ACCRA – February 28, 2019: The Head of the Local Government Service, Ing. Dr. Nana Ato Arthur as Special Guest Speaker launched the Research Fund of the Ghana Institute of Surveyors (GhIS), as part of its 14th Surveyor’s week and 50th Anniversary celebrations. The event which took place at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Science also saw the induction of newly qualified members.
Dr Arthur noted that nations, organizations and professions develop on the back of research. He therefore bemoaned the current practice in the country where there is disconnect between industry players and researchers. He was however elated about GhIS’ initiative to invest in research, which he believed would help bridge the widening gap between research and practice. According to Dr Arthur, land surveying had been greatly influenced by technology in recent times, nonetheless, he opined that research must be paramount in order to identify the appropriate areas for technology intervention.
Serious professions and industry practitioners he said, survive on data as such data gathering should be the priority for the use of the Fund to position the GhIS as an internationally recognized source of credible data. He noted that emerging issues in surveying required professionals to keep abreast of current trends in practice and that underscored the importance of the Fund. The Head of Service ended on the note that research was critical in addressing the challenges of the built environment in line with government policies. He urged the GhIS to direct their research efforts towards looking into issues associated with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 and thereby declared the Research Fund duly launched.
The event culminated with swearing-in of Executives of the Board of Trustees and the unveiling of a plague at the Secretariat.