Panelists Call for Inter-University Partnerships on Research

Panellist at recent forum have called on private universities to consider partnering among themselves undertake research work that would have the potential to transform the economy of the country.

The panellists, were Professor Ernest Aryeetey, Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana (UG); Professor Clifford Tagoe, Former Vice Chancellor of UG, Professor Bondzie Simpson, the Rector of the Ghana Institute of Public Administration and Mr Ernest Teye Matey, a member of the team of engineers that built the Ghanasat-1 at the All Nations University

They made the call at a Research Intensification Seminar organised by the Central University to address issues surrounding research in the country.

Professor Aryeetey said partnerships with public universities could also enhance the chances of private universities.

He said research are very expensive to conduct and attempts to fund research work with funds generated from student fees are unrealistic.

Professor Aryeetey said without evidence gotten from research, government initiatives would be useless and commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo for promising the restoration of the country’s fund.

He called on private universities to decide on how much research they would want to do in order to adequately plan for funding ahead of time.

Professor Nii Boi, who is also the President of the Anatomical Society of West Africa, said research is a very important aspect of education and it was not only the domain public universities to undertake research.

He said as a country, there is the need to examine the system to decide on which institutions were committed to conducting research and empower them to deliver the best for the growth and development of the country.

He said any university that was not willing to inculcate research work into its activities should consider using the title college instead of a university.

Professor Nii Boi urged private universities to find a research niche and become excellent in that area to make them relevant to the development of the country.

Professor Simpson said research does a lot for the nation hence the need to pay critical attention to it adding that research was also a profit making venture for the academia and the country at large.

He said when the country invests in research, it would not make us poorer but rather it would make us better and richer.

Mr Matey said the key to conducting research work was commitment from the top hierarchy of every country and institution and this led to the recent launch of the nation’s first satellite into orbit.

Source: GNA