Part 2

If universities are so critical in the process of creating and acquiring of national technological capability, it is equally critical that the obligation of the government, the institution empowered to make binding and enforceable decisions, be understood. First, it is a fundamental obligation of any government to establish a policy and legal framework based on national self-interest whose goal is the creation of technological capability through training. This will equip people with technical, social, managerial and applied skills solving collective problems and satisfying basic individual needs.

To develop, a country should also establish a strong research base at universities and other research institutions to spur development of scientific knowledge and applied scientific capability. This will promote sustainable and continuous generation of scientific and technological innovations that will solve societal problems and satisfy the basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, security, education, health and communication.

This effort involves government-driven encouragement of nationals to acquire, borrow or seize technology from more advanced societies, domesticate and improve it for productive social and economic activities. Universities are best placed in terms of concentration of expertise to undertake training, research, and innovation for the nation.

When universities are mobilized and encouraged to make applied research and innovation a major part of their activities, they will concentrate more on their capacities to find and provide solutions to the social and technological challenges of creating sufficient physical and industrial capital (without which it is impossible to adequately exploit and manage natural resources) hence profitably engage the domestic, regional and global markets.

The Government should set aside adequate resources to facilitate adequate training, research facilities, teachers, researchers and support efforts geared at creating enough, knowledgeable, skilled and motivated human resource. A motivated human resource will solve problems largely through their own efforts, or often through new and adaptable ideas that may be borrowed from elsewhere. A conducive environment should be created to engage the best brains within and without the country to generate solutions to domestic and regional challenges.

Universities, on the other hand, must mobilize their professionals to breed innovative ideas, improved methods, skills, processes, products, and services for the market. They must be more aggressive when they have good and useful ideas for the government, business community, industry and the market by not waiting to be invited to expose their innovations.

The collaborative interaction of university, government and industry is a good basis for identifying where more research is required in order to enhance national technological capability further. The process will also feed back to the classroom where practical experiences inform and enrich teaching for the benefit of students and society they will serve upon graduation.

Basic assumptions 

The design for governmental and university obligations in the creation of national technological capability is based on a number of assumptions, as follows:

• The nation has a common vision, a common sense of purpose and a common goal to create and enhance its technological capability
• The government has faith in its citizens
• The people know and believe they have inherent abilities to change and improve their living conditions through proper and     adequate management of their environment
• Both the government and the people have a focus, concentration and the necessary persistence and determination to succeed, in spite of mistakes 
• The citizens are ready, able and willing to put the interests of their nation at the top of their priorities by acquiring or applying new or improved technology in production

Impact of employing university human resources effectively

A country that embraces and mobilizes its citizens to realise the above obligations will experience tremendous transformation technologically, economically and socially. Such a country will be able to retain and attract high quality university lecturers, researchers and innovators; experience brain gain as national professionals are motivated to return or invest back in their countries (a development that engenders wealth creation, technology transformation, and fosters social, technological and economic development); develop its technological capability and capacity to exploit its enormous natural, physical and human resources for the benefit of its people in terms of self reliance in satisfying basic needs, gaining employment, and achieving modern living standards; create and rapidly expand wealth for its people hence reducing dependency on foreign countries and motivate and protect its best-trained human resources on the realization that it cannot afford to lose any of its best professionals.

We estimate that qualified and innovative professionals create for their host countries abroad more than three times the value of the remittances they send back home. Whichever way one looks at it, their poor home-countries are net losers from their stay and working abroad. This is because the brain drain robs the country of its technological capability, a loss that leads to poverty and inability of a country to fend for itself, and also which undermines social and economic development.

Motivated university staff and national Development

When the university is strongly supported to carry out market-driven research,  development, innovation, and commercialization, and when resources are directed at enabling the university engage the government, community, business, and industry, the professors and researchers in Kenyan universities are able to demonstrate their full potential in terms of knowledge, skills, ability and technological know-how to facilitate accelerated growth of technological capability and socio-economic development of the African countries.

There is no doubt that Kenya can create its national technological capability in a matter of three to five years, and see the country's economy transformed even faster. Contrary to what many people believe, the country's public universities have some of the best trained engineers and scientists of different types: architects, chemists, botanists and zoologists, agriculturalists, ICT professionals, administrators, production managers, among other personnel in various fields critical for development of any country.

However, due to the prolonged abuse and neglect, the professionals in Kenya and the rest of Africa have been subjected to policy and decision makers, they have believed that Africa cannot exploit its abundant natural, physical and financial resources with a view to setting the continent on a sustainable development course. The African human resource is still untapped, making the continent fail to bring about rapid technological change for the development of its people.

Demotivated university staff and national development

When the terms and conditions of service of university staff are poor and no support is forthcoming by way of facilities for research, innovation and technology transfer, the morale of the staff goes low hence failure to focus and concentrate on all their core functions; the staff resorts to teaching only and fails to perform such roles as research, innovation and transfer of knowledge and technology to the society. Others resort to income supplementation activities at the expense of academic, research, development and innovation pursuits. This leaves the quality of higher education under siege.

Consequences on the country's development

The country therefore fails to attract and retain high quality university lecturers, researchers and innovators. The ensuing brain drain breeds poverty and undermines social, technological and economic           development making the country unable to exploit and benefit from its enormous natural and human resources. It cannot generate and raise incomes to employ its educated human resources thereby becoming poorer and dependent on foreign countries for its basic needs, producer goods and services, and many consumer products and services.