“People have a misunderstanding of what Ph’D [holders] are supposed to do in the country or in the region. Ph’Ds are basically research degrees. What researchers do is carry out research into identifiable problems in society and then come out with their findings. Now when they come out with the findings, especially at the Ph.D level, your research thesis should have policy implications. That means that policymakers should be interested in So at the end of the day, if I finish doing the research and policymakers are not interested in that and what they do is drive development based on the manifestos of their various parties, how do you blame the Ph.D holders?” Dominic Anarigide, a Ph.D candidate asked when he spoke on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show today, Monday, August 15, 2022.
The Upper East Region, according to the latest Population and Housing Census by the Ghana Statistical Service, has a total of 565 PhD holders.
According to the GSS 2021 PHC the Greater Accra Region has the highest with a total of 11454 PhD holders as of 2021. Second is Ashanti Region with 5157, the Central region had 3788, while Northern Region also had 1663.
Mr. Anarigide’s comments were to support an earlier submission by a former Upper East Regional Minister and Professor of Linguistics at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Professor Avea Nsoh.
Professor Avea Nsoh has opined that, all things being equal, there should be a direct link between the number of people with Ph.Ds within a defined space and the development in that area, a position that was contested by the immediate past Regional Minister, Tangoba Abayage.
Madam Abayage opined that development should be private sector-led.
While the conversation has elicited varied opinions, Mr. Anarigide insisted that, but for the failure of policymakers, here should be a direct relationship.
“The fact that I have research doesn’t mean I have the power to go and tell the government to do a, b or c. Research is what government has to rely on. In this country, we do not respect research. All over the world, they rely on research before any government would have any intervention,” he said.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
