Role of Science Academies Toward transformative & inclusive partnership for a sustainable future Regional Forum on Science & Technology Diplomacy 1-2/12/2015 Adnan Badran 1 Science is universal, has no political borders. Scientists meet from various cultures, ideologies to discuss the common of science that engulf all people with different sex, color and ethnicity. They meet under one roof to think critically of new discovery of science. Through science, we develop critical thinking, objectivity and the scientific method of solving problems, and through science, technology, innovation (STI), we empower men and women to build their capacity to become entrepreneurs of future generations, to generate wealth and startup companies and open vast opportunities for new working venues so as to overcome poverty. And through science, we release the potential of the mind to new frontier areas of the unknown. 1 Biologist, Former Deputy Director General of UNESCO-Paris. Former Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Education, and Former Prime Minister, Jordan Currently, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Jordan, the Chancellor of University of Petra, President of Arab Academy of Sciences and President of the Board of AFED in Beirut. 1
Academies of science play a pivotal role as important vehicles for sustainable development. Academies gather scientists at the national, regional and global levels to share new knowledge created by their R&D, to disseminate through peer-reviewed publications, incubate the creativity of knowledge and turn it into patents for innovative technologies and bring them to decision makers for market addedvalues for economic and social development. UNESCO, through its science policy division, has advanced scientific excellence particularly in BRICKS 2 countries and in Latin America and Africa by creating a vast niche of science academies in the 80 s and 90 s as vital and credible instrument to engage advances in science with policy makers and public at large. Academies in Brazil, Chile, Argentine in Latin America, Also, Russian, Chinese, Indian academies along with polytechnics universities have contributed to new revolution of science advancement, which were adopted by policy makers to create a newly emerging economical powers and raise their GDP and income per-capita, and mitigate unemployment, by 2 Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa 2
providing new work opportunities for millions of people. The net yield was in actual terms: overcome poverty and achieve the quality of life. Therefore, academies of sciences achieved a unique position in science diplomacy, by being a hub of scientists, sharing and bridging new frontier areas of science. Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva created by UNESCO at the end of World War II, served as an effective tool in providing a platform of science diplomacy in mega science around its super Synchrotron by European scientists, and has expanded its role to become global. Sesame in Jordan will be playing a similar role around its Synchrotron at the regional level. The Islamic world academy of sciences (IAS) in Amman, which was created, jointly by Jordan and Pakistan is providing a science diplomacy platform for scientists of OIC countries and abroad through its annual conferences on issues of modern science. The Arab Academy of Sciences (AAS) housed at UNESCO in Beirut is providing another niche of science diplomacy platform through its annual conferences and publications on priority areas of R&D in science, which were pinpointed by the economic Arab Summit in Kuwait 2009, as energy, water and food security. 3
The Arab Academy of Sciences is holding its annual conference next week this December 2015 around science diplomacy of Climate change and the nexus of energy, water and food security in the Arab region. Also AAS, is publishing its book entitled The Triangle: Energy, Water, Food nexus for sustainable security in Middle East. This nexus must attract vast diplomatic scientific attention in Arab region. So academies could be created at the national level as the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT) in Egypt, Kuwait institute for scientific research (KISR) and Kuwait foundation for advancement of science (KFAS), which has mobilized huge sum of funds, from 1% of company profits for funding research proposals from scientists working in universities and research institutions in Kuwait. The Korea institute of science and technology (KIST), which started also around the same time of RSS, in the 70 s, KIST was instrumental in industrialization of South Korea. Other academies as the Chinese Academy of Science and the Russian Academy of Science work at the local level by running their own 4
scientific institutions. RSS in Jordan and the Korea institute of science and technology (KIST) in South Korea are different examples of having their own laboratory and at the same time engaging with other scientists in mobilizing R&D at the country level on research national priorities. While Islamic Academy of Sciences (IAS) and Arab Academy of sciences (AAS) work regionally by providing an annual science diplomacy conference around priority areas of frontier areas of science. The International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and the World Academy of Science (TWAS), which used to be the third world academy of sciences, before the disappearance of the second world (Eastern Europe), work globally in developing international science diplomacy platform. Both were created by UNESCO, and both housed in Trieste, Italy. In addition, the world science conference held every two years in Budapest, and was created also by UNESCO and The Hungarian Academy of Science is an international science diplomacy platform where interdisciplinary science and scientists from various parts of the 5
