Call For Leadership Candidates To Take A Stand On Research

By Michelle Cyr-Whiting

Prince George, B.C. -  B.C.'s public university professors are taking advantage of a 'perfect storm' to highlight a dire situation in the province with regards to research...

With no money flowing from the provincial government to universities for research, the Ministry of Forests dis-banding its own research branch two weeks ago, and both major B.C. political parties searching for new leaders, the Confederation of University Faculty Association of B.C. is 'seizing the day'.  Speaking at UNBC's I.K. Barber Forestry Lab, CUFA BC Executive Director, Robert Clift, is calling on the leadership candidates of both the Liberal and New Democratic parties to clearly articulate a comprehensive and sustainable research strategy for the province.

Robert Clift says, "We're doing it here at UNBC, and in Prince George, because one area of research we're doing particularly poorly in in the province is forestry research."  He says the mountian pine beetle epidemic and climate change mean the forest industry is in transition, but says shifting to new opportunities like bioenergy -- without first doing the appropriate research -- can unleash a whole host of unforseen problems.  Clift points to the U.S., where so much corn is now being grown for bio-energy purposes, rather than food crops, that the country's food security is being jeopardized.

 Clift says CUFA BC makes its concerns known to the provincial government every year during budget discussions, but seldom goes public because while most people think research is a good idea, he says, it's not generally something that resonates with the public.  He says cuts to forestry research resonate.  Clift says if you turn off the funding tap, trees die.

 He says the Liberal Government has made significant investments in research since coming to power in 2001, but that funding was severely curtailed after the global downturn in 2008.  CUFA BC is challenging politicians to make a commitment.  Clift says, "If the leadership candidates want to distinguish themselves as forward-thinking people - people committed to the longterm sustainability and viability of the province, our longterm place in the knowledge economy -- articulating a research strategy is the way to do it."  He says, like the HST and minimum wage, it's time for the candidates to talk about where they stand on B.C.'s research environment.

"Research is a longterm enterprise and whether that be in forestry research, whether that be in health research, whether that be in types of technological research -- you know, you can't get the product out tomorrow," says Clift.  "And so, if B.C. is really going to be in the research game, there has to be a different way of thinking about it."

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