Concern that Jamaica is losing its scientists

Minister without Portfolio with responsibility for Science, Dr Andrew Wheatley, says the island must create an environment to retain its scientists.

Speaking recently during a tour of the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) in Portland, Wheatley said that an ecosystem must be created that will allow and encourage the country’s scientists that it has “spent so much money to train at CASE and other tertiary institutions” to remain home.

“We have not invested any significant amount of money as a country in R&D (research and development) and we complain that we are losing our students or our scientists that we are training. Why? Because they do not see the opportunities here,” Wheatley said. He outlined that a lack of lucrative opportunities is driving away some of the country’s best talent in the field of science.

“Having gotten a master’s degree, first degree, or even a PhD, what are the options here in Jamaica apart from teaching in an institution? We do not have the necessary facilities to keep or retain our scientists. And having invested so much in developing these scientists, they are taken away from us because of lucrative opportunities,” Wheatley argued.

He continued that some research professionals leave Jamaica for a need to do “active and quality research work”.

“Some of us don’t necessarily want the money. We want to contribute and do research. We have this investigative capacity that we want to just do quality research work. And at the end of the day, it is the result of hard work that we really appreciate. And of course, we want some money to survive and support our family,” he reasoned.

Addressing an audience of senior leaders at CASE during his visit, Wheatley said that the institution has a role to play in making this a reality.