The Role of Education, Science & Technology in National Security

Transcription

1 The Role of Education, Science & Technology in National Security Jameel-Un Nabi GIK Institute of Engineering Sciences & Technology 28 th July, 2016 Islamabad

2 National Security National security is a multifaceted concept and can mean different things under different circumstances. The term suggests a predominantly military aspect but has broader meaning in the post-modern world. Economic, political, environmental aspects are important. Over the last two decades cyber-security has become extremely important. Therefore virtually every macro level problem (whether of national defense or population control) is to some extent part of National Security. It is simply a question of priorities. For instance: one reason for the demise of Ancient Rome was loss of arable land due to over farming. The destruction of Pakistan s trees has had similar effects (e.g. soil erosion).

3 Purpose of National Security Policy Nation Building Political Stability structures - institutions Military & Police Security Nation Building Overcoming Poverty functioning economy Civil Infrastructure social coherence

4 Poor National Security policies lead to General chaos Civil wars National decline Martial Laws Poor institutions Crumbling economies Eroding standards (whether technical or ethical) Decline in the respect for law Regional power games (e.g. Balkanization, Finlandization) Hindered growth and decline in standards of living A reduction in the scientific approach towards societal problem solving

5 Stake Holders for Science and Technology and National Policy Federal Government (and all its subsidiary departments whether technical or non-technical) National Research Organizations and Labs Universities Armed Forces Private Industry The usual list of detector manufacturers plus more Contracted to government Tech transfer from labs State and local governments The common man

6 Our Role as Scientists and Technologists Research and Development Testing and Evaluation Manage lab, vendor, and university work Support as well as convince government to develop greater R&D infrastructure Analysis of data in support of lab and field operations Development of standards within the purview of National Security Assist government in laying out clear policies Field Operations Aspects of Ideal Strategy Short-term: Improve systems and techniques Long-term: Modernize the way our institutions run

7 Avenues for Progress Given the broad scope of the subject matter, we can only refer to a few key areas pertinent to Pakistan s situation. Specifically I would touch disaster management, space issues and resource depletion. It is important to plan ahead however Given Pakistan s complex internal (and external) politics there is often a disconnect between politics and economics. The economically optimal solution may not necessarily be the best political one. This therefore already makes it incumbent that quite often we have no choice but to start off with a sub-optimal solution whether we like it or not. The Kalabagh Dam would be a case in point.

8 Disaster Management Geographically Pakistan is in a disaster prone region. Given the scale of earthquakes and floods that we face, disaster management is an important issue that connects not only to economy but also the environment. Pakistan must also be constantly aware of the seismic risks to its nuclear facilities to avoid a Fukushima like scenario.

9 Space Race The concept of National Security now extends beyond the limits of the Earth s atmosphere. The now-ubiquitous and interconnected nature of space capabilities and the world s growing dependence on them mean that irresponsible acts in space can have damaging consequences for all of us. - US National Space Policy (2010) The current and future strategic environment is driven by three trends space is becoming increasingly congested, contested, and competitive. Space is now like any place of real estate here on Earth (cf. Bahria Town/DHA). We must book our places now. According to Suparco, five GEO satellites and six low earth orbit (LEO) satellites will be launched between 2011 and 2040 under Space Program 2040.

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11 Planning Ahead for Resource Depletion While natural resources like natural gas get more publicity, we will also face congestion in some less obvious but no less important resources. One example is the RF spectrum. Demand for radiofrequency spectrum to support worldwide satellite services is expected to grow commensurate with the rapid expansion of satellite services and applications. Since we lag behind other nations in the technology sector, this could act as a bottleneck to our progress in the future. Roughly 9,000 satellite communications transponders were in orbit by As the demand for bandwidth increases and more transponders are placed in service, the greater the probability of radiofrequency interference and the strain on international processes to minimize that interference.

12 The Dark Side of National Security Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. (Benjamin Franklin) National Security and the greater good of a nation should not override basic civil liberties. Edward Snowden s NSA leaks showed that we cannot take our fundamental rights for granted. The National Security policy must take a morally positive stand with respect to ordinary citizens such as you and me. However we must not be careless as a nation either (see next slide)

13 On June 11, 2013, The Guardian published a snapshot of the NSA's global map of electronic data collection for the month of March Known as the Boundless Informant, the program is used by the NSA to track the amount of data being analyzed over a specific period of time. Note that the data from Pakistan and Afghanistan are under greatest surveillance Boundless Informant is a big data analysis and data visualization tool used by the United States National Security Agency (NSA).

14 One solution is to do what the Russians do News: After Edward Snowden Leaks Russian Secret Service buys typewriters

15 Economics of National Security The geopolitical factors are a key factor in determining which aspects of National Security take precedence. However every aspect of National Security comes at a cost. Pakistan has had to spend a substantial portion of its annual budget on military matters and military technology, thereby putting other aspects extremely underfunded. CPEC gives us breathing space and an opportunity to change all that.

16 China-Pakistan Economic Corridor The Corridor is a great opportunity to develop infrastructure that would be a boon to national security. The corridor can positively impact various aspects of National Security: Political Economic Infrastructure Communications Energy sector Military Development of marginal regions We should avail this opportunity to develop greater collaboration with Chinese universities and research groups. Also a great opportunity to develop Industrial linkages.

17 References D. Jokanovic and M. Josipovic, "RF spectrum congestion: Resolving an interference case," Microwaves, Communications, Antennas and Electronics Systems (COMCAS), 2011 IEEE International Conference on, Tel Aviv, 2011, pp doi: /COMCAS Suddle, D.Sc., Mohmmad Riaz (19 December 2009). "Pakistan's Space Programme" (Webcache). SUPARCO Media Research Directorate. Dr. Mohmmad Riaz Suddle, Director of the Paksat-IR programme and current executive member of the SUPARCO's plan and research division. Retrieved 11 August US National Space Policy (2010) Global Flood Hazard Map. SEDAC.

18 THANK YOU Questions?