1 00:00:03,730 --> 00:00:08,590 I thought we'd just take a moment to think about what is development research. 2 00:00:08,590 --> 00:00:11,770 So this is this is a thing that we now have. 3 00:00:11,770 --> 00:00:18,610 We used to have development and we had to search and now we have development, research or research for development. 4 00:00:18,610 --> 00:00:28,060 And I think it's really important for you to just remember what that is so that when you are approaching this kind of work, 5 00:00:28,060 --> 00:00:34,270 that you're approaching it from the right perspective. So basically in the UK, what this means, 6 00:00:34,270 --> 00:00:40,830 these are funds to support research that addresses the challenges faced by developing countries and the funds that we have a effort. 7 00:00:40,830 --> 00:00:50,290 For example, DFID Newton Fund Gates Foundation that locks these funds in the UK are designed to support the UK aid strategy. 8 00:00:50,290 --> 00:01:03,640 Yes, we have one. And if you clicked on that, you could say if this is about tackling global challenges, but also in the national interest. 9 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:12,100 And whilst also solving one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals, usually in a three year timeframe, if you're lucky, so that's right. 10 00:01:12,100 --> 00:01:18,460 The idea is that this is a blueprint for achieve a better and more sustainable future for all the Sustainable Development Goals apply. 11 00:01:18,460 --> 00:01:27,430 Regardless of whether you're doing research in India or whether you're doing research and reading, you know, the sustainable, they cover everything. 12 00:01:27,430 --> 00:01:33,940 Of course we're looking at this from this, but from the LMC kind of perspective today. 13 00:01:33,940 --> 00:01:40,330 So the other thing, of course, to bear in mind for the cynics in the audience, that's all you look. 14 00:01:40,330 --> 00:01:52,330 I think, is that in essence, if this ODA funding we have now is a kind of political reworking of the UK aid budget now for us as 15 00:01:52,330 --> 00:01:58,000 universities and researchers and colleagues here who want universities but who also work in this field, 16 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,480 that's kind of nice because it does give us a way of contributing. 17 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:12,610 Whether you feel that this is the right use for aid, money is possibly a conversation to have over the possibly second glass of wine later. 18 00:02:12,610 --> 00:02:14,350 The thing to bear in mind with development research, 19 00:02:14,350 --> 00:02:20,020 though it's only research that directly and primarily is relevant to the problem of developing countries, 20 00:02:20,020 --> 00:02:26,860 maybe crafters, over official development assistance. And that's when you're looking at things like GCR from DFID. 21 00:02:26,860 --> 00:02:31,570 That's the first question that you have to ask yourself. Who's it for? 22 00:02:31,570 --> 00:02:35,890 OK? And you would think that was very obvious, but sometimes it's for our own benefit. 23 00:02:35,890 --> 00:02:40,120 It's for our own careers. It's for OK. So now it's who is it for? 24 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:51,760 So I've made a picture because of this reworking of the the kind of our aid commitments, which is this not 0.7 percent of GDP. 25 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:59,620 And whilst we have a GDP, then then nought point seven percent that that's quite good. 26 00:02:59,620 --> 00:03:03,460 I'd refer you to the other parts of my job. 27 00:03:03,460 --> 00:03:10,360 If you look at the first graph from from where we were in 2015 to where we will be sort of next year in the year after, 28 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:15,520 that's been a huge increase in ODA spending. 29 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:21,130 If we imagine, of course, it is a repurposing of what there was before, but it is directed towards research. 30 00:03:21,130 --> 00:03:26,920 I can't imagine as anybody who hasn't memorised one to second team in the second, 31 00:03:26,920 --> 00:03:35,710 but those are the Sustainable Development Goals and these are this is the context in which you are doing your ODA research G7. 32 00:03:35,710 --> 00:03:43,670 The Global Challenges Research Fund was set up in 2016. I think it was 1.5 billion to be spent by 2020. 33 00:03:43,670 --> 00:03:48,520 Now that means when they say spent, that means allocated. 34 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:51,030 It doesn't mean that everything has to stop the end. 35 00:03:51,030 --> 00:03:59,830 It just means that through 2021, they will still be giving out money for research projects that may then last three or four years after that. 36 00:03:59,830 --> 00:04:06,460 But it will be committed by the end of 2021, and the GCA projects must be over at some point. 