Minister of Education Agnes Nyalonje has encouraged researchers and the academia to embrace science, technology and innovation at all levels in order to transform the country.
The minister made the remarks on Wednesday during the opening of 4th Research Dissemination Conference in Lilongwe.
According to Nyalonje, researchers and academia need to come up with technologies that can solve some of the country’s problems.
“As a country , we must identify what we need and how research and innovation can step in to produce viable scientific innovations that will help the country realise its aspirations outlined in Malawi 2063.
“We can talk about possible production of ethanol which can revolutionise how Malawi find its fuel for cars. You can talk about biopesticides which we have the capacity to develop, we can talk about fish feed which we have the capacity to develop.
“What is happening is that in these areas I have mentioned for quite some years, the research produces the science, the science that has been produced shows that it is possible to produce biopesticides. What is needed now is the marketing to generate investments, the marketing to ensure demand is there and investment to go into production,” said Nyalonje.
Nyalonje further noted that Malawi has good researchers and scientists whose interventions have not been fully capitalised due to several challenges starting from coordination and lack of resources.
She, however, added that Malawi is doing very well in research field and there are a number of positive developments made in the education system.
“We harvest by graduating young men and young women who have been through the system and have been equipped with skills that can allow them to go and survive in a big wide world either as self employed entrepreneurs or as employees if they are fortunate to find a job.
“The second harvest point is when we talk about research, the ultimate end is the production of goods, products, services and practices that change the way Malawians live,” explained Nyalonje.
In his remarks, Chairperson of National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST), Professor Emmanuel Kaunda said as NSCT they are going into massive resource mobilization with the idea that scientists and innovators can be supported to bring out their research agendas at a bigger scale.
“You can do research development, you can have your ideas but if those ideas do not meet investment needs of all investors the idea is died.
“So we are going to ensure that there is that linkage and we are doing that by working through knowledge hubs such as universities to ensure that they understand the process. We are also going to incentives by recognising those who are doing very well,” said Kaunda.
Kaunda also disclosed that as NCST, they are planning to have a city which is going to be a hub for technological revolution and in that city they are going to have various companies who will do their testing there and also some Innovations.
The 4th National research dissemination conference has been organised by National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST) and is being held under the theme: “Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship: The Key Drivers to an Inclusively Wealthy and Industrialised Nation”.
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