VU students advise Share-Net on development joint knowledge agenda

In response to the preliminary findings presented at the Share-Net symposium “Enter into dialogue: perspectives on strengthening linkages between research, policy and practice” on September 29th 2015, ten students, studying Management, Policy-analysis & Entrepreneurship in Health & Life Sciences at VU University, further investigated one of the recommendations provided in the draft report for Share-Net Netherlands to develop a joint knowledge agenda. The students interviewed nine Share-Net members working at universities, NGOs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about their perspectives on developing a joint knowledge agenda and the role of power. The students found that most respondents are interested in having a joint knowledge agenda but that they have various concerns, including that:

• it will be difficult for members to reach consensus;
• it may cost more time and money than it’s worth;
• members should maintain their own roles and expertise rather than focusing on common goals only; and
• power imbalance between stakeholders being a challenge

Their advice? It would be good for Share-Net Netherlands to start and facilitate an open dialogue between stakeholders to discuss mutual expectations, assumptions and prejudices. After this, it would be helpful to obtain more clarity and transparency about the supply of and demand for knowledge between stakeholders for members to collaborate and complement each other. Interpreting the development of a joint knowledge agenda in such a way could be helpful.