The Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Professor John Owusu Gyapong says the Book and Research Allowance given to lecturers of public universities has now become a supplement to their salaries rather than for research.
He has thus called on government to ensure that the proposed Research Fund becomes operational as soon as possible.
“We shouldn’t deceive ourselves that the Book and Research Allowances is being used for research. UTAG can shoot me. Its a lie. We all know many our waiting for the book and research allowance to buy roofing sheets, cement and to pay school fees,” he said.
He said it was obvious the meagre research allowances of about 7,000 cedis could not be used for any meaningful research.
Prof Gyapong was giving a keynote address at this year’s Research Awards and Grants ceremony of the University of Cape Coast on Thursday.
The awards ceremony which is organized by the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC) of UCC this year gave out 24 research support grants ranging from 3000 cedis to 90,000 cedis.
The directorate also awarded four researcher including Dr Adeladza Kofi Amegah, Dr Andreas Adutwum Kudom, Dr Florian Carl and Dr Kwame Agyei Frimpong with awards. The occasion was also used the launch the university’s Research Agenda 2018-2022 themed, “Education and Environment for Sustainable Development.
Prof Gyapong said if the research fund is made operational many could access it for effective research. be opportunity for some of us can access it to fund for meaningful research.
He said we should not deceive ourselves that the research and book allowance was for research. I know people are waiting for the Book and Research Allowance to buy roofing sheets.
He said universities are set up to teach, research and offer services but they have basically become places of teaching.
“The research bit is lagging behind,” he stated.
In November last year, the Minister of Education, Mr Mathew Opoku Prempeh said cabinet had already given approval for the establishment of a $50million research fund adding that a draft bill would be presented to Parliament shortly to give it the necessary legal backing.
Throwing more light later in an interview after the ceremony, Prof Gyapong said the nation needed a clear research policy direction and an operational fund to provide adequate funding for research.
He stated that the nation need new knowledge and innovation which could only be achieved through effective research.
On education in general, Prof Gaypong said it was incumbent on the universities especially the University of Cape Coast with personnel with expertise on educational policy to provide their views help direct education in the country.
He said the arguments on the new educational policies had mostly been from politicians saying its been only “heat” adding that “we need some light on the issue.”
Prof Gyapong called on lecturers to push their frontiers, move from their comfort zones, challenge the status quo and move into research areas that solve societal problems.
Agenda 2018-2022
The Director of DRIC, Prof Samuel Annim said the research agenda would guide researchers in the university to research along the SDGs.
He said the university targets to be renowned for research in education and environment and said he was optimistic that DRIC would continue to promote the university’s research agenda.
The Pro-Vice Chancellor of UCC, Prof George Oduro said UCC had taken the challenge in good stride and would work to further establish itself as authority in research.
Source: Graphic.com
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
copying from google and pasting is not research..... none of your so called research has had any impact on the nation because you only copy from the net. all you spend time on is exchanging exams papers and marks for ***barred word***....
THESE DAYS MANY 1DIOTS ARE BECOMING PROFESSORS. SEE THIS KWAPONG THING TOO?
Is this man really a professor? Do professors talk loose like this? Does he want to win favour from the government? Lecturers spend a lot of money to publish, attend research seminars and training, buy journals- hard and soft copies, books, etc. Has this man taken the book and research allowance before? Did he use it to buy cement and roofing sheets? which lecturer used the book and research allowance to build? I'm disappointed in this man. He should step down. Lecturers pls resist the move by some selfish folks and the government from cancelling this allowance.
yeah this is very true. it shd only be given to ple doing active research. most of these lecturers are just too lazy. all they know is how to remove the panties of those lazy students.
Prof, this is preposterous.today u are way up in the sky and u talking trash? Parliamentarians take home 50,000 cedis after every 4 years coupled with huge salaries for just saying "y33y3"and u here talking bullshit because of the little book and research allowance the public sector university lecturer is enjoying.I don't blame you at all
This professor is neither cited at ResearchGate or Google scholar. WHAT IS HIS AREA OF SPECIALISATION AND ANY PAPER OF HIM PUBLISHED IN 2017?
Prof. Gyapong, it is very pathetic and un wise for you to say what you said. I have been a lecturer for nine years and I have used the book allowance to procure all the books and other materials I use for my teaching and research. Ever since I was employed, I have bought three computers and two printers with the book allowance. Everything in my office (apart from a writing desk, two swivel chairs two wooden chairs and an old wooden bookshelf) was bought with the book allowance. May be because of your position at your university you are able to mis-use funds for yourself and as a result you use the book allowance to buy cement as suggested by a former minister of state. Many of us do not behave the way you do, I will advise you to procure all necessary working tools and equipment for lecturers at your university as required by the Labour Act of Ghana and lecturers will not demand any book allowance. Please you can also shoot me for expressing my views. Next time talk as an academic will do. Thank you.
Prof, I am sorry to say that at your level you do not know what the book and research allowance is meant for. For your information, the research component of the allowance is for instructional research and not development research. Base on this information to establish the difference between the two. Now you are a Pro-VC so you will speak as igno..***barred word*** as you are speaking. Sha..me on you.