Secretary to the Cabinet, Roland Msiska has challenged University of Lusaka PHD students to generate ideas that will help in addressing some of the challenges facing the country.
Dr. Msiska said the country will only appreciate the relevance of their education when they help to respond to the needs of the people.
He noted that new ideas are critical in enhancing the performance of the public sector.
The Secretary to the Cabinet was speaking when he made a presentation to 12 PHD students at the University of Lusaka(UNILUS).
He implored the students to broaden their scope of research so that they capture issues that will help the country to develop.
Dr. Msiska urged the students to take advantage of the existing challenges facing the country by generating solutions to the problems.
He cited the frequent outbreaks of cholera, disease burden and poverty as some of the problems that require new ideas in resolving them.
Dr. Msiska wondered why cholera cases should be recorded every year when solutions can be found to the cause of the outbreak.
This is a good idea, at the moment we have too many Dr., but no ideas to show for it. If truelly we had so many brainy people, we would be having alot of innovations to grow and support the economy.
What we have are polarised brains who only think in terms of political party lines – no substance at all.
UNZA is good for Bachelor’s degrees, and good for medicine.
But a PhD obtained in Zambia is meaningless, equivalent to a Diploma here. Sorry to say, but it is true.
It would never stand up in the USA, Europe or Japan.
The only PhDs that are strong in Zambia are witchcraft studies, art of corruption, art of violence, and maybe election rigging. These are the fields have are doing very well, the students are innovative.
Put up research grants. Research requires money and time.
Streamline the research proposal review process. The current UNZAREC is just a stumbling block.
Ministry of health research proposal process is disconnected from UNZAREC and convoluted in its internal process.
Instead of condemning students, ask them why research is not happening. They will tell you. And when they do, fix the problems!
I hate to break it to you but the educated in Zambia are really dumb. We have engineers who can’t even assemble a hand pump or better yet a pram for their baby!
Research projects require a lot of funds. In the U.S.A. professors from universities and colleges apply for funding to either the U.S. Department of education or NSF. These organizations award them billions of dollars.
This is not the in a country like Zambia. Moreover, students and professors compete for Fulbright funds to do work overseas.
This man is very dull…you expect PHD to stop outbreak of cholera …outbreak simply due to filth!!
And what has Msisika himself innovated since he got his Phd apart from rampant corruption?
The educated in Zambia think working for someone getting hefty perks is the only way to go, fools in suspense indeed! Doc you are right through and through. It is time to change mind set.
Some of these degrees are from questionable institutions and therefore cannot live up to standards.
Doc Msiska, thanks for the challenge to doctorate students. But as Government, what have you done to support and fund research and development (R&D)?
ZERO!
Doc, let us start by being very sincere, responsible and accountable citizens of this country Zambia. Every one is in competition to get rich, quickly and dubiously. Imagine l have a brilliant business idea but have to compete with a Cabinet Minister to put my business idea through. What is my chance? What am saying is that corruption and conflict of interest have taken centre stage. Don’t you think the fact that most civil servants and ministers have registered businesses busy clamouring to supply and provide products and services to Government is distorting our economy? What about middlemen in every business transactions…
Degrees from UNZA are very powerful my friend.There are very few countries on this planet where you can’t find an UNZA graduate making an impact.
USA, Europe and everywhere, UNZA graduates are making a very strong impact. In Zambia it is not easy because political cadres wont allow them.
Corruption is killing everyone and everything including brains. How will we motivate our kids to go to school when they learn to make money through deals and corruption?
Research requires money and I don’t know of any institution in Zambia that sponsors students wen they conduct research at any level as the case is in say SA.
Government should tender out areas needing serious improvement and lets have Phd holders sell their ideas to government ….
Actually, you yourself doc. seem not to be effective in running cabinet!
I tend to agree with shimu nsona above. I have degree holder friends whose major claim to the consultancy monies they earn is just their title. Simply that. No innovation, nothing. And to start with, you doc. are going to employ that person over anyone else without the ” paperwork “.
Margaret Thatcher once said: ” all you need is a first degree and the rest you pick up along the way”. I agree with that statement to the extent that it is not applied to specialised research.