Ojong Enokenwa Baa, Meron Teferi Taye, Novaira Junaid, Shavkat Kenjabaev and Bunyod Holmatov, five early- to mid-career researchers from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), recently had the opportunity to gain a career boost through their participation in the 7th Crawford Fund Master Class on Agricultural Research Leadership and Management in Penang, Malaysia. Having diverse research backgrounds, they are at a point in their careers where they manage research groups, lead projects, and provide functional support for program management in one way or the other. The master class was a unique opportunity to further develop their management and leadership skills for successful research and development (R&D).
Organized by the Crawford Fund, in conjunction with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the 7th cohort of the master class brought together participants from 17 countries, and was facilitated by Shaun Coffey CEO Crawford Fund, Lynne O’Brien Crawford Fund, Rebecca Cotton Crawford Fund, and Colin Chartres, IWMI’s former Director General. Over the week, the facilitators led the participants through a wide range of topics from project management to self-awareness and cultural influences on leadership.
Our expectations
We entered the program with high expectations.
Transitioning to become a mid-career professional, Ojongetakah Enokenwa Baa, a Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) Researcher, was looking forward to better navigating the complexities involved in managing and leading research projects and understanding how equitable resource allocation, team coordination and strategic planning can play an invaluable role in achieving transformative impact.
Similarly, Bunyod Holmatov, Research Group Leader, Water, Food, Energy Nexus (WFEN), was eager to utilize this program to better understand his strengths and weaknesses and enhance his skills in strategic planning, team management, communication and conflict resolution while networking with participants from other countries.
Meron Taye Teferi, Researcher (WFEN), joined the program aspiring to obtain relevant guidance and build her capacity in strategic planning and managing complex water-related problems.
Novaira Junaid, a Researcher-Economist committed to enhancing the effectiveness of research and policy, was looking forward to cultivating a deeper understanding of the leadership and operational challenges involved in managing high-impact research projects.
Shavkat Kenjabaev, a National Researcher (WFEN) at IMWI’s office in Central Asia, was keen to unpack issues of geopolitical conflicts and how he can work with diverse stakeholders in his region, as he is studying the intricacies of soil and groundwater regimes, particularly under conventional and modern irrigation practices for transboundary water management.
Our learnings
For us researchers who aspire to assume more leadership roles, the main take-away was clear – to lead in the face of current uncertainty would require agility and adaptability.
The course offered a deep dive into how value-based leadership could help researchers create a lasting positive impact in their organizations and beyond. For us, this meant, acquiring tools that enable us contribute towards IWMI’s vision in the face of uncertainty.
One of our facilitators, Shaun, reminded us to see leadership as an improvisational practice, not a collection of ‘heroic’ traits.
Group exercises and role plays were a brilliant way of getting everyone involved during the program. These weren’t just ordinary exercises; it was an opportunity for each participant to reflect on how best to work in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams as well as how social scientists and economists could make a difference within technical and natural science fields. We learnt about effective communication strategies, recognizing that leaders and managers are called to manage the environment in which the research is done. We were reminded of the need for leaders and managers to build collaborations across agencies and borders, and the fact that delegating tasks is not a weakness of a leader but a testament of knowing his/her team’s qualities well.
The week in Penang allowed us to form relationships, gain a new family through the Crawford Fund program and built a strong support system with every participant which will be invaluable as we navigate the leadership journey. Aside from the course, we all had time to explore the rich culture of Malaysia, specifically the food, architecture and the city of Penang.
We are committed to driving continued learning and operationalizing our knowledge within different projects at IWMI to advance IWMI’s vision of a water-secure world.Â
