Transcript examples of changing concerns-paradigm shift

IS CIVILIZATION WITHOUT SCIENCE POSSIBLE?
AN STP PERSPECTIVE
Prof. Namık K. PAK
Middle East Technical University
Ankara, Turkey
Bologna, September 2013
Science-Technology-Religion-CultureCivilization
• Science is a system of knowledge about nature based
on repeatable observation and experiment.
• Religion is a system of knowledge based on
unverifiable/unfalsifiable belief.
• Technology is the application of knowledge about
nature to practical aims of human endeavour.
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Science-Technology-Religion-CultureCivilization
• Civilization emerged about 3000 BC
• Çatalhöyük Findings: Man knew measurement and
accurate mapping techniques about 6200
BC.
There are also findings that people were
artistic (culture) long before the emergence of
first civilization.
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Science-Technology-Religion-CultureCivilization
• Technology and science began as parallel
developments but became eventually inseparable.
• Society is the organizational form in which individuals
of a species live together.
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Science-Technology-Religion-CultureCivilization
• Human society is the only evolving society; its
structure changes in response to environmental and
economic conditions from the hunter-gatherer
society through the agricultural society to the urban
society.
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Science-Technology-Religion-CultureCivilization
• The development of cities was accompanied by
division of labor and by the development of classes
(civilization).
• Civilization requires a central institution responsible
for the organization of daily life and an advanced
administration.
• Civilization is structure; culture is behaviour (belief,
language, art, morals, several capabilities and habits)
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Science Unifies the WORLD
• Science was invented some 2500 years ago in the
Agean basin.
• It re-entered in the cultures only recently with the
scientific revolution.
• The Western Eurepean countries which were
involved with SR prospered drammatically. Those like
Ottoman empire which closed eyes to this
revolotunary development, declined and fell.
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Science Unifies the WORLD
• Science is continuous across cultural boundaries.
Ionian science of antiquity became the science of the
muslims of yesterday and the science of the muslims
became the science of Europe/World today, through
generally continuous development and growth.
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Science Unifies the WORLD
 There is neither a science of the West, nor an
Islamic science. There is only one Science that
wanders from culture to culture, and we are all heir
to it, and are entitled to it.
 Science is the only truly uniting bond of all humanity.
 It is the source of all welfare of the societies.
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Historical Precursers of STP
• Directing and affecting S&T efforts for societal
goals, e.g. Warfare
Renaissance Period
• Leonardo Da Vinci
• Sir Francis Bacon (New Atlantis)
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History of STP
• Early policies (60’s) :R&D Policy
Establishment and strengthening og R&D
infrastcructure and human resources
development
• Evolved as an Academic Discipline in mid 50’s.
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Intellectual Milestones in the Development of STP
1. J. D. Bernal: Social Functions of Science, 1939.
Produced just before WWII. Marks the beginning of
STP theory (also the history of STP)
2. J. Schumpeter, Theory of Economic Development,
1912 (Eng. 1934). First classical work on
technological progress. Introduced the term
INNOVATION.
“Invention successfully applied to production
(economy) by an entrepreunor”
Innovation is accomplished only with the first
commercial transaction involving the new “product,
process, or device”.
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Historical Developments which triggered STP
1. Examples of collective efforts directed and financed
by the goverments during WWII:
Manhattan Project,
• Development of Radar, Sonar, Rockets
• Development of Operations Research
(applications of math to large scale logistics
problems).
• Computer
After WWII :
Number of Significance of these types of projects
increased (bi-polar world of Cold War).
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Historical Developments which triggered STP
2. Developments in the Field of Economy and
International Politics
a. Emergence of Keynesian Economic Model
[Keynes, The General Theory, 1936]
b. 1st Five Year Econ. Plan of USSR : To establish the
first Socialist Society of the world
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Phases of STP
In general we can identify 2 evolutionary periods:
•Naive Period of STP (1945-late 1960’s)
• Transitionary Period in 1960’s
•2nd Phase (mid 1970’s-1990)
•3rd Phase after 1990’s
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Phases Of STP
Naive Period of STP (1945-late 1960’s):
Main characteristics:
• Big Science, Big Technology Project.
