PF used science and technlology as a medium of industrialisation – Part II

AFTER August 12, 2021, Science and Technology is destined for greatness owing to the fact that the second highest position in the land will be occupied by an accomplished and internationally acclaimed scientist in Professor Nkandu Phoebe Luo.

The Patriotic Front in its manifesto has promised to increase investment and resource allocation toward Science and Technology.

The government will take advantage of the growth recorded in the education sector to utilise both public and private institutions to foster research in coming up with innovative ways.

At primary school level, Government will revive the Junior Engineers, Technologists and Scientists ( JETS) to identify a pool of school going talent among the pupils at the earliest time possible.

This will be followed by the curricula review with the various emphasis on the need to invent the practical problem solving approach and reform education approaches and data analysis.

Government also intends to develop the reward culture of innovation among children and this will act as motivation to have the thirst for intellectual innovation.

In the implementation of Government programmes, research and technology-based planning and implementation will be mainstreamed across all sectors.

Zambia is also posed to become the research hub of Southern Africa especially after the intended establishment of the Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology and this will enable Zambia become Nuclear Science Tourism owing to the novelty of this initiative.

Lastly, the government will establish the sustainable National Research Fund and this will ensure that researchers and university staff compete for resources to develop innovations that would progressively lead to economic growth.

It is a well-known fact that research for academic or industrial purposes is not sufficiently funded hence the existing home grown knowledge base.