Transcript Document 7177882

“ On the Issues and Problems
of Scientific Research in the
Arab World”
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Reporting Session
15 November 2006
Rafik Nakhla
Building a Better Future
• The urgency to promote worldwide science
and technology capacity
• Science, technology, and society
• Expanding human resources
• Creating world-class research institutions
• Engaging the public and private sectors
• Targeted funding of research and training
efforts
• Inter Academy Council 2004
The urgency to promote worldwide
science and technology capacity
• The world is changing at a rapid pace, driven by science an
technology
• Business-as-usual will leave an ever-growing gap between ‘have’
and ‘have-not’ nations
• Local S&T capacity is essential for using and contributing to the
world’s valuable store of knowledge
• Universities have an essential role to play in building S&T
capacities
• The culture and values of science are critical for building a global
community
• Investments in science and technology are increasingly important
for economic growth
• Building capacity in agriculture, engineering, health, and the social
sciences is essential for national development
• Inter Academy Council 2004
Scientific Research
What is Research?
• Research is
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A pursuit for an answer driven by a specific question or idea
It requires a clear goal
It follows a specific course of action
It is realistic in its assumptions
It is performed by qualified personal
• Research is not
– Just information gathering
– Rearranging of facts
– A sales pitch.
• Good Research is based on several pillars:
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Vision
Strategy
Human Resources
Logistics
Research
• The priority of Research should be
directed to solving problems of society
rather than publishing.
Key words
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Human Resources & Human Capital
Centers of excellence
Virtual centers
Mission Research
Involving society
Political will
Sustainable political support
Lobbying for science
S&T policies
Problems of Research
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Absence of scientific research potentials.
Absence of time required for the scientific research.
Absence of funding organizations.
Absence of societal benefits from scientific research.
Absence of enough appreciation of research from
society.
6. Absence of association between the scientific
research & the scientific problems.
7. Absence of scientific libraries & scientific references
8. Absence of international collaboration & experience
exchange.
9. Plagiarism
10. Reward not based on merit for researchers regardless
of work
The State of Arab World
• Rising needs of the educational & scientific
institutes
• Untapped Accumulated knowledge in
science and technology
• NO use is made from what civilizations have
produced
• Development will not be sustained without
making use of available technological
• Sluggish transformation in the arab world
• Huge gap between Arab World and
developed world
Obstacles for Research in Arab World
1.
Industry:
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Turn key approach
Government- Political
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Absence of will
Research Entity – Academic
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Fragmented, uncoordinated
Education:
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kids are trained to be workers not researchers
Economic:
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Shortage of fund acquisition
Administrative:
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Management of scientific research,
policies
Social:
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Society not oriented to science
Questions
• Are scientists doing the right job in
approaching the society?
• Are they creating a positive image with
the society?
• We need:
• Capacity buildings not technology
transfer
• Motivate people to invest in R&D
• Create a data base for researcher
collaboration
• Better marketing policy for universities
Problems in Education
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Education became competition
Memorization not understanding
Addiction to play stations
Students are used to short working
hours
5. Students are used to short spans of
concentration
Learning
Advancement of learning is based on:
1. Discovery
2. Integration
3. Application
4. Teaching
Imperatives
• There is nothing that can be done
without human resources.
• Quality is doing what we want to do in
the future.
• There must be a lobby for science,
there must be local, national,
international policies, there must be
implementation and follow-up.
• There must be positive attitude.
Successful Models
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India
China
Korea
Finland
Europe
RAE in UK
Successful Models
China & India
• Courageous political will to create a two tier
approach to development
• Creation of networked centers of excellence
• Formulation of national priorities that place a
premium on human resource development
• Building research capability by offering to
out source industrial research
– Nokia product design in India
– Motorola research in China
– Boeing R&D in India
• Leveraging off shoring to enhance local R&D
capability
Interrelationship between educational
and economic development
Phase of education and training
Universal
primary
education
Adult
literacy
campaign
1945
Saemaul
Undong
“Can Do” spirit
1950
Universal
Secondary
education
1960
Mass
higher
education
1970
Phase of manpower supply
Literate and manually
skilled work force
Semi-skilled
work force
Skilled
work force
Knowledge
work force
Phase of economic development
TRADITIONAL INDUSTRY
Agriculture
INDUSTRIALIZATION
Labor intensive
industries
Capital intensive
heavy and chemical
industries
POST INDUSTRIALIZATION
IT,BT,CT,
High technology/
ET,NT
knowledge intensive
Services
industries
e business
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Source: Kwak 2003
Finland
• Exports of Finnish high tech products
totalled 0.9 billion euros in 2001
• 21 % of total exports of goods
The European revival
• Acceptance of the value of new research
models that stress partnerships, alliance and
networks
• Networking resources and focusing them in
thematic ways
• Working together on a common concern,
strengthening each other’s research and
communications capacity
• Increasing investment in RDT so as to
approach 3% of GDP by the end of the
decade (of which two thirds should be from
the private sector).
