BY KWANELE TSABEDZE
EZULWINI – Scientists in the country are finally going to have their own dedicated conference every year.
This comes after the inaugural Academy of Science conference held an event in Ezulwini today. The conference was organized by the Kingdom of Eswatini Academy of Science (KEAS), working with their stakeholders in the country. The conference is aimed at finding evidence-based solutions for agriculture, the environment, as well as the economy among other things.
Speaking on behalf of the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology was Nqoba Msibi from the Eswatini National Archives.
“The Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini has prioritized research, as mentioned in the Post-COVID-19 Recovery Strategy. The National Development Plan and the National Research Council Bill. This is to ensure harmonization of research in the Kingdom. Developed countries have invested in knowledge generation, and knowledge fluidity. That is the road we must take as a nation to ensure that we attain the Eswatini we want,” said Msibi.
“The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has brought about challenges across all sectors. The pandemic has brought so much loss, which has adversely impacted on socio-economic development. Furthermore, the pandemic has shown vulnerabilities and implications in systems of innovation globally,” added Msibi.
“One of the goals of KEAS is to provide evidence-based decisions that would assist government, public institutions, NGO’s and the private sector in evolving the welfare of people, society, and the environment in Eswatini. Indeed today’s conference is important in that we will for the first time be able to listen to the leading scientists in the Kingdom of Eswatini presenting their research,” said Thwala.
KEAS Chairperson Professor Ara Monadjem emphasized that the organization is most interested in seeing scientists being able to come up with solutions that will develop the country for the better.
