Transcript UNESCO Office in Venice

Regional priorities in an
international context:
the European experience
Howard Moore
Director
UNESCO Office in Venice
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
Europe:
• Culturally and ethnically rich
• Multi-layered, organizationally complex
• Comparatively strong industrial sector
• Diversity of scientific research and training
systems, at national and regional levels
• Wealth of centres of excellence
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
Europe:
• Expansion of European Union
• Creation of European Research Area
- 2010 R&D target: 3% of GDP
- 66% to be private sector
• Adherence to the Bologna Process
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
Sixth Framework Programme
(2002-2006)
16.3 billion €
• Focussing and integrating Community research 13.35 billion €
• Structuring the ERA
• Strengthening the foundations of the ERA
2.6 billion €
0.32 billion €
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
Sixth Framework Programme
(2002-2006)
Priority thematic areas
• Life Sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health
• Information society technologies
• Nanotechnologies and nanosciences...
• Aeronautics and space
• Food quality and safety
• Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems
• Citizens and governance in a knowledge-based society
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
Sixth Framework Programme
(2002-2006)
• Opening of “Focusing and Integrating Community Research” to
third country organizations (funding: 285 million Euro)
• Specific measures in support of international
cooperation (INCO)
• Structuring the ERA
• International mobility of researchers; Marie Curie action
+ ESF, COST...
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
Seventh Framework Programme
(2007-2011)
• Doubling of budget?
• Inclusion of European Research Council?
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
ROSTE’s main mission:
• To foster cooperation, contribute to capacity
building and provide specialized expertise in the
natural sciences within the Central and Eastern
European region…
and especially in South East Europe
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
SE Europe: the context
• Transition to market economy
• Former centralized science governance
• Low national investment
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
Western Balkans: added problems
• Military conflict
• Ethnic cleansing and mass migrations
• Destruction of facilities
• Fragmentation of former national system
• Political and economic sanctions/embargos
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
Western Balkans: the economic situation
• Fall in industrial production
• De-industrialization
• Economic structures evolving backwards
• Low technological capacity of private sector
• Chronic brain drain and brain waste
• Low investment in R&D (e.g. O.3% of GDP for S&M)
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
UNESCO-ROSTE initiative:
rebuilding scientific cooperation in
South East Europe
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF
EXPERTS
Venice, March 2001
ROUND TABLE OF MINISTERS OF SCIENCE
Paris, October 2001
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
Priority action identified as:
• Increased connectivity of scientific institutions
• Thematic regional networks of research centres
and laboratories
• Upgrading of medium/large facilities to serve
region as a whole
• Human capacity building
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
Basic and engineering sciences:
human capacity-building
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry
Biology and
biotechnology
Engineering and energy
Research training
Regional Workshops and
Conferences
Summer Schools
Short-term fellowships
UNESCO Chairs
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
The Environment
Basic premise: the management of natural (and
cultural) resources is becoming more and more a
geo-politically relevant stake in the dynamics of
the South-East European countries and their
mutual relationships.
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
The Environment
Fresh water (International Hydrological Programme)
•Ecohydrology
•Conflicts and transboundary water resources
People and nature (Man and the Biosphere Programme)
•Use of (transboundary) biosphere reserves to
promote sustainable development, esp. in
biodiversity and ecotourism
Coastal and small island management
•Development of Master Plan tool based on GIS
(Croatian module)
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
The Environment
New
• Natural and cultural assets for the development of
sustainable tourism in SEE (using as demonstration
sites Biosphere Reserves and World Heritage sites)
• Environmental educational for sustainable
development
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
Science policy / Science and society
• S & T policies
• Mobility of young scientists
• Statistics and indicators
• Women in science
• Access to scientific information
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
Spreading the word on science
• Establishment of Euroscience Open Forum
• Stockholm 2004
• Munich 2006
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
Success stories:
1. Support to Astronomical Research in SE Europe and
Ukraine
• Networking of observatories
• Upgrading of facilities and opening up as a
regional resource
• Preparation of joint research projects
UNESCO OFFICE IN VENICE
Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (ROSTE)
Success stories:
2. UNESCO-Hewlett-Packard ‘Brain drain’ to ‘brain
gain’ project
• Provision of grid computing equipment to
selected universities in SE Europe
• Development of research groups and research
projects with expatriates