37 00:04:06,460 --> 00:04:13,480 They absolutely have to be. You have to do your little statement about the compliance, and that's the first thing they look at. 38 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:19,960 And if that's no good, they don't look any further. I mean, whether you say that's taking it seriously or not, I don't know. 39 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:26,590 But this is this is what you really need to to get kind of at the back of your mind for everything. 40 00:04:26,590 --> 00:04:28,480 The Newton Fund is another UK fund, 41 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:36,390 and that's for developing science and innovation partnerships like economic development and welfare of collaborating countries. 42 00:04:36,390 --> 00:04:41,140 A lot of fellowships. We're talking about how we build networks. 43 00:04:41,140 --> 00:04:46,180 I think money and people, in fact, that I should have just said that to my Hello, the future is money and people. 44 00:04:46,180 --> 00:04:53,770 Good night. But it is, you know, and the key is where do we get the money and how do we reach the people? 45 00:04:53,770 --> 00:04:58,510 And in essence, that's the the way we need to think about it. 46 00:04:58,510 --> 00:05:07,240 In terms of ODA research, we have to embrace this new way of thinking with we as university based researchers. 47 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:10,900 So research rather than aid is a kind of solution. 48 00:05:10,900 --> 00:05:17,290 It's been posited now as a solution in all of these things. 49 00:05:17,290 --> 00:05:21,040 Your partner country, your your LMC, whichever one it is Africa. 50 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:23,080 Of course, it's about Africa today. 51 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:30,850 It is about your colleagues in Africa, your stakeholders, your your, your network, whoever it is, they are defining the challenge. 52 00:05:30,850 --> 00:05:40,630 We have to move away from the good old days where people like me would come and say to people like, You know what your problem is, don't you? 53 00:05:40,630 --> 00:05:45,890 And this is what you need to do, and we'll sort it out and then I'll just leave. And I'm this this. 54 00:05:45,890 --> 00:05:48,910 This was age. This was support. This is not the future. 55 00:05:48,910 --> 00:05:57,640 This is about you telling me what the issue is, and we are coming up with the best solution that is delivered, 56 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:02,230 you know, with, you know, two not for you, but with. 57 00:06:02,230 --> 00:06:10,030 It's the prepositions are everything in this new kind of of of of world with and for. 58 00:06:10,030 --> 00:06:21,130 OK, if it's not within four, it's not ODA. Excuse me, in order to do all that, of course, equitable partnership is crucial. 59 00:06:21,130 --> 00:06:28,300 And again, the equity is not just about the interaction, it's about the funding, you know. 60 00:06:28,300 --> 00:06:33,550 The nice thing of the new thing really, with a fund like G-series is instead of it saying, 61 00:06:33,550 --> 00:06:40,390 Dear Professor in Oxford, you can have X million pounds to go do something you know on or for Africa. 62 00:06:40,390 --> 00:06:45,640 It's actually funding for both halves on many parts of the partnership. 63 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:48,970 And that's that. That's a big, a big change. And I think it's important. 64 00:06:48,970 --> 00:06:56,500 And we as Oxford based researchers, those of us who are need to bear that in mind when we are building our partnerships. 65 00:06:56,500 --> 00:07:05,350 We need to engage with a wide range of stakeholders and those aren't stakeholders here, although some of those are quite important. 66 00:07:05,350 --> 00:07:11,880 It's the stakeholders that you're who who will help you deliver the solutions that you're looking for, 67 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:15,160 you know, and do not underestimate how tricky that can be. 68 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:20,740 I mean, it's bad enough trying to do it in Whitehall, you know, but if you're if. 69 00:07:20,740 --> 00:07:26,800 But if you're dealing, you know, across five or six different African countries, I mean, 70 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:35,650 I've even identified them and having the kind of relationships that you need them, it's really tough and it's hard work and it's not it's not quick. 71 00:07:35,650 --> 00:07:40,990 You know, and and so it's really again, everything's really important. 72 00:07:40,990 --> 00:07:45,040 If you don't have that engagement, you won't have successful outcomes. 73 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:49,870 OK? You might have outcomes, but they're unlikely to be truly successful. 74 00:07:49,870 --> 00:07:55,930 And the successes, if you're thinking about the impact, it's it's stuff that actually gets used. 75 00:07:55,930 --> 00:08:01,360 It's not. It's not lovely things that get sort of printed or published. 76 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:04,660 It's actually stuff that happens. 77 00:08:04,660 --> 00:08:13,540 So when we're thinking about success of our activities, our research, what are the outputs may might be non-standard. 