Godlove Bainkong
27 October 2009
An open-door-week kicks off today to discuss the role of scientific research in the country's development and those who have excelled will receive the blessings of the State.
Cameroon's scientific research and innovation will be at the centre of attention this week. This will be during the second edition of the National Scientific and Innovation Days dubbed, "Week of Excellence of Scientific Research and Innovation in Cameroon" (JERSIC 2009).
Placed under the theme, "Science and Sustainable Development: Role of the Cameroonian Diaspora", the event, to run from today October 27 - 30, will serve as an opportunity for the country's researchers within and without Cameroon to refocus their activities. This, so as to produce scientific research and technological knowledge with the aim of solving identified strategic sector problems in order to improve the living standards of the population. The objective, government says, is to promote a development policy based on solid knowledge capable of providing sustainable solutions for economic, social and cultural development of the country.
That the event focuses on the role of the country's scientific researchers in the Diaspora speaks of recognition of the prowess of the numerous citizens who have opted for greener pastures elsewhere. Organisers say the choice of the theme testifies government's firm desire to put the scientific contribution of Cameroonians living abroad to use, through an acknowledgement and effective consideration of their knowledge, competence and expertise in the development process of the country.
Developing scientific research and innovation through encouraging already existing researchers, acknowledging their strengths and detecting talent and grooming them could greatly boost the country's development. In the agricultural sector for example, scientific research could improve yields through the provision of high yielding and pests-resistant seeds. The National Institute for Agronomic Research (IRAD) is already making giant strides in this domain and integrating the Cameroonian researchers across the borders would mean broadening the sector and opening up for more innovations. Already there are new breed of maize, cassava, yam and other crops as well as cattle and goats, fruit of research, which have given farmers a smile of high yields and food sufficiency for the population.
In other areas like brick production, the country's Local Material Promotion Authority, MIPROMALO is going places with the production of high quality and less expensive bricks with local materials. The Director of the company, Professor Uphie Chinje Melo told CT recently that efforts are ongoing to set up a production unit of fired bricks in Yaounde and that they have identified some of the other materials which are required by the population in order to build their homes.
Speaking in Yaounde in a press briefing prior to today's kick off, the Minister of Scientific Research and Innovation, Madeleine Tchuinte said researchers who excel will receive State's blessings in form of excellent awards. Among these prizes will be a special one from the President of the Republic dubbed, "Lion d'or de l'excellence scientifique" or the "Golden Lion of Scientific Excellence". The amount per prize may be insufficient judging from what the researchers put in daily in the research, but recognising them and their prowess means government knows their weight and intends to integrate them in the development of the fatherland. This alone gives them a sense of belonging and would arguably spur them to strive for more discoveries so as to inscribe their names in the development records of the country. Government certainly has a daunting task during this period to reassure the researchers that their contributions would be taken into consideration as well as put in place measures through which research results could be followed up for them to yield fruit.
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