The Vice President, Kwesi Amissah Arthur has assured that government will make the Research Fund for tertiary institution teachers fully operational in 2015.<\/p>\n
According to Mr Amissah Arthur, the fund will help boost research activities within all tertiary institutions in the country.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”UTxWFweZGVcPXMWo7ueTsE6kcuWyQRQe”]The Fund, which seeks to replace the book and research allowance, was massively \u00a0opposed by teachers in the tertiary institutions<\/strong><\/a><\/span>\u00a0when it was first announced.<\/p>\n The teachers, from the public\u00a0Universities and Polytechnic lecturers<\/strong><\/a><\/span>\u00a0insisted that the book and research allowance should not be scrapped<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n But speaking at the 15th<\/sup> congregation of the University for Development Studies in Wa, Mr. Amissah Arthur that that research is crucial to any country\u2019s development.<\/p>\n He opined that, \u201cOur desire to transform this country from a low to a middle income country can only be realized through research and the training of high level manpower with the appropriate scientific and technological skills.\u201d<\/p>\n He further explained that the country \u201ccannot develop merely through the sale of oil and other primary products. Therefore it is necessary to invest in research and innovation for added value and economic transformation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGovernment is committed to solving the problem of inadequate funding of research in this country. Plans are advance in setting up a National Research Fund. In the meantime, early in the New Year we will invite proposals for limited funding for research from the National Council for Tertiary Education,\u201d said the\u00a0Vice President.<\/p>\n He also urged the \u201cUniversity [of Development Studies] to work to improve agriculture especially in the Savannah\u201d while assuring that \u201cgovernment will continue to provide support through the provision of research grants\u201d<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Godwin Allotey Akweiteh\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n