Science and tech advisory board to be set up

An Industry Advisory Board designed to provide advice and practical support for the science and technology needs of the local private sector could be established by September this year according to Director of the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST) Dr. Suresh Narine.

Speaking with Stabroek Business earlier this week Narine disclosed that a preliminary board had already been selected and that its formalization was awaiting cabinet approval.

Narine told Stabroek Business that  the move to set up an Industry Advisory Board was  designed to enable a relationship between the IAST and the local private sector that is “advisory” rather than “client-based” in nature. “We need an Industry Advisory Board to tell us what skills we need to inculcate and what pieces of equipment are lacking. At the same time we expect that the private sector will fund the work of the Board,” Narine added.

According to Narine the idea of an Industry Advisory Board was first mooted by the Beharry Group of Companies during a meeting with the IAST. “We thought that it was an excellent idea and we have since moved it forward.”

Meanwhile, Narine said that the IAST is treating the Industry Advisory Board as a precursor to bringing the Institute and the business sector closer together. He said that part of the IAST’s focus was on “having a regular stream of trained people come through the Institute and eventually go into the private sector.”

Narine told Stabroek Business that while he did not envisage the Institute undertaking any “fundamental research,” he believed that it had a major role to play in technology transfer. “We want to become the technology clearing house in Guyana, whether it is for local investment or foreign investment. We believe that if a technology issue arises you should be able to come to us, Even if we do not have the expertise in-house we will source that expertise. What is important is that we will be able to provide a local so that when the foreign consultant leaves our local team will be able to ensure that recommendations are implemented,” Narine said.

According to Narine while IAST has traditionally been responsible for advising the government on matters of science and technology, the move to establish an Industry Advisory Board was one of a series of initiatives which the Institute has taken to extend role of the IAST. He disclosed that the Institute had completed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Guyana “which allows academics at the university to work on areas of research with the IAST.” Narine told Stabroek Business that the initiative would help respond to the laboratory deficiencies at the university and the scarcity of academics at the Institute. “They have a problem with laboratories and we have a problem with academics and the arrangement seeks to put the two together to work on areas of national importance,” Narine said.

And according to Narine the collaborative initiatives undertaken by the IAST with the private sector and the University were rooted in the view that Guyana cannot afford to undertake science for science sake. “If what we do is not going to be directly applied to development we cannot do it. We cannot justify using taxpayers’ money to undertake ivory tower projects that have no bearing on our development. The IAST is not going to undertake Ivory Tower research.”

Narine who is currently Associate Professor (Materials and Food Physics) at the University of  Alberta in Canada told Stabroek Business that he does not envisage being director of the Institute “for a very long time: and that finding a new Director is part of his focus.