President John Mahama will officially launch the celebration of International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies 2015 today at the Accra International Conference Centre.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”mQKXGR24pkuWwR24cYaDhXxUu1AujEh3″]In 2012, Professor Naana Jane .Opoku-Agyemang, Minister for Education and Chairman of the Ghana National Commission for UNESCO, initiated a process at UNESCO Executive Board that eventually resulted in the proclamation of 2015 as the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies by the United Nations at its 68th session.<\/p>\n
Ghana’s proposal at UN\u00adESCO won the support of the governments of Mexico, Russia Federation and New Zealand in sponsoring the Draft Resolution, which was subsequently endorsed by the 37th General Conference of UN\u00adESCO.<\/p>\n
Light, a form of energy, is central to life and all human endeavours.<\/p>\n
Light has played a leading role in the technological innovations that have characterised the “present century and it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n
However, this central role of light and light-based technologies is not adequately recognized by the general public.<\/p>\n
As the importance of light is evident in everyday occurrences in nature, it is necessary to raise global awareness about how light-based technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to global challenges in energy, education, agriculture and health.<\/p>\n
Ghana’s initiative brought on board global partnerships involving the Optical Societies, Scientific Unions, and Photonic giant industries around the world to harness the bene\u00adfits of light, some of which are as follows:
\nThe International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies in 2015 pro\u00advides a vehicle for promoting education and attracting young innovative minds to the study of arts and science towards the development of a new gener\u00adation of problem solvers to confront emerging chal\u00adlenges of our time that is paramount in the Ministry of Education post-2015 agenda.<\/p>\n
In that regard, the IYL 2015 offers Ghana an op\u00adportunity to enter into part\u00adnerships with international institutions, societies and companies to assist in the adoption of portfolio ap\u00adproaches to invest in the opportunities available within photonics for knowledge transfer and as entrepreneurial strategy for protecting the emerging technologies.<\/p>\n
Ghana’s involvement in the IYL 2015 has already found four identified priority areas that are paramount for the sustainable development of the country.<\/p>\n
These are:\u00a0The upgrading of the Laser and Fibre Optics Centre at the University of Cape Coast into a full- fledged institute for capac\u00adity-building in fibre optics technology;
\nThe establishment in the country of a sub-regional Laser Medical Ap\u00adplication Laboratory (LMAL) to train medical practitioners to make use of the relevant laser technolo\u00adgies in the field of urology, ophthalmology, dentistry and general surgery.<\/p>\n
The establishment of a Solar Technology Re\u00adsearch Centre to enhance the study and promotion of solar science and the use of alternative energy as well as, the establishment of a Museum of Light and Light-based Technologies as part of solutions to the post-2015 United Nations development agenda.<\/p>\n
The Ghana National Commission for UNESCO, together with the partners in this project, is seeking partnerships and collabora\u00adtions for the realisation of the above projects.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: Finder<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
President John Mahama will officially launch the celebration of International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies 2015 today at the Accra International Conference Centre. [contextly_sidebar id=”mQKXGR24pkuWwR24cYaDhXxUu1AujEh3″]In 2012, Professor Naana Jane .Opoku-Agyemang, Minister for Education and Chairman of the Ghana National Commission for UNESCO, initiated a process at UNESCO Executive Board that eventually resulted in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":72586,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[18,38],"yoast_head":"\n