78 00:08:13,540 --> 00:08:21,000 You know, it may be something that you just wouldn't normally expect in your in your standard approach to research. 79 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:28,750 Excuse me. I mean, a lemon, a set of laminated cards that a clinician might have a monster. 80 00:08:28,750 --> 00:08:33,850 That's not you wouldn't normally expect to return that to ref, but actually in this context, 81 00:08:33,850 --> 00:08:38,860 exactly the sort of output that would be measurable and effective. 82 00:08:38,860 --> 00:08:45,550 And so that's what I mean by the kind of would all sorts of things. I mean, obviously, what you need for local context is key. 83 00:08:45,550 --> 00:08:57,160 But also what's good for you as an Oxford academic researcher might have no relevance at all to Africa. 84 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:01,540 So what we're talking about really is research impact versus development impact. 85 00:09:01,540 --> 00:09:04,870 OK, now obviously development impact. 86 00:09:04,870 --> 00:09:11,830 That's what we know from defeat in those programmes and things of change and nightmarish monitoring and evaluation. 87 00:09:11,830 --> 00:09:21,580 OK. We don't actually want it to be, but not nor is it the same as standard research impact. 88 00:09:21,580 --> 00:09:29,440 So it's some of the morphing of the two. As I said in a paper in Nature, maybe it's very, 89 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:36,880 very little importance to any of the people you're working with in Africa, though it might look good on your neck. 90 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:45,000 And so we have to rethink and the development techniques it needs to be demonstrated through the influence of non-academic partners also. 91 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:53,440 So, you know, it's business, it's NGOs in the national government departments, local government, multilateral agencies, funded local actors. 92 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:56,380 And those might be politicians that maybe help people. 93 00:09:56,380 --> 00:10:03,460 They might they might be the elders of a community that you're, you know, whatever the mayor of whatever, whoever it is, 94 00:10:03,460 --> 00:10:12,160 these are the people that will help you kind of do do do it and therefore be able to demonstrate impact. 95 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:20,800 And as I said, the key thing is that is that whatever it is that you're doing, it will be used and this is so early. 96 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:25,930 Research does not cover academic commentary on development issues. 97 00:10:25,930 --> 00:10:33,670 OK, now the thing is very often said, Oh yes, I'm interested in Africa, India or wherever. 98 00:10:33,670 --> 00:10:38,110 Very often it's that that they're interested in writing about it. 99 00:10:38,110 --> 00:10:46,300 And what we need to have is people who were interested in doing something about it and where it's all the issues that that affects. 100 00:10:46,300 --> 00:10:50,850 So research should be for no prep. Not about. 101 00:10:50,850 --> 00:10:55,080 OK, and that's again, really, excuse me. 102 00:10:55,080 --> 00:11:00,640 It's really interesting and just imperative. 103 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:07,340 So when we talk. About equitable partnerships and stuff, I mean, obviously the world's not very equitable place. 104 00:11:07,340 --> 00:11:12,530 And so you might say, well, how could we have an equitable partnership with kind of big old Oxford, 105 00:11:12,530 --> 00:11:19,380 big old rich, you know, everybody knows Oxford and the university, for example, in Africa. 106 00:11:19,380 --> 00:11:26,210 So we ask that question. And so the UK Right Partnership Programme for Capacity Building, 107 00:11:26,210 --> 00:11:31,760 this is the sort of thing that at the government level is being put in place to just fine up. 108 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:42,590 Now, of course, the problem is that when we talk about Africa, it's the third big like they're very big plays a very, you know, 109 00:11:42,590 --> 00:11:51,260 it's a big collection of a lot of places that are all very different and have the the different kind of regional and national needs. 110 00:11:51,260 --> 00:12:00,500 And some of the capacity and capability is much higher in some parts than others because of historic sort of wealth or investment. 111 00:12:00,500 --> 00:12:06,770 However, what they're trying to do is to build capacity for science and research across African universities now. 112 00:12:06,770 --> 00:12:09,680 Sadly, that 13 senses at the moment. 113 00:12:09,680 --> 00:12:19,980 But it is to provide opportunities for the research teams and GCR grant holders so that for those in need in Oxford, 114 00:12:19,980 --> 00:12:24,800 you've got to put people in Africa to go, Hey, we can build on this. 115 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:33,470 You've already had some funding. We can take this further. And I think that's something that we need to take advantage of if we can. 116 00:12:33,470 --> 00:12:40,610 It is around building equitable collaborations and now we've get the government are saying this, 117 00:12:40,610 --> 00:12:44,330 and I think the research councils are pushing this very hard. 118 00:12:44,330 --> 00:12:53,090 We have to keep this and say that this is the way that it has to be and more money needs to go to Africa. 