Varsity dons plead for more research, development cash
Joshua Bagaka, the Academic and Students Affairs Deputy Vice Chancellor at KCA University says the amount of resources allocated for research is wanting.
PD/COURTESY
PD/COURTESY
University dons have expressed the need to raise the level of investment in research, saying it will drive innovation in the country.
Speaking during an interdisciplinary conference on innovations and sustainability in Nairobi, the Academic and Students Affairs Deputy Vice-Chancellor at KCA University, Joshua Bagaka, underscored the importance of research and development in improving Kenya’s economy.
He noted that Kenyan universities and technical institutes should increase their degree of investment to deliver more innovative products and services.
“Most universities allocate very little to research. That’s why most of the innovations made don’t last. Kenya has a lot of potential that can help us conquer even the western world if we allocated more money to research,” he said.
Prof Bagaka asked universities to push for more public-private partnerships from government and private institutions to secure more resources for their academic and innovation agenda.
He said the amount of resources currently allocated to universities for research is wanting, adding that it affects the quality of graduates.
“The conversation about half-baked graduates will only end if universities spend more time researching. Unfortunately, what happens in most of our schools is that students spend more time on theory while the most important concepts of research are usually left behind,” he said.
The director of innovation and incubation at the university, Dr Abraham Rotich, asked the new government to implement the provision of two per cent of the national budget to finance research.
“If we had proper research on issues like Competence Based Curriculum (CBC), the uproar we are witnessing would not be there,” he said. Also, research would help the country for any future pandemic, he said.
PROF JOSHUA BAGAKA
The talk about half-baked graduates will only end if we spend more time researching
Speaking during an interdisciplinary conference on innovations and sustainability in Nairobi, the Academic and Students Affairs Deputy Vice-Chancellor at KCA University, Joshua Bagaka, underscored the importance of research and development in improving Kenya’s economy.
He noted that Kenyan universities and technical institutes should increase their degree of investment to deliver more innovative products and services.
“Most universities allocate very little to research. That’s why most of the innovations made don’t last. Kenya has a lot of potential that can help us conquer even the western world if we allocated more money to research,” he said.
Prof Bagaka asked universities to push for more public-private partnerships from government and private institutions to secure more resources for their academic and innovation agenda.
He said the amount of resources currently allocated to universities for research is wanting, adding that it affects the quality of graduates.
“The conversation about half-baked graduates will only end if universities spend more time researching. Unfortunately, what happens in most of our schools is that students spend more time on theory while the most important concepts of research are usually left behind,” he said.
The director of innovation and incubation at the university, Dr Abraham Rotich, asked the new government to implement the provision of two per cent of the national budget to finance research.
“If we had proper research on issues like Competence Based Curriculum (CBC), the uproar we are witnessing would not be there,” he said. Also, research would help the country for any future pandemic, he said.
PROF JOSHUA BAGAKA
The talk about half-baked graduates will only end if we spend more time researching