OWING to the lack of effective patent and damages laws, our scientists are not doing research work according to our local industrial needs. All our industries, including pharmaceutical, chemical, agricultural and such others, are importing their raw material from abroad. It means two things: one, our foreign exchange reserves come under pressure; two, our human resources go untapped.

None of the raw material is synthesised here, and our researchers are not duly incentivised to solve these basic problems. Our research is limited only to the publication of research papers that ensures promotion of the individual to the next salary grade, but does not have any impact on the national economy.

If we want to build a knowledge-based economy and create a scientific culture and environment in the country, our emphasis should be on conducting and encouraging research that meets — or at least targets to meet — our local industrial requirements.

Research tailored to specific needs shall be the focus of such endeavours. PhDs in certain disciplines should be awarded only to scholars who have synthesised or developed some high-quality raw material that meets the local industry’s requirements.

To encourage the researchers, there must be strict patent and damages laws in place, and universities should be directed to produce quality raw material during their research projects that would have due legal copyright protection.

We can see a dramatic shift in our socioeconomic situation and scientific culture even if half of the currently imported raw material in the country is synthesised locally.

The government departments concerned should move to draft strict patent and damages laws which the parliament should enact without wasting any further time.

This would be a boost to national efforts about lifting the country out of the poverty trap in the long run.

Dr Muhammad Hassan
Gharibabad, Peshawar

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2021