Wa, Jan. 23, GNA - Vice-Chancellors of Public Universities in Ghana on Sunday appealed to the Government to establish a National Research Foundation to promote Research and Development.

In addition, the Government should endeavour to provide basic facilities for the University for Development Studies (UDS), University of Education, Winneba (UEW) and University of Mines and Technology, (UmaT) Tarkwa.

They contended that they were 'young' Universities that needed more assistance and infrastructure to contribute towards the human resource needs of the country.

The appeal was made in a six-point communiqu=E9 issued by the Vice-Chancellors at the end of their three-day meeting at Wa in the Upper West Region.

Professor Kwesi Andam, Vice-Chancellor of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and Professor J. B. K. Kaburise, Vice-Chancellor of the UDS signed the communique.

The rest were, Professor Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, Vice-Chancellor, UEW, Professor D. Mireku- Gyimah, Vice-Chancellor, UMaT and Professor Clifford N.B Tagoe, Acting Vice-Chancellor, University of Ghana. The communiqu=E9 said lack of a National Research Foundation had impeded development in the country, because effective research could not be undertaken.

It said with the provision of basic infrastructure for the three 'young' universities, they would be empowered to increase intake of students to solve the challenge to human resource development in the country.

The communiqu=E9 also called on the Government to regularize the subvention for them to avoid the ritual of struggling to run affairs of the universities from borrowed monies.

"Research and Development are crucial component of national development therefore, sufficient funding should be released to undertake them to achieve the status of a middle income country." The communiqu=E9 also called for a wage rationalization policy, which would avoid labour unrests on university campuses and their repercussions on teaching and learning in the universities.