Prioritize University Research, Dr. Delali Urges Government

by: William N-Lanjerborr Jalulah

THE LEADER of Developmental Universities for the South Project in Ghana, Dr. Delali Dovie, has called on the government to prioritise university research and make the results applicable and readily available for development.

In his view, this could only be achieved through an appropriate national research strategy, including fundraising (National Research Foundation), reappraising existing science and technology policies, and ensuring that development-related policies are formed by good research and not intuition.

This is because governance and development strategies based on intuition rather than research were difficult to implement, and bound to fail.

Dr. Dovie’s call came at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Developmental Universities 2nd Ghana Seminar held in Bolgatanga.

According to him, research had shown that the gap in per capita income between rich and poor countries today, was due to differences in science and technology institutions at the tertiary levels.

"Yet, university research is losing its value in most of Africa, blamed mostly on a ‘ghostly brain drain’. Research results are still shelved, and graduate training poorly oriented to developmental challenges, whilst some universities are resistant to change, in addition to ageing, and frustrated and permanently anchor-tired retired staff," he said regretfully.

He asserted that the attainment of the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and for Ghana moving into a Transition Economy, would be determined by appropriate innovation, science and technology research.

Dr. Dovie contended that in developing countries like Ghana, the complex origins, problems and livelihoods of the local population, were such that research and development tend to be complicated.

As a result, there was very limited knowledge from research in the developing world, and it was not because there was less human capital, but for the complex driving forces. Regrettably, there was no known African country that spent up to 1% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on development research.

His questions were; are universities contributing adequately to society? Are public universities providing an adequate return on the investment made in them? Who is entitled to judge what universities should do? And how well are they performing?

Dr. Dovie said the gap between knowledge generators and the marketplace, described as the ‘innovation chasm,’ and involving products and services based on innovative technology and development, was costly.

It was therefore not strange that the developed world, or richer countries have relatively advanced to engage university science and technology research in development and for the benefit of society.

He hinted that the IDRC in Canada had committed funds to a project to understand the changing roles of public universities in Ghana, from which the seminar emerged. The theme for the research in Ghana is: "University Research and people-Centred Developmental Needs in Ghana."

The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo, challenged scientists and researchers in the country to explore the possibilities of domesticating and reducing the gestation periods of some of the economic trees in northern Ghana, such as ‘dawadawa’ and shea trees which grow in the wild.

He observed that the economic importance of these trees could not be overemphasised, and that was why the government had proposed the establishment of the Sheanut Development Board to give this sector a boost.

Mr. Woyongo said it would require intensive research into the sub-sector, to ensure that the benefits envisaged would be realised in a sustainable manner.

In view of this, the government shall provide resources to enhance research activities into the domestication of the shea trees.

The Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research at the University for Development Studies, Navrongo, Prof. Stephen Kendie, in his opening address, said there were several developmental challenges in the three regions of the North.

According to him, the UDS had the mandate to address some of these challenges through research.

He said findings that were made at the seminar would be used in the developmental agenda of the regions.