Reward lecturers for innovations, not academic papers – Prof Duodu

An Associate Professor at the University of Ghana Medical School, Professor Alex Duodu, has urged the government to consider rewarding lecturers based on innovation and not academic papers.

Prof Duodu believes this will encourage universities to produce research papers tailored to solving societal challenges.

He says the time is ripe for Ghana to harness its university expertise in solving its problems than resorting to foreign assistance.

“Let’s solve our dumsor [power challenges], preserve our foods and produce for exports and solve our problems ourselves,” he reiterates.

He admits, however, that his suggestion will require a radical transformation of the mindset of the Ghanaian.

The clinical pharmacologist is worried many promising research works sit and gather dust at the various universities.

He wants industries that utilise university research to enhance output and improve productivity be given tax exemptions.

“Why should industries sit with problems when universities are there, let them bring them out and if the universities can’t solve them then the industries/government would have to cry”, he said.

He spoke to Luv News at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Week Celebration, under the theme, “Collaborative research and health: The way forward in Ghana”.

Meanwhile, Pro-vice chancellor of the school, Rev. Professor Charles Ansah, reveals plans are in place to enable inter-collegiate collaboration to target industry based research.

“What we need to do is to look at the research again reengineer it to be able to impact on the people that we serve and particularly those in the rural areas who cannot afford basic medicine,” he said.