The Commission for University Education (CUE) called for more funding for universities to carry out research. The Commission’s CEO, Prof Mike Kuria, said the government should ensure that two per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) goes to universities to enable them to effectively conduct their core mandates in these areas.
Prof Kuria, who was speaking during a tree-planting exercise at Zetech University on Tuesday, said several areas of research and innovations in universities have stagnated due to a lack of funding.
He noted that researchers are getting frustrated as their ideas and innovations end up on the shelves due to underfunding.
He said funding is essential to support new ideas and innovations, which are key to growth and to enabling the country to compete in the global economy.
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The CEO noted that much of Kenya’s research is carried out in higher education learning institutions, which make them important assets in improving the country’s economy.
“There is a lot of competition for government funding, students send research proposals, but only a handful manage to get the funding. This is due to inadequate funding,” said Prof Kuria.
The commitment of two per cent of the country’s GDP is part of the Science, Technology, and Innovation Act of 2013, which seeks to boost the Science, Technology, and Innovation sector.
According to the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI), Kenya spends only 0.8 per cent of its GDP on research and development, a fact that has made it a challenge for researchers to carry out their responsibilities
By Obegi Malack
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