world come together in one place to connect, discover, exchange, and present keynote addresses. Abdus Salam, the Noble laureate in physics, succeeded in creating ICTP and TWAS in Trieste under the international umbrella of UNESCO in creating state of the art hub of science diplomacy, where he bridged scientists from North and South, and South-South to share knowledge and develop global scientific links among scientists from various regions in the world. Tireste served as unique setup of global science diplomacy platform. Crossing borders, in disseminating knowledge, data and minds to find solutions for global problems is becoming the norm. Physicists are constructing a square kilometer area in Africa and Australia to understand the origin of the universe. The human Genome was resolved through collaboration by many scientists and laboratories across the world working closely in orchestrated network. Fusion energy has no chance except by bringing scientists and resources working closely across the globe. Climate change and natural disasters cannot be solved except by international cooperation. International 6
co-authored papers on the increase and comprised almost 60% of science papers and science citation index journals. There is no doubt that academies of sciences, have great impact on promoting science and offering a science-based advice to policy makers and governments, IGO s, NGO s and private sector in bridging advancement of science and utilizing creation of knowledge in the service of mankind for protecting our planet and creating jobs. Political development to democracy away from authoritarian rule has proven without doubt, that freedom of thought and expression and human rights promote the unleashing potential of minds toward new horizon of scientific discovery, technology and innovations for building modern K-based economies. Political stability, rule of law will revitalize social and economical institutions and increase participation from all the strata of society, with no marginalization of any by any, where the full potential of people is maximized. However, this cannot be done alone by Arab countries, there is need for the support of international community, and this is where science diplomacy and science academies come in the picture. Obama speech 7
in Cairo 2009 on closer scientific contacts between U.S. and Arab countries was not picked up by science diplomacy in the region. Scientific partnership is valuable of two countries for sharing skills and transfer of knowledge and technology through joint research and teaching and conferences. Although, some countries may fear the dominance of the more powerful in creating knowledge and generating technology, but this never worries me, the weaker will learn and catch up with time to become equal partner. Japan and S. Korea are good examples, partnership will enhance capacity building in science by local communities. However, a democratic vibrant environment is a requirement for sustainable partnership and growth. Political leaders in the Arab world should support the autonomy and independence of universities and research institutions. They should establish strong links with reputable institutions abroad to bridge science and innovations, so they can be able to build K-economies based on brain-intensive empowerment through quality education and research. 8
The stronger the economy of K-derivatives, the stronger the social fabric with more job opportunities to resist Arab countries of falling back to feudalistic, authoritarian or military dictatorship. Chances of building democratic rule will increase with science diplomats seizing the opportunity of post-conflict Middle East through partnership and collaboration. There are areas in energy diplomacy, water diplomacy and food security diplomacy, but we should not undermine culture diplomacy, where learning to live with others, and bridge with other cultures become crucial in an interdependent world, we live in. Paris summit on climate change this December 2015 shows how science and diplomacy is shaping our world by finding solutions to global problems to save our planet. Global problems require global solutions. The intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC), was a model for global scientific research and policy for international framework. 9
Ebola in Africa and MERS in the Arab peninsula and Korea and other infectious diseases were dealt with research on pathogen biology internationally. In a world of increasing complexity and interdependence, whether we re tackling climate change, water, energy, food security, epidemic disease, there is always an important role of science in international policy and diplomacy. Closer working relationship between policy decision makers and scientists should be structured in a sustainable way to ascertain a sustainable future. At the 1 st international conference on science diplomacy held in London by AAAS and the Royal society, three key dimensions emerged: - Science in diplomacy through scientific advice in foreign policy. - Diplomacy for science through international cooperation. - Science for diplomacy through science cooperation in international relations. 10
Soft Science can contribute to coalition building and conflict resolution, with no boundaries, since science is the international language across borders, across ideologies, and across nationalities. But we should not politicize science, so as to continue its advancement across political borders. The political boycott between the USA and Cuba for decades has interfered with regional cyclone scientific research in the seas between Florida, Cuba, and Gulf of Mexico. It has been stated since its founding by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, that traditionally, diplomats of success in history were scientists. 11