A friend recently asked me: Do you know that the Chinese produce more research papers than everyone else? I checked: In 2020, China led the rest of the world with 740,042 published scientific and technical articles, while Tanzania was ranked 85th with 2,199 articles.
Why should any Tanzanian care? Any country that lacks a robust scientific culture cannot emerge out of underdevelopment. Science is the engine that propels almost every aspect of human development, so it is important that a country rigorously develops its research capacity, for both basic and applied research.
Limited resources raise an important question about the relevance of research. Space scientists often defend the millions spent on space exploration by claiming that potential breakthroughs could provide “crucial insights into the origins of life.” While I remain somewhat skeptical, I believe this is the price humanity must pay to allow scientists to send expensive probes to Mars, hoping their discoveries might one day help solve more pressing issues on Earth, like poverty and hunger. My skepticism is not unfounded, especially when you consider that one Ph.D. thesis aimed to determine how much pigeons appreciate fine art.
While we debate which areas of research are most relevant, one thing is clear: only a small proportion of people are capable of conducting research, whether basic or applied, and whether it directly impacts humanity or not. The rest of humanity, however, benefits to varying degrees from the research conducted by well-educated individuals, often holding advanced degrees, including Ph.Ds.
The statistics I shared on the total number of published scientific and technical articles reveal a stark contrast: China produces 527 articles per million people, while Tanzania produces only 27 per million. Are we facing a crisis? It’s likely that we are. Not only do we produce a tiny fraction of the world’s published research, but some of those capable of conducting research have abandoned their academic and research careers to seek a seat in parliament.
It would be easy though unrealistic to blame those who have invested so much in academic and research careers for suddenly shifting to politics. However, if you follow the money, you begin to see where the problem lies. Let’s agree that, for the privilege of sitting in parliament, MPs receive an income far higher than most Tanzanians, which is, frankly, scandalous.
There are three possible solutions to this dilemma. First, increase the salaries for highly educated individuals in fields outside politics to retain their talents. Second, set a cap on the level of education required for aspiring MPs. Third, reduce the salaries and perks of parliamentarians to just above the minimum wage. While the first two are plausible, the third is so unlikely, it might as well be a plot twist in a soap opera.
