Prof. Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu, Chairperson of the CBAS Research Board and Coordinator of the Conference
Discussions centred around eight (8) thematic areas namely: Food and Nutrition Security; Computing, Digital and Mathematical Systems and Applications; Marine and Coastal Resources; Livestock and their Diseases; Material Research and Industrial Applications; Environment; Pests and Parasites; and Biochemistry and Earth Science.
Welcoming participants, the Chairperson of the CBAS College Research Board, Prof. Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu, who is also the 2016 Scientific Programme Committee, gave a brief overview of the SDP and the purpose of the conference. She noted that the Science and Development Platform was an initiative of the College Research Board and was in line with the University’s strategic plan to become a world class research-intensive university.
The Provost of the College of Humanities, Prof. Samuel Agyei-Mensah, who chaired the Opening Ceremony, on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor commended the College for the laudable initiative. He reiterated the important role of researchers in collaborating with industry.
The Provost, College of Humanities, representative of the Vice Chancellor
In his address, the Provost of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu said that by instituting the SDP, the College sought to demonstrate that in the midst of the challenges and constraints Ghana faces in funding and promoting science, some science-based research was still on-going. In line with the revised vision of the University to become a world class research–intensive university, Prof. Owusu said there has been a drastic change in UG’s research priorities with increased emphasis on science. He commended the CBAS Research Board for initiating the SDP conference and thanked delegates for their participation.
Prof. Oduro Owusu stressed on the need for Government to commit resources to rehabilitate and equip scientific laboratories, as well as provide funding for science-related teaching and research. He however bemoaned Government’s proposal to tax 15% on the University’s internally generated funds (IGF) and added that the Government must allow universities to run as universities. He called on other public tertiary institutions to play the needed advocacy.
The Provost of CBAS, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu
The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Honourable Mahama Ayariga who officially opened the conference noted that “No nation can meet its aspirations without science and the application of technology and innovation”. He observed that Ghana had made remarkable progress in applying technology for development albeit at a high cost to the nation. He added that this was because most of the technology employed by the nation was imported. He lamented that even though the nation was blessed with numerous trained scientists, many of them were either teaching abroad or in high paid corporate jobs at home and abroad and were not directly involved in science and research.
He proffered suggestions on the need to establish a stronger network within the scientific community; develop a robust system to adequately finance the work of Scientists; foster a constant relationship between scientific institutions and government; as well as solve the nation’s problems using a more scientific lens than is presently the case.
Hon. Ayariga commended the University of Ghana and the College for the establishment of the SDP which links science and development, and pledged his Ministry’s support for the platform.
The Guest-speaker Hon. Mahama Ayariga delivering his speech
Delivering a plenary lecture on “The Future of Science for the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana”, Prof. Chris Gordon, Director of the Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies touched on the essence of using science and technology to address the challenges of food security, health, environment and energy, in the country. He noted that the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) would only be attained if policy makers and the scientific community could prioritize the application of appropriate technology to tackle national issues.
Prof Chris Gordon, Director of the Institute of Environment and Sanitation Studies doing a demonstration while delivering the plenary lecture 1
In a second plenary lecture titled “Industry expectations from science”, Mr. Tony Oteng-Gyasi,
He noted that “Science and technology is non-negotiable if Ghana is to come out of underdevelopment”. He urged researchers and scientists to communicate their research findings in a language that industry and the investor community would understand and be able to implement. He suggested that engineers and various scientists embark on visits to industry to offer contemporary and innovative ways of doing things for which industry would be prepared to pay for. He lamented the delay in the implementation of the National Industrial Policy and suggested that the three players; Scientists, Industry and Policy Makers must work closely together to implement the policy as matter of urgency.
Mr. Tony Oteng-Gyasi,
Prof. Samuel Kofi Sefa-Dedeh, the current Acting Dean of the School of Engineering Sciences who has made significant contributions in the food industry in Ghana with his research findings stated that generally world class universities have a good partnership with industry to generate knowledge and financial returns. He noted that the general perception of industry is that researchers and academics were theoretical without any financial returns. Thus, industry would only be willing to give billions for research if they were assured that the new technology or the research findings would also bring billions to their company in return.
He advised lecturers, researchers and the university to identify partners in industry and ensure their research influences them, in addition to creating partnerships with industry through visits and field work; develop MOUs which are relevant and have clear responsibilities and timelines; build joint teams of researchers with industry partners; build trust as industry are sometimes suspicious of the outside world; ensure adequate information flow and confidentiality; identify specific industrial challenges and come up with solutions and to create resources to resolve those challenges. He added that they should not to disassociate themselves from industry but make their research relevant and profitable.
Dr. Robert Sowah, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Computer Engineering also shared a success story about how the Department of Computer Engineering was partnering with Texas Instrument, an IT company in the United States of America. He explained that the relationship was initiated through an internship programme in the department that sends level 300 students as interns to various organizations and upon their return, the students use the identified problems as their final year research/project work.
He stated that through the project with Texas Instrument, the students have developed a device that detects fire and sends alerts to the relevant units responsible for dealing with fire outbreaks. He explained that once the product becomes commercialised it would be very profitable for the Department.
Prof. Firibu Kwesi Saalia, an Associate Professor at the Department of Nutrition and Food Science shared the success story of a project the Department embarked on to industrialize kenkey production with funding from the Office of Research, Innovation and Development (ORID). He indicated that a by-product to bottle ice kenkey to stand the shelf for more than a year was discovered and is currently being produced in large commercial quantities in the Department. He added that a major challenge the project faces is the acquisition of the right equipment and space to industrialize operations.
Mr. Samuel Ernest Kwame Anku, Deputy Executive Director at the Environmental Protection Agency and a member of the CBAS Advisory Board who represented industry in the discussions emphasised the need to break down research findings which must also be accompanied with financial projections so that it would be meaningful for industry to work with.
He added that all the problems and challenges that industry faces could be solved through research hence; there was the need for industry to liaise with researchers and the academia to work at resolving challenges in industry. He also stressed the need for industry to make inputs in the design and development of the University’s courses/ programs to ensure that products from the universities meet industry human resource needs.
The 3-day Conference was funded by the University of Ghana-Carnegie Project, Databank, and the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WAGCIP).
A cross section of delegates at the opening ceremony
The Minister of Environment Science, Technology and Innovation and a cross section of the platform party
A cross-section of the audience
Poster presentations at the conference
Other Pictures of the Event
