Comment: Scientific research a must for economic development

Chemtech 2007, the International Conference in Chemistry organised by the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon in Colombo last week attracted the world's attention on Sri Lanka. The conference and the areas that focused are important in respect to the scientific research and economic development of the country.

Another important aspect of this international confab is that it demonstrated the value of human resources that Sri Lanka has produced.

The Chemtech 2007 attracted a large number of expatriate Sri Lankan professionals in the field of chemistry.

Among them were the world's top experts in nano technology, natural product chemistry and many other fields relating to chemistry. Anyone who read the list of names of professionals and the positions they hold today in various top research institutes and universities would feel disheartened because the country has lost all of them and today they work for developed countries.

However, in today's globalised world this should not be a matter to worry because the work done by these Sri Lankans contribute to the whole world.

If they were retained in the country perhaps they would not be doing what they are doing today. Scientific research in the country is not progressing at a satisfactory level and we do not consider research and development as an important part of economic development.

When we discussed with them what we realised is that all these Sri Lankan professionals as well as the response we received from expatriate Lankan experts in the software industry and other areas for our articles, there is one common feature.

Most of these professionals are really worried about having left the country and they are ready to serve the country to the best of their ability. If we consider the Chemtech confab all of them have come here to share their expertise with our research community.

Some of them delivered lectures at several universities after the conference. Our nano experts held discussions with the Ministry of Science and Technology on the proposed nano park and other proposals. Though they attempt to do something for the country in their individual capacities still we don't have a systematic way of obtaining the services of these Sri Lankan professionals.

We have unending debates on what areas we can maximise for economic development and change the thrust areas from time to time. At one time we believed it was tourism, then agriculture.

The era of the apparel industries is gone. Hopes on the tourism industry ended with the increased security threat. Now we believe that the software industry is the thrust industry and there is a boom in the industry. The nano technology is also now considered as a thrust industry that Sri Lanka can capitalise on.

Using knowledge capital, as a thrust area for economic development is definitely correct. It would not be the main industry that solves all economic issues we face today. But we should realise that the country has accumulated a fair knowledge of capital for over several decades compared to the investment we have made in free education.

There are thousands of graduates who pass out from our universities with degrees in Chemistry, Physics, Zoology, Botany and new subjects such as IT, Microbiology, Electronics and various fields of Engineering.

The professors who arrived here also started their careers in Peradeniya, Kelaniya, Colombo or Jayawardenapura universities and completed their first degrees. They went ahead with scholarships or other sponsorships and got the opportunity to engage in research. However, the majority of the graduates end up unemployed, struggling for jobs and finally being appointed to clerical jobs in the state sector.

Those who make use of the science they learn in the universities are a few that get the opportunity of teaching science in schools.

Today the software industry of Sri Lanka has proved the power of this educated and talented people to the world. Though the industry is small compared to India, we have reputed companies catering to a niche market.

Software companies such as Virtusa, Valista, IFS and Ridgecrest have secured top global companies as their customers and their solutions are used in unbelievably sophisticated industries. For instance IFS applications are used by Lockheed Martin for local Supply Chain Management on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program Autonomic Logistic Information System. It was developed at the Sri Lankan base of the IFS by our young software engineers.

The whole economy depends on the remittances sent by expatriate Sri Lankans mainly in the Middle East. There is much blood, tears and sweat in this money. If we train our educated people on the emerging needs of the knowledge industries we can earn foreign remittances in a more decent manner.