Quelques éléments de contexte du système de recherche en sciences sociales au Mali

In Mali, social sciences don’t seem to benefit from the same structure and support as health sciences and agricultural sciences. Barriers to the production, dissemination and adoption of social science research remain elusive. However, social science research allows a critical analysis of societies and human behavior and contributes to a better understanding of development challenges. The objective is to present the context of social science research systems in Mali. The methodology is essential based on a literature review, which was used to collect secondary data. Mali is an old country of knowledge production. The University of Sankoré was one of the most famous in the 15th-16th century. Until independence, the production of knowledge in the social sciences was mainly carried out by explorers, missionaries and colonial administrators through the French Institute of Black Africa (IFAN). From 1962, we witnessed the creation of the grandes écoles and the first research centers and institutes which ensured both the training of executives and the production of knowledge. The increase in student numbers and the strong demand for training, the University of Mali was created in 1993. A good part of research in the social sciences is carried out in universities, higher schools, institutes and research centers, often within a broad framework of partnership and networking.