When ALI Fellow Reza Daniels (Class IX Tariro) took on the role of Director at the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU) last month, he did not waste time to share his vision for the unit. Reza plans to lead with determination – as a Fellow should – and he published his thoughts in the opening article of SALDRU’s January newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dytya3tX
Before diving into the organisation’s unique global position and subsequent challenges, Reza opened the letter with a brief personal reflection. He was born one year before SALDRU came to life. He grew up 30 km from where the founding Director, Francis Wilson, lived. He felt his personal history was entangled with that of the organisation. “I was also at SALDRU’s thirty-year celebratory event in 2005 when the Directorship of SALDRU was passed from Francis to Murray Leibbrandt. I never thought I would be the next recipient of this leadership opportunity. It is a privilege and an honour for me to take up the challenge. I will do my best to continue the success that both Francis and Murray achieved for the organisation.”
Reza’s vision for SALDRU is a space where:
- Continuous methodological innovation is normalised in the research processes and data that they generate and curate.
- All of their staff must feel invested in what they do, how they do it, and why they do it; with no task seen as too small or insignificant.
- The organisation is financially sustainable, providing relevant and innovative research and data products to the world.
SALDRU is known for publishing open-source data wherever possible. This means that the data produced and curated by SALDRU is free to download anywhere in the world once confidential information is protected—even when they are published in subscription-based peer-reviewed journals, an open-access version will be available for download on the openSALDRU platform. This approach has built trust between SALDRU and its stakeholders and served as a springboard to develop bespoke training courses for government and civil society.
SALDRU is a diverse and dedicated team that currently has 66 individuals. This includes 18 researchers, 10 associates from the School of Economics, three support staff, and 35 project staff. Furthermore, they maintain a network of 24 local and international affiliates. SALDRU is housed in the University of Cape Town’s School of Economics building, surrounded by seven other research units and nearly 50 other academic economists, all actively engaging in research, lively debates, and weekly seminars that are free to attend and contribute to. These academics are deeply invested in the welfare of Africa.
“SALDRU’s contribution to the world is significant and far-reaching. Therefore, Investing in SALDRU is financially prudent and socially one of the most impactful investments that can be made in the research and data production landscape,” Reza said.
“As an organisation, we look forward to expanding this footprint on the African continent in the future. We also welcome opportunities to collaborate internationally on comparative socio-economic research projects.” Reza concluded with the promise that “SALDRU has already signed up for two new such projects.”
Watch this space! Fellow Reza Daniels is destined to excel.
