives meaningful societal change across the SADC region. The webinar, led by Project Lead Prof Birgit Schreiber, PhD, brought together academics, policymakers, and researchers to discuss strategies for making higher education research more relevant, actionable, and impactful.
Aligning Research with Societal Needs
A central theme of the webinar was using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to translate research into real-world impact. Prof. Schreiber emphasised that researchers should:
- Align projects with specific SDGs,
- Use established frameworks to categorise and map interdependencies between goals,
- Identify key societal, environmental, and economic dimensions of impact, and
- Embed monitoring and evaluation processes to track contributions to SDG achievement.
She also highlighted that achieving meaningful impact requires cross-sectoral collaboration, stakeholder engagement, contextualising research to local communities, and building strong partnerships.
Overcoming Challenges to Impact
The webinar also addressed barriers to impactful research. Dr Hosian Hitanwa, Director at The International University of Management (IUM), Namibia, noted that persistent funding gaps, estimated in the trillions of dollars annually, particularly in developing economies, hinder research linked to SDG reporting.
He stressed that financing is often not channelled effectively to the countries that need it most, leaving vulnerable nations at risk.
Unity Nyakudya, Senior Lecturer at Botswana Accountancy College, highlighted the lack of political will as a recurring barrier, noting:
“We cannot have the desired impact without political will to take that research and make something of it.”
Even strong, evidence-based research often fails to translate into policy or practice without committed institutional and governmental support.
Motivations and Pathways to Impact
Prof. Schreiber outlined key motivations for SDG-focused research:
- The unprecedented scope and ambition for human progress,
- The need for interrelationships and collaboration,
- Finite global resources and shared challenges,
- Mitigating conditions that fuel conflict,
- Building and sustaining global peace and social justice, and
- Addressing geopolitical dynamics and interdependence.
She emphasised that impactful research requires transdisciplinary approaches, co-creation with stakeholders, and institutional and national incentives that reward societal relevance alongside traditional academic outputs.
Implications for Higher Education
For higher education institutions across SADC, the webinar provided actionable strategies to enhance research relevance, strengthen societal impact, and foster cross-sector collaboration.
At the IMM Graduate School, these insights will inform curriculum development, research projects, and strategic partnerships, ensuring students and scholars are equipped to contribute meaningfully to regional development and global sustainable goals.