By JOHN KOMBE
SCIENCE, technology and innovation are a great enabler to development and Government will enhance related programmes at university level, Ministry of Higher Education Permanent Secretary, Mulenga Kayula has said.
Ms Kayula said that science and technology were key to national development and as such universities must align their programmes with Government policy on the development of science, technology and innovation.
She made the observation when she addressed staff at Chalimbana University in Chongwe during an inspection of the implementation of science and technology-related postgraduate programmes.
She said that the government had therefore developed policy to enhance science and technology innovation.
Ms Kayula said the ministry was going round to assess all public universities to enhance and identify gaps that needed to be addressed.
Government, she said, had so far sponsored more than 160 students in science, technology and innovation programmes at postgraduate level.
She urged the university to take advantage of the initiative.
Ms Kayula stressed that universities needed requisite infrastructure such as science laboratories to offer quality training in science-related programmes.
She urged universities to ensure that the infrastructure meets the required standards.
She also urged universities to promote research in their institutions as it was critical in the development of any nation.
Ms Kayula assured public universities of Government’s support which was meant to assure accelerated growth in science, technology and innovation.
And Chalimbana University Deputy Vice Chancellor, Geofrrey Tambulukani, said the institution would enhance teaching and research on science and technology.
Dr Tambulukani assured that the university was ready to respond to Government’s call to enhance science and technology at university level.
He said that the university was pleased that it had a school of science mathematics education which was responding to the call for the development of science and technology.
He said the university was working on development of a virtual practical platform for science programmes.
