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1 Strengthening the Research Culture: A holistic view Romain Murenzi, Executive Director The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) 2nd High-Level CARICOM Science and Technology Meeting St. George’s, Grenada | 27 March 2015 2 A dream of science in the South “…with man’s recent mastery of science and technology there is no physical reason left for the existence of hunger and want for any part of the human race.” – Abdus Salam (1963) 3 A dream of science in the South "The Third World Academy [of Sciences] … must serve in the cause of enhancing South-South and South-North collaboration." – Abdus Salam (1983) 4 A voice for science in the South • 1141 elected Fellows • 117 women • 15 Nobel laureates • 94 countries • 193 Young Affiliates and Alumni 5 TWAS HQ and Regional Offices 6 TWAS’s guiding principle Through science and engineering, a nation can address challenges in agriculture, climate, health, energy and others. 7 The rise of the South TWAS has joined with others to promote a science-for-development model for the South. The result? 8 The rise of the South • Rising R&D investment by many developing nations • Significant growth, poverty-reduction • A development model for other nations, both large and small 9 The rise of the South 10 Building a global research culture “We need more scientists, more engineers, more researchers – to craft new solutions to health challenges, to anticipate disasters, to eliminate poverty.” – Irina Bokova, UNESCO director-general 11 Building a global research culture “Scientific capacity is distributed very unevenly in our world – even among the developing nations…. To nurture a new generation of scientists and engineers, we must reach further and search more diligently to find scientific excellence.” – Bai Chunli, TWAS president 12 Caribbean science & research Positive conditions • A history of scientific research • An established scientific culture • Existing educational centers • Political awareness and commitment 13 Caribbean science & research Significant challenges • Climate change • Ocean health • Natural disasters • Disaster engineering • Food security • Infectious disease • Non-communicable disease 14 Caribbean science & research A difficult context • Persistent poverty • Government debt • Historically low R&D spending (<1.0% GDP) • Insufficient graduate-level science and engineering education • Severe long-term brain-drain 15 The research culture: elements Leadership and political will • Vision for the future • Strategic plan • An innovation ecosystem to drive development and provide training and opportunities for young scientists 16 The research culture: elements Leadership and political will A commitment to find a way forward even in difficult conditions 17 The research culture: elements A holistic vision • Recognizes that the research environment is shaped by education, policy, technology, funding sources, communication and other factors • “Sector-wide approach” 18 The research culture: elements In developing countries, every plan for sustainable development starts with one essential factor: 19 The research culture: elements • • • • • Public Health Water Sanitation Energy Education • • • • • Climate Change Agriculture Food Security Natural Disasters Environment 20 The research culture: elements • Knowledge Acquisition • Knowledge Creation • Knowledge Transfer • Innovation Culture 21 The research culture: elements R&D investments • Sector-wide approach • Targeted to national or regional needs • Strategically managed and sustained 22 The research culture: elements The work of TWAS is focused in two critical areas: • Building a corps of PhD scholars • Improving laboratory facilities 23 TWAS PhD Fellowships Training PhD-level scientists: • Researchers and universitylevel educators • Future leaders for science policy, business and international cooperation 24 TWAS PhD Fellowships 500+ Fellowships per year PhD fellowships Postdoctoral fellowships Visiting researchers/professors +350 125 45 25 TWAS Research Grants USD1.7 million per year for laboratory development in the developing world Among the 81 countries eligible for TWAS research grants are five CARICOM countries: • • • • • Belize Guyana Haiti Jamaica Suriname 26 TWAS Research Grants 2,200 grants awarded to individuals and research groups (1996-2013) Among the 81 countries eligible for TWAS research grants are five CARICOM countries: • • • • • Belize Guyana Haiti Jamaica Suriname 27 The research culture: values Photo: ESPN Competition breeds excellence 28 The research culture: values • Scientific publications • Prizes 29 The research culture: values Generally, a higher level of R&D investment produces higher levels of research publication. More impact. More prizes. 30 The research culture: values Ethics and research integrity In science education and the practice of science, commitment to the highest standards of global scientific practice 31 The research culture: values South-South cooperation • Lessons from emerging nations • Regional partnerships and initiatives • Cooperation across the developing world 32 Research culture: targets and goals A crucial need for data • To make effective policy • To measure progress on the road to success 33 Research culture: targets and goals Key objective: Create an innovation ecosystem that can support the domestic private sector and attract foreign investment that develops skilled young scientists and gives them incentives to remain in their home countries 34 Merci Grazie Romain Murenzi, Executive Director [email protected] www.twas.org Danke With gratitude to our supporters: Government of Italy UNESCO Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency Brazil, China, India, and Kuwait Presentation prepared by TWAS Public Information Office