CI-NEWS

EU funds to boost research in Cameroon.

2019-10-14

No: 451

EU funds to boost research in Cameroon.

The Minister Delegate at the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, in charge of Planning, Paul Tasong, has challenged Cameroonian University dons and researchers to optimize the information sharing gathering in order to facilitate the economic growth of the nation.

He put them to the task on Tuesday October 08, while opening the information sharing forum at the nation’s political capital. The challenge was made against the backdrop of remarks by authorities from the European and Africans Union who regretted that despite the heavy funds available through the Horizon 2020 project, Cameroon and the Central African Sub Region are yet to take sufficient advantage of the offer. Horizon 2020 is a European Union framework program for research and innovation, functioning as a flagship initiative to secure competiveness in the domain. The program holds that investing in research is synonymous to investing in the future. It is for this reason that it secures huge sums of money that are made available to African Researchers through the African Union. It is the biggest European Union funded project in Africa. Speaking during the event, the Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology for the African Union, Professor Sara Anyang Agbor presented a wide range of funding opportunities in research and scientific innovation. She said research is crucial and requires that political leaders give it the appropriate priority so its results can shape the nation.

Challenging the University dons and researchers, Minister Paul Tasong said “this is a window of opportunities, financed by the European Union. And in our capacity as the National Authorising Officer of all European Union funds in Cameroon, the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development strongly encourages this initiative.” He further said the only way the nation can tap into the potentials that exist in this country is through research. Research “opens the door for us to optimally tap into our potentials. And we believe that Horizon 2020 which already exists in several other countries, has been able to fund more than 20.000 research projects. We want to be sure that Cameroon does not miss out,” he stressed.

Audience

Just after the presentation, the African Union guest was later granted an in camera audience by Cameroon’s Minister of Scientific Research and Innovation, Dr Madeleine Tchuinte. After the audience, the African Union Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology, Professor Sarah Anyang Agbor said their talks focused on ways of strengthening collaboration with Cameroon, in order to bring research and innovation to it deserved position. “We have also had discussions based on the different partnerships and the different collaborations we can do, and the kind of research we need to do. We have also emphasized on the need for the political will to move with the vision,” she explained. The Minister and her guest also discussed ways of creating favourable environments for Cameroonian researchers to excel.

Culled from Cameroon Insider.

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EU funds to boost research in Cameroon.