NORRAG News (NN 41, December 2008), published by The Network for Policy Review, Research and Advice on Education and training (NORRAG), sets out to unpack the topic of North-South research partnerships. Noting that many agencies supporting ‘development research’ routinely expect Northern researchers – even graduate students – to have ‘partners,’ NN41 argues that “…These new research ‘marriages’ have not been exposed to critical analysis, though a great deal of Northern research money is now conditional on partnership.” The Issue explores the history and philosophy of research partnership with the South, raising among other questions: the assumptions of the many Northern agencies that support research partnerships; views of Southern researchers think about their involvement in this conditionality; and how partnership affects the practice and quality of research.

The next NORRAG meeting on 12 December in Geneva will focus on this topic. For more information on the programme, the background and objectives of the meeting, please visit the NORRAG website.