Highest prestige to scientists and engineers
• Government : Leading Actor
• S&T programs are planned / financed /
implemented by government agencies.
• Building up / strengthening R&D capabilities
• Science push (every R&D activity will naturally
result in inventions /innovations for public
benefit
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NEED FOR NEW STP POLICIES
The need for redesigned S&T policies became apparent
after two consecutive oil crises in the 70’s, with
efforts to this end gaining impetus world-wide after
the collapse of the Soviet Union, and emerging new
challenges brought along by the ICT revolution.
The new motto was the transformation to knowledge
economy, and the new S&T Policy paradigm was the
establishment of National Innovation Systems (NIS).
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Phases Of STP
2nd Phase (mid 1970’s-1990)
•Triggered by Oil crisis in 70’s -slowed economic
growth-Inflation Declining economic productivity.
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Phases of STP
3rd Phase ( after 1990’s)
• Universities are moving to status
of primary actors, Path from basic research
to industrial development is growing
shorter
ICT revolution → Information Society (later =knowledge
society)
Quantum Theory of the electron!
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21st Century Policies
•
•
•
•
Generic innovations are highly science-based
Basic research products are born from science labs
Thus new role of governments:
Fund research (provide adequate funding for longterm research, and related training/education)
Facilitate/improve the interaction between Science
System and Industry
 Stimulate cooperation (collaborative centers)
 Removal of barriers of cooperation (inadequate IP
regulation)
 Facilitation of mobility of scientists/engineers
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21st Century Policies
•
Although Science Policy (proper) has diverged from
Technology/ Innovation policies in the last quarter of
20th century, these systems have been growing closer
to each other recently.
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EXAMPLES OF CHANGING CONCERNSPARADIGM SHIFT
In May 2, 1995 an advertisement was published in
Washington Post, signed by a group of leading
industrialists, including the presidents of GE, IBM,
Chrysler etc.
The following passage is taken from that text:
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EXAMPLES OF CHANGING CONCERNSPARADIGM SHIFT
Unfortunately, today America’s technological prowess is
severely threatened. As the federal government undergoes
downsizing, there is pressure for critical university research
to be slashed. University research makes a tempting target
because many people aren’t aware of the critical role it
plays.
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EXAMPLES OF CHANGING CONCERNSPARADIGM SHIFT
It can take years of intense research before technologies
emerge that can “make it” in the marketplace. History
has shown that it is federally sponsored research that
provides the truly “patient” capital needed to carry out
basic research and create an environment for the inspired
risk-taking that is essential to technological discovery.
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EXAMPLES OF CHANGING CONCERNSPARADIGM SHIFT
Often these advances have no immediate practical
usability but open “technology windows” that can be
pursued until viable applications emerge. Such was the
case with pioneering university research done on
earthquakes in the 1920s, which led over time to the
modern science of seismology and the design of
structures that better withstand earthquake forces.
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EXAMPLES OF CHANGING CONCERNSPARADIGM SHIFT
Today, we, the undersigned -executives of some America’s
leading technology companies- believe that our country’s
future economic and social well-being stands astride a
similarly ominous “fault line”.
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EXAMPLES OF CHANGING CONCERNSPARADIGM SHIFT
We can personally attest that large and small companies
in America, established and entrepreneurial, all depend
on two products of our research universities; new
technologies and well educated of scientists and
engineers.
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EXAMPLES OF CHANGING CONCERNSPARADIGM SHIFT
There was also an article published in Le Monde on 21 June,
2002 written by a group of high level European scientists,
including three Nobel laureates, titled “Science in danger,
Europe in peril”, addressing the issue of weak state of
European research, and the increasing gap between the
R & D in Europe and the USA or Japan.
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EXAMPLES OF CHANGING CONCERNSPARADIGM SHIFT
The concerns,
 one from the leading industrialists of the USA,
 the other from the leading scientists of Europe
are almost identical.