119 00:12:53,090 --> 00:13:00,500 But of course, for the sustainability of the Oxford based team, what that means is there needs to be more money overall. 120 00:13:00,500 --> 00:13:03,350 And I think pushing, as you know, from the spending review onwards, 121 00:13:03,350 --> 00:13:09,410 and this is what we need if we're going to make a real difference 1.5 billion, this isn't enough. 122 00:13:09,410 --> 00:13:15,060 And so the programme this programme that was introduced last year, there are two strands. 123 00:13:15,060 --> 00:13:25,040 The capacity this is the there are there are 13 US centres of excellence around Africa, many of them, of course, in South Africa. 124 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:34,520 I know, I know, we'll work on that one as well. 125 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:46,430 So there was a capacity building, and so I think about 11 or 12 grants have been awarded, and that's about 600 K for some of these centres. 126 00:13:46,430 --> 00:13:55,310 There's a pie in each of these centres. So for those of you who haven't yet necessarily kind of done, then you've got your own network. 127 00:13:55,310 --> 00:14:03,470 Maybe start to look at places where people have funding and whether it's online and at the same time, align yourself. 128 00:14:03,470 --> 00:14:05,360 You know, you can align yourself with an issue. 129 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:14,090 Perfect, because that means to drive your own sort of interest, you can align yourself and not in a country again for that. 130 00:14:14,090 --> 00:14:18,080 But also then within that may be one of the best way to start. 131 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:21,350 To think about how you might build the right network is to go well. 132 00:14:21,350 --> 00:14:27,620 He's doing really good stuff in this field, you know, and maybe given that the UK is funding some of them, 133 00:14:27,620 --> 00:14:33,740 but maybe they've done some of that work for you now. Maybe that that the people who want to work with aren't in those. 134 00:14:33,740 --> 00:14:38,420 And that's fine because there are many, many more universities in Africa than there is funding, for example. 135 00:14:38,420 --> 00:14:41,810 So I shouldn't let you let that rule anything else out. 136 00:14:41,810 --> 00:14:51,440 The research excellence strand there was a call earlier this year of a fund up to six joint research projects, 137 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:58,160 and we all know what those are in February. So again, for those of you off the face, you have to hope this one here isn't all about research. 138 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:00,740 The UK government is also looking at innovation and trade, 139 00:15:00,740 --> 00:15:08,150 so last year they announced these innovation partnerships with African countries South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. 140 00:15:08,150 --> 00:15:14,810 So this is about boosting innovation in technology, and that could accelerate the programme's entrepreneurship schemes. 141 00:15:14,810 --> 00:15:20,990 Now, for some of the work that happens in Oxford, so we have accelerator programmes, impact acceleration. 142 00:15:20,990 --> 00:15:26,030 Some of the stuff that's coming out of the research that's happening here is, yes, 143 00:15:26,030 --> 00:15:33,020 it's absolutely perfect to to slot into development through these innovation programmes. 144 00:15:33,020 --> 00:15:41,360 And that's fine. You know, that's another way. It's not necessarily all about research early next year. 145 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:47,030 This is on the DFID website. There's a UK Africa investment summit and this is business governments. 146 00:15:47,030 --> 00:15:54,470 International institutions showcase and promote the breadth and quality of investment opportunities across Africa. 147 00:15:54,470 --> 00:16:01,750 It's probably an interesting thing, whether there's anything it will tell you, potentially what may be coming next and. 148 00:16:01,750 --> 00:16:07,210 In terms of how the relationships between the UK around trade, around growth. 149 00:16:07,210 --> 00:16:08,710 When you think about countries, you know, 150 00:16:08,710 --> 00:16:14,380 the high and middle income countries know what the UK is interested in doing is investing in things that will give a return. 151 00:16:14,380 --> 00:16:19,450 What they're looking for our future trade partners and there's nothing wrong with that. 152 00:16:19,450 --> 00:16:25,600 OK, so this is why they're doing that. We should we need to be a part of that. 153 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:32,710 But from the research perspective, too, because the the greater the divergence, I think between the knowledge that comes from research, 154 00:16:32,710 --> 00:16:38,620 the freedom into innovation and what governments may be doing in terms of just trade, 155 00:16:38,620 --> 00:16:47,260 then that then generally, I don't think that's particularly healthy in times to come. 156 00:16:47,260 --> 00:16:54,070 Another thought, just because it's UK Africa doesn't mean the UK has to pay for it. 157 00:16:54,070 --> 00:16:58,510 So the other bit I do is the European stuff. 