KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica’s Prime Minister Bruce Golding said Jamaica needs to move beyond the consumption of technology developed in other countries and embark upon research to create technology that would foster our own development. He was speaking on Wednesday (Mar. 12) at the Annual Research Day put on by the Mico University College.
He said technological development has been moving at a fast pace globally, and that Jamaica runs the risk of being left behind. He said the country must realize that its prospects for development are increasingly dependent on knowledge and how it is applied. He said the Annual Research Day staged by the Mico University College was encouraging, as it signals an awareness of the knowledge gap and the need to do something about it.
Mr. Golding said research should be driven and pursued with clear objectives that would enable the country to achieve and go the distances that are possible. He said one way in which research could assist Jamaica, was in determining how technology can be used to identify the energy initiatives that would reduce the country’s oil bill. He said the agriculture sector was another area of the economy that would benefit tremendously from research activity, especially as it relates to finding suitable alternatives to imported feed stock.
He said the government would be seeking to streamline research activity locally, by embarking on a programme to bring the various research institutions under one umbrella organization during the next fiscal year. He said this would enable more efficient and effective use of resources especially as it relates to funding.
The Prime Minister said the future requires that new ways be found for doing old things simultaneously with identifying ways of doing new things. He said while research and knowledge represent a step in the right direction, it is the application of the knowledge that will take Jamaica into the future. He commended the Mico University College for the strides it has made to remain relevant and responsive to the needs of the society. He said the Mico University College fully recognizes that the world is a different environment today and therefore demands new approaches.
The theme for the research day is “Education for Entrepreneurship: A response to global challenges.” Presenters are drawn from a wide cross-section of areas including academia, business, law and education.
