Transcript Strengthening the Research Culture: A holistic view

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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
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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)
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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)
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A voice for
science in
the South
• 1141 elected Fellows
• 117 women
• 15 Nobel laureates
• 94 countries
• 193 Young Affiliates and Alumni
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TWAS HQ and Regional Offices
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TWAS’s
guiding
principle
Through science and
engineering, a nation can
address challenges in
agriculture, climate, health,
energy and others.
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The rise of the South
TWAS has joined with others to promote
a science-for-development model for
the South.
The result?
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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
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The rise of the South
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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
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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
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Caribbean science & research
Positive conditions
• A history of scientific research
• An established scientific
culture
• Existing educational centers
• Political awareness and
commitment
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Caribbean science & research
Significant challenges
• Climate change
• Ocean health
• Natural disasters
• Disaster engineering
• Food security
• Infectious disease
• Non-communicable disease
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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
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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
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The research culture: elements
Leadership and political will
A commitment to find a way
forward even in difficult
conditions
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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”
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The research culture: elements
In developing countries, every plan for
sustainable development starts with
one essential factor:
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The research culture: elements
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Public Health
Water
Sanitation
Energy
Education
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Climate Change
Agriculture
Food Security
Natural Disasters
Environment
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The research culture: elements
• Knowledge Acquisition
• Knowledge Creation
• Knowledge Transfer
• Innovation Culture
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The research culture: elements
R&D investments
• Sector-wide approach
• Targeted to national or regional
needs
• Strategically managed and
sustained
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The research culture: elements
The work of TWAS is focused in two
critical areas:
• Building a corps of PhD scholars
• Improving laboratory facilities
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TWAS PhD
Fellowships
Training PhD-level scientists:
• Researchers and universitylevel educators
• Future leaders for science
policy, business and
international cooperation
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TWAS PhD Fellowships
500+ Fellowships per year
PhD fellowships
Postdoctoral fellowships
Visiting researchers/professors
+350
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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:
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Belize
Guyana
Haiti
Jamaica
Suriname
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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:
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Belize
Guyana
Haiti
Jamaica
Suriname
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The research culture: values
Photo: ESPN
Competition breeds excellence
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The research culture: values
• Scientific publications
• Prizes
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The research culture: values
Generally, a higher level of R&D
investment produces higher levels of
research publication.
More impact.
More prizes.
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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
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The
research
culture:
values
South-South cooperation
• Lessons from emerging
nations
• Regional partnerships and
initiatives
• Cooperation across the
developing world
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Research culture: targets and goals
A crucial need for data
• To make effective policy
• To measure progress on the
road to success
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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
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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