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EXAMPLES OF CHANGING CONCERNSPARADIGM SHIFT
Frank Biancheri, the Director of strategic studies- Europe
2020, as a follow-up to this Le Monde article, based on
the study triggered by the Le Monde article in his quest
for a way out, takes a critical attitude towards the
Framework Programs, as he probably singles out these
programs as the most important trans-European
instruments of RTD:
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EXAMPLES OF CHANGING CONCERNSPARADIGM SHIFT
He not only criticizes but also proposes some remedies:
• Support the development of centres of excellence;
• Target young researchers; Put scientists at the heart of
the European research programmes;
• Give priority to fundamental research.
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EXAMPLES OF CHANGING CONCERNSPARADIGM SHIFT
One of the leading S & T Policy researchers from SPRU,
(late)Prof. K. Pavitt has also expressed similar concerns
(for the EU programs):
“The role of publicly funded academic research in the
system of innovations, thus in Europe’s future economic
and social development has been misunderstood and
neglected in policies”.
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EXAMPLES OF CHANGING CONCERNSPARADIGM SHIFT
He bases this criticism mostly on the misunderstanding on
the nature of the output of the academic research as
“information” that is costly to produce, but virtually
costless to transmit and re-use.
It is a misunderstanding because, the capacity to
understand, interpret, reproduce and apply the results
of research performed in other countries requires an
infrastructure of expertise, equipment and networks
that is costly.
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EXAMPLES OF CHANGING CONCERNSPARADIGM SHIFT
His main claim, based on the USA experience, is that
“public funding of high quality academic research is the
source of major new technological opportunities, as well
as an attraction for high quality business activities in an
increasingly global world”.
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EXAMPLES OF CHANGING CONCERNSPARADIGM SHIFT
Another point he draws attention at is that the
European firms are performing an increasing share of
their R & D outside their home country, and more
specifically in the USA.
He considers this to be an additional added value to the
US supremacy ?
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EXAMPLES OF CHANGING CONCERNSPARADIGM SHIFT
He concludes that the «strengthening high quality academic
research should become one of the principle objectives of
EU policies. EU funding of academic research should
complement and compete with national sources of funding,
and not replace them»: These kind of concerns and
criticisms eventually led to the creation of ERC to open a
window towards basic research
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GDP
S&T
Demography
USA
20 %
31.7 %
4.6 %
EU – 15
22 %
32.8 %
6.3 %
Japan
8%
7.1 %
1.9 %
Total
50 %
71.6 %
12.8 %
Turkey
0.6 %
0.9%
1.1 %
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Periodization of Turkish STP
Turkey entered the STP era in the aerly 1960’s (like many
other nations) with the establishment of TUBITAK
Pre-history of TR-STP = final westernization in socio-cultural
life
• Secularization of state (early 20’s to mid 30’s)
• Adoption of Latin alphabet
• University reforms
• Etatist economic policy
After 60 : planning period
In economy, full-scale import substitution in
industrialization = necessitated a minimum threshold of ST
infrastructure
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Naive Phase = Early 60’s to mid 80’s
• Beginning of 60’s = 5 universities, 20 (mostly
agricultural) public R&D institutions
• 0.3% of GDP spent, by a few hundred researchers
• (Unwritten policy) to strenghten (broaden) R&D
infrastructure
Government : Main actor
Principal executive organ : TUBITAK
Model of STP : Supply oriented
Transfer of Technology : Embodied
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2nd Phase (Mid 1980’s to early 2000’s)
• Economy was transformed : Industry could transfer hightech intensive goods/services in disembodied form (
under patent/license/know-how aggrements) [reflects a
much more advanced level of S&T capacity]
• Economic policies liberalized; domestic markets opened
up to foreign firms; some foreign licensers withdrew
their licences to protect their markets from the
competition of the licenses (TR-firms)
• Need arised for producing technologies (to cope with
international competition)
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AS CONCLUDING;
• The final backbone of the STP is:
«the commercialization of the research results»
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