Investment in S

1
Investment in ST CapacityA view from the ISTS
Dialogues

• Comments to the TWNSO Ministerial Session on
• Government Investment in Science and Technology
  Capacity Building
• TWAS 20th Century Celebrations
• 17 October 2003 -- Bejing, China
• William C. Clark
• Center for International Development
• Harvard University
• (william_clark_at_harvard.edu)

2
Investment in ST CapacityA view from the ISTS
Dialogues

• Initiative on Science and Technology for
  Sustainability
• independent scientists, development workers from
  around world
• cooperating with TWAS, ICSU, others to ask
• How can the world scientific community improve
  its contribution to sustainable development?
• Conduct dialogues among the science, policy and
  development communities Abuja, Chiang Mai,
  Santiago, Trieste, Ottawa, Bonn, Mexico City and,
  virtually, at
• http//sustainabilityscience.org
• Result was many kind words for science But
  realiza-tion that ST capacity remains far below
  whats needed.
• If science is so useful, why dont we invest more
  in it?

3
How the world sees Science

• Society does not believe that scientists are
  interested in working on solutions to the most
  urgent problems of development
• and doesnt appreciate what science has in fact
  contributed, so it underinvests in science
• Idealistic young people do not see science
  careers as a way of helping to solve social
  problems, so they seek other professions
• Academies of Science are seen to be part of the
  problem (An old mens club for the preservation
  of traditional disciplines).

4
7 Challenges for TWAS friends

• Measure and publicize the impact of investments
  in ST on development in the language of
  economics/bugets
• Create forums for listening to the development
  communities to learn what they most need from
  ST
• Encourage investment in excellent (and often
  interdisciplinary) research on those user-defined
  needs
• Provide opportunities for young idealists (also
  from the north) to train as apprentice
  scientists in that RD
• Design guidelines for ethically engaging the
  private sector (and its capital) in that RD and
  training
• Tell the universities of the N how they could
  (really) help
• Elect to our Academies of Science the scientists
  who do excellent research in support of
  development.