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Islamic countries to fund science
development network Wagdy
Sawahel [CAIRO] The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) is expected to
approve funding for the activities of a 'science development network' that aims
to help promote science in the Islamic world. According to sources within the IDB, the plans are due to
be finalised at the 29th annual meeting of the IDB board of governors, which
opens today (14 September) in Tehran, Iran. Mohamed Ghazali, head of the IDB scholarship programme
office, through which the funds for the network would be administered, says its
proposed activities will include publication of a science magazine, which has
the working title Science and Development. The publication would seek to promote cooperation between
scientists, as well as disseminate scientific information, including the
results of studies monitoring the development and socio-economic impact of
science and technology in member countries of the Organisation of the Islamic
Conference (OIC). Ghazali says the network would also set up a database
containing the results of research projects carried out by IDB scholars that
have industrial applications. Such a database, he says, will help cooperation
between science and industry. The network will be made up of scientists who have
benefited from the IDB merit scholarship programme, and will promote the
training of scientists and technologists in the Islamic world by arranging
workshops, training programmes and conferences on different fields of science
and technology within the Islamic world. Although the network was originally proposed upon
establishment of the IDB merit scholarship programme in 1992, its creation has
been delayed while the number of IDB scholars has built up. Meanwhile, some IDB merit scholars have already formed an
informal network by sharing information via e-mail and a regular newsletter.
Once formally approved by the IDB, the network's proposed activities could
begin immediately, they say. Formal recognition and funding for the network were most
recently proposed by delegates at an IDB forum on 'development of human capital
of the Islamic world in science and technology' held in August in Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia. At that meeting, Wardiman Djojonegoro, former education
minister of Indonesia and present chairman of the Jakarta-based Foundation for
Human Resources Development for Science and Technology highlighted the poor
situation of science in the Islamic world at large. "Arab nations spend only 0.15 per cent of their GDP
on research and development, well below the world average of 1.4 percent, and
the number of computers per capita is a quarter of the global average,"
said Wardiman. The 244 IDB merit scientists from which the network will
be drawn are from 44 OIC member countries and work in 172 institutions. Of
these scientists, 141 have PhDs while 103 have also done post-doctoral
research. In addition, 120 IDB scholars from 16 least developed member
countries that have benefited from the MSc programme may also be included in
the proposed network. http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=1597&language=1 |
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