158 00:16:58,510 --> 00:17:04,540 So almost all the European research funding is aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals. 159 00:17:04,540 --> 00:17:14,950 So the current framework programme and Horizon 2020, it's all that in the collaborative parts of those programmes old black list countries, 160 00:17:14,950 --> 00:17:23,780 with the exception of India, Brazil and two other of the high income China. 161 00:17:23,780 --> 00:17:29,480 They are eligible to be directly funded from the European Commission. 162 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:35,240 Now what that means, of course, is that they'd be you in whichever African country you're working with, 163 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:38,720 somebody in Oxford and you would need a couple of others across Europe. 164 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:43,730 But you know, Oxford, so well-connected into Europe. Those those networks are there. 165 00:17:43,730 --> 00:17:52,580 So it just adds another dimension and a place that that Oxford colleagues, let alone people from from from Africa, should be looking at. 166 00:17:52,580 --> 00:17:58,220 And then in the current programme, there are also a couple of well, there are many special initiatives, 167 00:17:58,220 --> 00:18:02,990 but I just picked a couple at the EU Africa Partnership on Food, Nutrition, Security and Sustainable Agriculture. 168 00:18:02,990 --> 00:18:06,050 They took millions and millions of euros into that. 169 00:18:06,050 --> 00:18:11,630 There's cooperation with African countries on renewable energies, and these are in the collaborative parts of the programme, said. 170 00:18:11,630 --> 00:18:18,830 And this is going to continue and increase in the next framework programme that will start in 2021. 171 00:18:18,830 --> 00:18:22,910 Whether we're in it or not remains to be seen. 172 00:18:22,910 --> 00:18:27,920 However, Africa South Africa can participate as a third country. 173 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:36,530 We, if we're not, if we don't, if we leave without a deal, we too can participate on the we so the UK can participate on a self-funded basis. 174 00:18:36,530 --> 00:18:45,740 So the government would pay for us to be in those programmes. But African countries and institutions, they will be funded directly from, OK. 175 00:18:45,740 --> 00:18:50,420 It's still a thing. Partnerships, no, so this is all money. 176 00:18:50,420 --> 00:18:57,620 Remember, I said that there was a point to this, remember that people thing for the market says Europe has this thing called the people programme. 177 00:18:57,620 --> 00:19:02,870 And one of the things is the so-called Oscar Curie Fellowships. OK? 178 00:19:02,870 --> 00:19:06,440 For those of you who didn't know Marie Curie was actually polish. 179 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:14,690 And when the Polish, when when Poland had the presidency, the thing that they did was make sure that they put up Oskar back in her name. 180 00:19:14,690 --> 00:19:21,410 And then most of the spent ages eight learning how to pronounce and be finding that funny thing. 181 00:19:21,410 --> 00:19:30,020 Yeah, I couldn't pay for that every time. I can never remember where it is. What part of the Marie Curie programme are the fellowships? 182 00:19:30,020 --> 00:19:36,210 And these are either global or European. So in order to get a Marie Curie fellowship, you have to cross the border. 183 00:19:36,210 --> 00:19:39,560 OK, these are open, but these are for researchers. I'm in the next programme. 184 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:43,700 They're likely to be more early career researchers at the moment. 185 00:19:43,700 --> 00:19:52,580 It's for anybody. So there's one more call where anybody can do it. OK? And depending on how it goes, UK people may still be eligible. 186 00:19:52,580 --> 00:19:56,540 And when I say UK, it's people who are in the UK. It's nothing to do with your nationality. 187 00:19:56,540 --> 00:19:59,390 It's to do with where you're based. 188 00:19:59,390 --> 00:20:07,100 So the European ones, where you go from one European country to another to learn to do your amazing research project. 189 00:20:07,100 --> 00:20:10,760 Interestingly, of course, you can apply from anywhere. 190 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:16,360 So anybody, anywhere in Africa can apply to come to Oxford to two years and the department gets the money. 191 00:20:16,360 --> 00:20:20,660 You get some research you get, you get a really high living allowance. 192 00:20:20,660 --> 00:20:28,280 So your salary is high, you get money because you're not at home, you get honest and you get that great. 