A lasting connection: colonial ties and scientific capabilities in sub-Saharan Africa

Caroline Viola Fry

Economics of Innovation and New Technology, 2023, vol. 32, issue 4, 476-497

Abstract: To what extent do colonial ties and knowledge spillovers continue to influence the development of scientific capabilities in sub-Saharan Africa? Using a new database of publication output of 46 sub-Saharan African countries over the period 1976–2016 and a production function approach, this paper gives evidence that knowledge produced in former colonizing countries continues to have a large and persistent effect on publication output in Africa. This relationship is growing stronger over time. Furthermore, the publication output of smaller countries and those at more advanced stages of scientific, economic and political development is more closely related to the publication output of their former colonizer. Overall, these findings have implications for programs and policies aiming to facilitate the development of scientific capacity in the region.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1080/10438599.2021.1959325

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