First research conference for polytechnics held

Page 11: Daily Graphic, November 30, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, says the utmost goal of research must be higher productivity, efficiency and total national development.
“Research should not be seen as just a means to getting academic progression for status or income,” he stated.
Speaking at the first research conference for polytechnics in Ghana, Mr Tettey-Enyo said academics and researchers must foster a closer collaboration with industry and commerce so that research findings would be utilised promptly and effectively.
The research conference, which was on the theme, “Contribution of Poytechnics towards nation building”, was organised by the Conference of Rectors of Polytechnics (CORP).
Mr Tettey-Enyo stressed on the need for researchers to help industry and commerce to satisfy consumer demands and work hard to win financial and material support from industry.
Touching on the oil find, he said Ghanaians needed not deceive themselves into thinking that the oil industry would be a panacea to the country’s problems overnight.
“We can only realise the full benefits of the industry if other productive sectors are modernised and adequately resourced to enhance our production of goods and services that would be needed by the industry and the citizenry,” he said.
Mr Tettey-Enyo stressed the need for efficient management of the eco-systems, fauna and flora and river bodies to minimise the degradation of natural resources.
A communique issued at the end of the conference called on the government to provide increased and sustained funding for research work in the polytechnics.
It also called on the government to povide significant funding to Technical, Vocational and Educational Training (TVET) as well as scholarship to TVET institutions in order to build capacity in those institutions.
The communique stressed the need for polytechnics to develop research partnerships with their counterparts both locally and internationally.
It urged polytechnics and industry to intensify collaboration on issues of attachment and internships for students and staff.