Lack of coordination is hampering research in the country, education experts have said. Remy Twiringiyimana, the acting director-general of science, technology and research in the Ministry of Education, said the lack of coordinated research leaves findings scattered in various learning institutions. He was speaking at a Ministry of Education consultative meeting on national research policy. The meeting discussed ways to uplift the standard and quality of research in the country. Twiringiyimana said there was little emphasis on research for development and hence little awareness about the importance of research as a tool for fast-tracking social economic growth of the country. “At the AU Summit of Heads of State in Addis Ababa in 2009, government committed to invest at least one per cent of GDP in research and development, but this has not been possible, making research funding one of the major problems researchers are facing,” Twiringiyimana said. Research gaps According to Prof. Kane Ousmane, a Unesco consultant, Rwanda still faces many research gaps. He said in the food sector, there are not enough food research centres. “I am interested in seeing research culture develop in Rwanda because I am an African. Rwanda needs well-equipped laboratories and to create awareness on the importance of research for sustainable development,” Prof. Ousmane said. Prof. Ousmane, with the support of a local team under the supervision of the Director of Research at Science, Technology and Research, will incorporate relevant inputs from the consultative workshop to come up with the national research policy in three days. The directorate of science, technology and research was established under the Ministry of Education to promote, support, coordinate and report on all research activities taking place in Rwanda.
