International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Governance Innovation Unit (GIU) at Prime Minister's Office of Bangladesh have signed an agreement to create a knowledge and innovation (K&I) hub to initiate study and research to help end hunger, undernutrition and poverty.
GIU Director General Md Abdul Halim and IFPRI Director General Dr Shenggen Fan have recently signed the agreement at a city hotel, according to a press release.
The activities and programmes of the joint initiative include developing the GIU's research and analytical capacity, conducting joint research on priority areas and advocating for policies and programmes that may help end hunger, undernutrition and poverty in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Compact2025 vision.
"GIU always facilitates innovative practices regardless of sector and discipline and is mandated to build synergies with private and non-government sectors by building partnership in the areas of common interests. In line with that we have come to an agreement with IFPRI to work together with a view to conducting joint research on priority areas, developing mutual research capacity, and supporting policy advocacy," said Mr Halim.
In context of signing the agreement, IFPRI's Director General Dr Fan commented on the value of building research-policy linkages for improved development outcomes. "I know it is possible to end hunger because there is evidence," said Dr Fan.
"We have seen that collaboration with decision-makers in the highest policymaking circles is a key driver for accelerating progressing priority areas, including eliminating hunger, undernutrition and extreme poverty."
In this regard, Dr Akhter Ahmed, IFPRI Country Representative for Bangladesh said, "Successive governments in Bangladesh have shown great willingness to pilot evidence-based research, and evaluate the effectiveness of programmes, confront shortcomings, and cancel or modify programmes as a result. This enabling environment has paved the way for various policy-led successes since independence."
Various high-level government officials such as International Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr Gowher Rizvi, State Minister for Finance and Planning Muhammad Abdul Mannan, and former Finance Minister M Syeduzzaman participated in the event along with development experts from Bangladesh and abroad.
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