The European revival
• FP7 (2007-2013) Based on nine themes
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Health
Food, agriculture and biotechnology
Information and communication technologies
Nanosciences and nanotechnologies, materials
and new production technologies
Energy
Environment (including climate change)
Transport (including aeronautics)
Socio-economic sciences and the humanities
Security and Space
• Emphasis on cross-thematic research
RAE
• The Research Assessment Exercise
(RAE) is a periodic national exercise
which assesses the quality of research.
• The information used for the selective
distribution of public funds for
research by the Institutes of Higher
Education funding bodies.
• 1986, 1989, 1992, 1996, 2001, 2008
The Way Forward for the Arab World
• Improving incentives for technology generation,
access, and use
• Pooling scientific resources
• Formulating a region wide science agenda
• Creating centers of excellence (Including Virtual)
• Building multidisciplinary networks
• Focus on Quality rather than Quantity
• Transmitters and receptors (Basic research /Adaptive
research)
• Efficient use of funds
• Marketing science & scientific discoveries
The Way Forward for the Arab World
• Building a top quality & Sustainable research
critical mass
• Creating an enabling research environment
• Improving the educational system to
engender
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Initiative taking/ creativity
Team working
Integrity and Pride
Critical thinking
Arabs are capable of advancing through:
• Real institutions that use real talents
• Political system
• Plan S&T correctly
An Important Question
• In the absence of decision makers how
can we achieve what we aspire to?
The road ahead
• Two tracks:
– Short term:
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Product oriented research
Creation of institutes
Responding to the immediate needs of society
Centers of excellence
– Long term
• Establishing vision
• Establishing strategic plan
• Mission research
A Product Based Research
Project
• Drug research based on Natural Flora
Screening
• In Vitro assessment of bioactivity using
new methods based on cell cultures
Centers of Excellence
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Dedicated Brain-Power Centers
Thematic with several programs
Strong Leadership
Unique competences - State of the art
instrumentations
– Central Facilities (National/Arab-wide)
– Strong International collaborations
– Have commercialization strategies (SME,
incubators, etc.)
– Human resource development and training
On the Issues and Problems of Scientific Research in the Arab World, Alex 14-15, 2006
Center of Excellences
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The Indian Experience IITs
Bilkent University (Ankara)
KOC University (Istanbul).
Central Metal R&D Institute (Helwan)
AGERI, ARC (Giza)
Marmara Research Center (Istanbul)
European institute of technology EIT
(2008-2013 budget of up to 2.4 billion euros)
Virtual Centers of Excellence
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Quick and fast establishment
Dynamic
Sharing resources
Defined programs
Geographically concentrated
Strongly networked
World Production of Information
• Nearly 900,000 titles are published
yearly
• 73.6% published in developed
countries
• In relation to population it is 10:1 in
industrialized vs. developing countries
Responsibilities of the Research
Library
• Pooling and preserving the
evidence of research
through a deliberate
process.
• Adding value through
services that enable the
discovery and use of
resources within and across
disciplines.
The Publishing Dilemma
• The availability of recognized scientific
magazines is important.
– Created in 1993: Gulf Arabian Scientific
Journal is an example
• Another dilemma: Publish or patent?
Finance
Financing is Necessary but not Sufficient
• Suggested Sources:
– Current budgets for educational scholarships
– Budgets of existing research centers
– Research budgets of various industrial &
government organizations in the region
– Imposed R&D allocation on Industry (%)
– Allocation & commitment from government
– Foreign research foundations
– Private endowments
Support Institute
• Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research
• Kuwait Foundation for Advancement of
Science
Support Institute
• Kuwait Foundation for Advancement of Science
• A private Organization created to support
research and technology
“To Support scientific advancement that helps
build society to be able to cope with scientific
innovation”
– It receives 1% of profit from 1000 Kuwaiti
corporations
– Supported 630 research projects
– Provided 71 Million US $
– Issued 207 publications
– Translates “Scientific American”
The 7 (5) Recommendations
1. Establish National Research Foundations
2. Promote Mission Research and abandon
the notion of doing everything
3. Establish a QUALIFIED think-tank team to
steer societies toward national interests
4. Revolutionize the education system to meet
national interests
5. Establish an effective technology transfer
system
6. Sustainable political will to support
research & innovation
7. Effective research management
Recommendations
• Link science to the Society
• Focusing on other fields of science
• Acquiring management of technology
and science competences
Recommendations
• Developing Human resources and Infrastructure
• Improving the administrative and economic
frameworks
• Increasing funds
• Improving education, training and evaluation
• Create an environment that encourages R&D
• Unifying and tying research to national needs
• Improving information and communication
• Introducing a mechanism to link research to the
industrial sector
Recommendations
• The creation of an Arab Science &
Research Forum hosted by BA
• The creation of an Arab Research Fund
Thank You