Episode 5 – Beyond Research: Who Funds Knowledge | Rift Valley Radio
Who decides what counts as research, and whose voices shape the global knowledge agenda?
In the fifth episode of the Beyond Series, we turn to the politics of knowledge production, funding, and power in global research systems.
Hosted by Jason Mosley, the episode brings together David Deng and Freddie Carver to examine how research priorities are set, how funding flows from the Global North influence agendas, and why local researchers are often marginalised within international research partnerships. Drawing on insights from anthropology, development studies and policy research, the conversation interrogates the structural barriers that shape who is visible, who is heard, and who receives credit.
The conversation explores:
- How funding architectures and institutional incentives shape research agendas
- Why “locally driven research” remains difficult in practice
- How publication systems, language hierarchies and data ownership reinforce inequality
- What alternative models could support fairer, more collaborative knowledge production
This six-part podcast series is part of Rift Valley Radio and is produced in partnership with the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends programme (XCEPT). The series brings together researchers reflecting on how everyday experiences in borderlands can inform policy and practice.
Listen to Episode 5 below and explore more at xcept.riftvalley.net