193 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:39,980 I mean, do you talk to the European part of my team about them and the next the final call in this programme will be next September for Oxford people. 194 00:20:39,980 --> 00:20:49,250 What you can do is apply for gold or fellowship, which means you can go to a third country for EU for two years and then you get to come back 195 00:20:49,250 --> 00:20:56,270 for a third year and you have to come back when you're thinking about either your own careers. 196 00:20:56,270 --> 00:21:09,500 For those early career researchers who were here, then either it is that you can go and you can actually get those those those real relationships. 197 00:21:09,500 --> 00:21:18,890 For those of you who were on the short term fellowships, the Fox fellowships, you use that as an opportunity to find your scientist in charge here. 198 00:21:18,890 --> 00:21:27,440 Go back to insert name of institution here and then write your Marie Curie and then come and get paid for two years. 199 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:30,650 I mean, it works for me. Yeah. And what you mean? 200 00:21:30,650 --> 00:21:38,930 What we're doing is we're using European money to actually do the things that we want to do, which are to build those proper deep collaborations. 201 00:21:38,930 --> 00:21:49,070 Research professional has loads and loads of opportunities, all sorts of random stuff on other international funders who can and there. 202 00:21:49,070 --> 00:21:51,560 So the search terms you can put in are so random. 203 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:58,430 And there's always there's always one person who will fund the random thing you can think of, and I think it's a competition we should run. 204 00:21:58,430 --> 00:22:05,880 So finally, we see the some. The future of UK-Africa research funding. 205 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:16,190 Well, I think it's right here in this room, but in Oxford, so you know, Oxford takes this very seriously. 206 00:22:16,190 --> 00:22:22,020 Fox is that kind of beacon that says, OK, we're serious about this. 207 00:22:22,020 --> 00:22:31,150 This is something that is important. And so the university supports that financially. 208 00:22:31,150 --> 00:22:38,880 We can say not only that, though, apart from, you know, helping fund some of the fox activities. 209 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:44,940 We also have internet policy proposals so that people who are trying to build these things or, you know, 210 00:22:44,940 --> 00:22:51,630 have stopped research programmes or whatever they can apply for funding in order to get those going. 211 00:22:51,630 --> 00:23:01,710 Although I have to say we've just been somewhat overwhelmed, we thought we'd have a little, a little little small interim call. 212 00:23:01,710 --> 00:23:05,640 How many times have you seen some 70 something? 213 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:08,850 We thought we'd get about 10, 70 or so. 214 00:23:08,850 --> 00:23:14,070 That's going to take some sorting out anyway, but we aren't doing that. 215 00:23:14,070 --> 00:23:18,210 There are national and international sources of funding to do this. 216 00:23:18,210 --> 00:23:22,770 Interestingly, the new internationalisation agenda that the U.K. now has, I mean, 217 00:23:22,770 --> 00:23:28,150 there's a sort of irony of what's coming out of one international kind of grouping of the EU. 218 00:23:28,150 --> 00:23:32,730 The very much the discourse is that we will be open to the world. 219 00:23:32,730 --> 00:23:38,550 Luckily, the government the government is doing and is putting some money behind the fund for international collaboration. 220 00:23:38,550 --> 00:23:48,090 Some of the people, we need to keep pushing them on this agenda and the university very good at doing that sort of lobbying. 221 00:23:48,090 --> 00:23:55,140 But as I said earlier, it's really, really important that that more money come so that we can actually do this great stuff. 222 00:23:55,140 --> 00:24:01,950 But I think it's also important that the future plans of the government and the funding that goes with that goes beyond ODI. 223 00:24:01,950 --> 00:24:11,880 I don't think that the future certainly of Oxford relationship with Africa should be based purely on ODA research. 224 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:21,090 Oxford is full of amazing academics and researchers who want to do amazing research into all sorts of stuff. 225 00:24:21,090 --> 00:24:25,560 The some way random stuff that goes on here, and it's amazing. 226 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:37,050 And you know what? They have counterparts all across Africa who are these amazing researchers who just want to do amazing research on, on, on stuff. 227 00:24:37,050 --> 00:24:43,710 And actually what we need is also funding that can allow those partnerships to arise that we can't we shouldn't, 228 00:24:43,710 --> 00:24:53,100 just shouldn't just base it on the ODI. I think I think it's we should have the partnerships for excellent research and that research should be on. 229 00:24:53,100 --> 00:24:59,730 Anything that excites you. So that's the future plan. Thank you.