By Paul Eduarko Richardson
Accra, June 27, GNA – Professor Matilda Steiner-Asiedu, Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, says it is important for academic institutions to encourage community involvement to drive science and technology in Africa.
He said community engagement would enable academic institutions to make community members aware of their scientific research and technological innovations, which would generate interest, appreciation and collaborations for the advancement of science and technology.
“It is also an encouragement for our students to showcase their work and be able to apply it to everyday life and how they can network and extend it to community needs and promote national development,” he added.
Professor Steiner-Asiedu said this on Wednesday during the Science Renaissance Africa (DSRA) Day celebration at La Bawaleshie Presby School, Ayawaso West Municipality.
Endorsed by the African Union, the DSRA is seen as enabling Africans to showcase their scientific and technological innovations.
The event, organized by the College of Basic and Applied Sciences (CBAS), University of Ghana, in collaboration with the Ayawaso West Municipality, was themed: “Connecting Communities with Science”.
Activities for the Day included exhibitions highlighting the application of science in everyday life, home technology, food, water and personal hygiene, waste management, rabies vaccination and health screening.
Professor Steiner-Asiedu, also the Chairman of the CBAS DSRA Committee, said the College decided to commemorate the Day with the participation of the people of La Bawaleshie so as to widen the University’s impact on people’s lives.
He said funding was the biggest challenge in organizing such community events and asked for sponsorships so the College could expand the event to other communities to reach a wider population.
He said the College had taken up many innovative projects and appealed especially to the media to help with advocacy and creating awareness for partnerships.
Prof. Steiner-Asiedu assured of the University’s willingness to work with communities, particularly in providing training in livestock, animal husbandry and agro-processing to create job opportunities to improve the livelihoods of community members.
Professor Boateng Onwona Agyeman, Provost, CBAS, expressed his appreciation to the La Bawaleshie Traditional Council for allowing the University to hold the event in the community.
He said the event, being organized for the second time in the community, would be held annually to keep people abreast of the University’s scientific and technological breakthroughs.
He pointed out that the University has initiated many researches and developed ideas, but on a smaller scale and called for public-private cooperation to be extended to commercial levels.
Mrs. Sandra Owusu-Ahinkorah, Chief Executive Officer of Ayawaso West Local Assembly Municipality, in a message delivered on her behalf, acknowledged the central role of science and technology in national development.
He highlighted the Assembly’s commitment to the promotion of science and technology, urging all stakeholders to forge partnerships and leverage collective expertise to advance the nation’s development.
Mr. Ebenezer Okoe Kotey, on behalf of La Bawaleshie Traditional Council, noted that the exhibitions enlightened them and gave them a practical sense of some of the scientific processes and applications.
He appealed to the University to organize such events frequently to enable members of the community to learn more about science and technology, assuring that the Traditional Council would provide the necessary support to achieve this.
The exhibitions showcased various projects by CBAS students, including innovative ways to preserve food and retain its nutritional value, how to make a variety of foods from local produce and address nutritional deficiencies, food packaging, probiotics for gut health, use of plastics waste for fuel, hydroponics for irrigation, drug development and plastic recycling and reuse.
Ms Korkor Okai, Department of Biochemistry, University of Ghana, said: “It is important that we came to the community to do this exhibition with the people. For example, it will help them practice good personal hygiene and be more health conscious.”
GNA