Boost Research Culture

Bini Dahal

Like every year, the Nobel Prize for the year 2023 was recently announced. Founded by Alfred Nobel, a wealthy businessman and an inventor of dynamite, the award comprises 11 million Swiss Kronor (around US$1 million) and an 18-carat gold medal. The award is presented in six different fields namely physics, chemistry, peace, literature, economics and medicine. It is given to those who provide the greatest benefit for mankind. 

The award winners for physics, chemistry, medicine and economics have won for their groundbreaking research. This year’s Nobel Prize winners for physics – Anne L’Huiller, Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz – mainly explained the movement of the electrons. In the case of chemistry, Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus and Alexey Ekimov developed and synthesised quantum dots. Likewise, Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman won for their contribution in the field of medicine as they were successful in coming up with research on mRNA that helped in the development of COVID-19 vaccine. And in the category of economics, Claudia Goldin won the award for her research on women’s pay.

These award winners and their studies give a clear picture on the high-level research activities that are being carried out globally. These studies are important to the world as they provide necessary service to society and the people. A research, in general, contributes to the development and progress of a society. Mankind is posed with complex problems that require solutions. And it is the research that provides good solutions for the issues. For instance, in the field of medicine, researchers can help develop medicines and vaccines that can save millions of lives. This was evident when the world had to face the coronavirus pandemic. What would the situation be without the vaccines? Similarly, in a field like economics, research could be crucial for policymaking and improving economic situations of people and countries.

Despite such importance, in the case of Nepal, research and development remains weak as it has been one of the neglected areas.  Research begins right from the school and continues till the university level. We lack curiosity, necessary resources, motivation and proper guidelines to proceed with research and even come up with innovative findings. Also research-related infrastructures are inadequate and do not aid in strengthening such a crucial field. Most of the research institutes, especially the ones run by the government, do not seem to be functioning well and are mostly considered to be dead. There is a dearth of funding plus a shortage of skilled research workers who can leap towards quality research. 

The field of research in Nepal is very nascent and we still have a long way to go in terms of its advancement. However, the lack of attention towards the concept of research from the side of the government and other private sector poses a major blockade. It is important that we invest and really strengthen our research and development to tackle numerous issues. Plus, being able to conduct substantial research is a matter of pride and honour.

While being awarded with a Nobel Prize might be a challenging task, it is doable. With the right outlook and necessary institutional changes, Nepal too can stand out and come up with excellent research. The yearly event like the selection of Nobel Prize winners should be a reminder for the country and the people to change things around. As Nepal has many unique socio-economic and political issues to deal with, we must prioritise research and development.