Ghana Needs a National Research Foundation - Prof. Buah-Bassuah

Prof. Paul Kingsley Buah-Bassuah, Professor of Laser and Optical Physics of the University of Cape Coast, has advocated the institution of a National Research Foundation to support research.

He said the nation as a matter of priority should support and equip research laboratories to improve upon research and development and that research work should be the immediate technological transform, since most developed countries adopted these strategies to come out with new products.

Prof. Buah-Bassuah said this during his inaugural lecture in Cape Coast on the Topic “Tailoring Light to Discovery: The Potential Factor.”

He said for any meaningful research to go on, there was the need for funds in terms of scholarship for the training of upcoming scientists, equipment for research work as well as exchange programmes among universities.

The lecture, which was to showcase some achievements of Prof Buah-Bassuah with regards to capacity building through the establishment and acquisition of equipment for Laser and Fibre Optics Centre of the UCC, was chaired by the Vice Chancellor of UCC, Prof. Dabire Domwini Kuupole.

The lecture was interspersed with musical interludes, cultural display and video shows and was attended by traditional authorities, professors, deans and heads of departments and faculties, heads of senior high schools and the clergy.

The Lecture explored the modalities of discovery using any form of light to explain the fundamental concepts and technological implications derived from the investigations stretching from agriculture to industry.

It also explored the use of liquid drop dynamics to explain in terms of surface tension, how the drop after fragmentation breaks up into fractals before diffusion.

Light is said to scatter on both smooth and rough surfaces and in applying such phenomena of light scattering, the sun is used to monitor pollutants from industries and the laser is used to monitor soils nutrients.

Prof. Buah-Bassuah also stressed the need for the government and other stakeholders to ensure that basic incentives that are given to researchers in terms of monies to pay for their publications, books and register their patent should be maintained with the necessary adjustment to meet the high cost of goods and services.

“The Government should provide ways to maintain our intellectual property right from research to equip our laboratories with our own state funds to safeguard us from our frustrations,” he said.

Prof. Buah-Bassuah explained that research work gave new ideas for technological build-up and strengthened teachings, adding that most work done by researchers is owned by the university and could give additional income to the state.

He said there was the need to strategize to protect people’s intellectual property right from research, as well as their discovery, , noting that the state miss-out a lot of ideas since some of these discoveries cannot be translated into technology now in Ghana.

“ All our universities should have patent and publication officers to streamline both inflow and outflow of knowledge from research work, our knowledge from research can put us in different arena of progress” he added.

Prof. Buah-Bassuah said the way forward with research findings should aim at the immediate benefit to the society.

Prof. Kuupole commended Prof Buah- Bassuah for helping to establish a Laser and Fibre Optics Centre (LAFOC) at UCC which marketed the university in the international market.

Prof. Kuupole called for a collaborative effort from professors and lecturers to come out with works that would impact on societal development and take people out of poverty.

Prof. Buah-Bassuah who was born 62 years ago had his basic education at Twifu Wamaso in the Central Region and has gone through the academic ladder to be a professor of Laser and Optical Physics.

He has to his credit Lensmeter to measure the power of a lens, fluorometers and optical digital system for track analysis. He has also organized 15 international conferences and training courses in Cape Coast and attended 96 international conferences and has 75 publications.