Godlove Bainkong
28 October 2009
Experts say there is need for synergy between private and government efforts for research to occupy its place in the country's development.
Cameroon scientific researchers in the Diaspora have called on government to exploit their expertise, provide technical as well as financial support for researchers in the country so that together they could improve research in the country and boost development. Research, they said, could be a veritable development catalyst if well developed, promoted and supported.
Cameroon’s German-based researcher, David Mola, made the observation yesterday during the opening ceremony of the second edition of Week of Excellence of Scientific Research and Innovation in Cameroon (JERSIC 2009). He said Cameroon has a lot of foreign-based researchers who for one reason or the other have opted to stay abroad. “The government needs to reconcile with its foreign-based researchers, support research both technically and financially for the country to develop”, he said. The 37-year-old Chief Executive Officer of Mola Solaire Internationale said the experience he has had in solar energy could be exploited to develop and improve energy supply in the country which he said still remains the headache of the people. “It is high time we stop depending solely on hydroelectricity for we have great potentials in other areas”.
A plea which the Minister of Scientific Research and Innovation, Madeleine Tchuinte said government is quite aware, reason why the theme of this year’s edition is “Science and Sustainable Development: Role of the Cameroonian Diaspora”. The Minister said energy supply and climate change are some of the challenges government is grappling with at moment and that the ongoing JERSIC 2009 seeks 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 so as to promote a development policy based on solid knowledge capable of providing sustainable solutions for economic, social and cultural development.
Like David Mola, other participants at the ongoing event said government absolutely needs to support research so that research results could be transformed into innovations for the country to develop.
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