Government pledges support for Research Institutions

Accra, March 15, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday pledged Government's support to initiatives by public and private sector organisations aimed at mobilizing resources for Research Institutions in Ghana.

He said the Government was in addition, supporting the development of emerging technologies such as information and communication technology, biotechnology and renewable energy technologies.

"I hope that the foundation Government has already laid in providing a Centre of Excellence in ICT will be strongly supported by the scientific community to enable us to achieve our goals", he said.

President Kufuor made the pledge when delivering the keynote address at the "First National Forum on Harnessing Research, Science and Technology For Sustainable Development in Ghana" in Accra.

Among the objectives of the five-day Forum are to create awareness of research, science and technology in the Ghanaian public in the context of a global culture that has become predominantly scientific.

It would also elicit strong commitment at the highest level of the political leadership and public policy makers to give strong and concrete support to research, science and technology that constitute the foundation of Ghana's development goals.

President Kufuor, therefore, asked the participants mostly researchers, scientists and technologists to use the Forum to find means to demystify science and technology; bring them into the public domain and infuse them into the psychology of Ghanaians.

He said they should also endeavour on measures to introduce simple technologies for value addition in rural industries to improve rural livelihood and income.

President Kufuor said they could also encourage the ordinary Ghanaian to protect the sources of streams and other water bodies while making them to appreciate the critical importance of safe drinking water. He said the participants could start from the educational institutions where over the years and now, science had maintained an intimidating and mysterious image as a preserve of only the highly intellectually endowed individuals.

President Kufuor said this unfortunate image, which had scared away many students and later inhibited them from any attempt at applying even the simplest scientific knowledge, must give way to a less mysterious and more friendly one.

In pursuit of this goal, he said it would be essential to develop appropriate human capacity in these areas, adding: "Attention must be focused on science both in terms of curricular and training delivery at all levels in our educational system.

"At every level, pupils and students must be made aware of the close relationship between science and everyday life', he said. President Kufuor said he was optimistic that the deliberations at the Forum, would finally lead to the formulation of a National Science Vision to guide all policies and help acculturate Ghanaians.