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Government urged to enact law on funding of scientific research
 
Posted on: 2008-Aug-14             GNA
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Government has been urged to enact a law that will ensure that one per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is set aside for scientific research funding.

"Science and technology is the bedrock of development of every nation
and will be successful if it has that strong and sincere political will."

Mr. Peter Atadja, a senior research investigator at the Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, said in Accra on Wednesday.

Mr. Atadja, who was speaking at the opening of a three-day first Ghana Biomedical Convention in Accra, said there was also the need for government to institute and implement a brave science policy.

He noted that, countries like South Africa and other developed countries had been able to attain their present status because of the strong backing of government for science and technology issues and called for a strong and passionate lobbying for the policy.

"We should also emphasise more science education at all cycles of education to ensure that children at a tender age develop the interest to study science instead of developing the mindset that science subjects are difficult.”

The convention was on the theme; "Opportunities and Challenges of New Technologies in Biomedicine," the first to be organized in Ghana and West Africa.

It was aimed at disseminating scientific information amongst Ghanaian biomedical scientists and creating a platform for Ghanaian biomedical researchers to present their scientific work in the country.

He said Ghanaians should not be satisfied with what they had but should be more inquisitive, daring and innovative to move the country forward.

Professor Aaron Lante Lawson, Provost of the College of Health Sciences, called for the need to produce the needed human resource required to move biomedical science forward.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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