Batswana must own knowledge-based products-Nkate

CHANDAPIWA BAPUTAKI
Staff Writer | Wednesday November 21, 2007 00:00

Jacob Nkate was giving a keynote address at the 'Open Access' leadership summit of the Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA) at the University of Botswana (UB). He said through research and innovation, tertiary education provides the basis for the society to adapt and advance in this era of modern technology.

Nkate revealed that the government of Botswana is seriously committed to increasing the skills level of its people. 'I believe increased government- sponsored access to tertiary education will address the skills shortages we are faced with as well as fulfilling the Vision 2016 aspiration of Botswana becoming a knowledge-based society,' he said.

He told the vice-chancellors that it is important for Africa to generate new knowledge and contribute to internationally knowledge-based development and innovation.

'While we need to address our local needs, we are part of a world economy and an interconnected set of development issues and challenges,' the education minister said.

Nkate further stated that whilst the post-colonial concerns were about becoming more competent, it is now more important than ever that Africans become increasingly skilled in their own knowledge production, be active creators and contributors to international thinking and decision-making rather than be on the receiving end.

The Internet and associated digital technologies, the minister said, were creating new opportunities for developing alternative models of publishing and disseminating scholarly work.

He stated that limited access to publicly-funded scientific research resulting from the traditional models and roots of disseminating this research is no longer tenable in the African environment.

He pointed out that there is a widening gap in research output and consumption relative to the rest of the world. 'Open access approaches and models promote universal unrestricted free access to full-text scholarly materials and scientific research via the Internet which in turn accelerates knowledge transfer,' he said, adding that public good requires the removal of prevention barriers to this research and its publication.

SARUA aims to promote, strengthen and increase higher education, training and research through expanded inter-institutional collaboration and capacity building initiatives across the region.

It also aims to promote universities as major contributors for national and regional socio-economic development. The meeting, under the theme, 'The challenges of open access and scholarly communication' is scheduled to end today.