Anwar Nasim
Adviser Science
Ikram Abbasi
Programme Officer
COMSTECH Secretariat, Islamabad, Pakistan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. What is Socioeconomic Development?
2. Japan’s Story
3. Korea’s
Story
4. Nokia’s
Story
5. Knowledge explosion
6. Knowledge
based economy
7. Science
and Technology can Contribute
Contribution to human welfare
Contribution to Energy
Contribution to health
Contribution to water and sanitation
Contribution to political stability and global security
8. Status of
Science and Technology in the Muslim World
COMSTECH
ISESCO
Islamic Development Bank (IDB)
SESRTCIC
9. The
Strategy for Development of Science and Technology in the Islamic
countries
10. The OIC
Ten-year Programme of Action
11. The role of IDB
scholarship programme in socio-economic development
Conclusion
Reference
1. What is Socioeconomic Development?
Socioeconomics or Socio-economics is
the study of the relationship between economic activity and social life. The
field is often considered multidisciplinary, using theories and methods from
sociology, economics, history, psychology, and many others. It is a relatively
new social science that has emerged as a separate field of study in the late
twentieth century. Most colleges and universities do not have a separate
department or degree for socioeconomic studies.
Socioeconomics typically analyze both the social impacts
of economic activity and economic impacts of social activity. In many cases,
however, socioeconomists focus on the social impact of some sort of economic
change. Such changes might include a closing factory, market manipulation, the
signing of international trade treaties, new natural gas regulation, etc. Such
social effects can be wide-ranging in size, anywhere from local effects on a
small community to changes to an entire society.
Examples of causes of socioeconomic impacts include new
technologies such as cars or mobile phones, changes in laws (such as the legal
right to abortion), changes in the physical environment (such as increasing
crowding within cities), and ecological changes (such as prolonged drought or
declining fish stocks). These may affect patterns of consumption, the
distribution of incomes and wealth, the way in which people behave (both in
terms of purchase decisions and the way in which they choose to spend their
time), and the overall quality of life. These can further have indirect effects
on social attitudes and norms.
The goal of socioeconomic study is generally to bring
about socioeconomic development, usually in terms of improvements in metrics
such as GDP, life expectancy, literacy, levels of employment, etc.
Although harder to measure, changes in less-tangible
factors are also considered, such as personal dignity, freedom of association,
personal safety and freedom from fear of physical harm, and the extent of
participation in civil society.1
Following table compares oil exporting
countries’ total GDP with the economic performance of a single knowledge and
technology based country Japan.
OPEC1 Member OIC Countries |
GDP
US$ Billions |
Algeria |
84.6 |
Indonesia |
257.6 |
Iran |
163.4 |
Kuwait |
55.7 |
Libya |
29.1 |
Nigeria |
72.1 |
Qatar |
20.4 |
Saudi
Arabia |
250.6 |
UAE |
104.2 |
Total |
1037.7 |
| |
|
Japan |
4,622.8 |
1. Organization of the Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC)
Source: Human Development
Report 2006
In an effort to describe the
impact of science and technology on economic development and prosperity we will
discuss the examples of a few countries. These examples will clearly show how S&T plays a crucial role in
economic development.
2. Japan’s Story
The Meiji Revolution or “restoration” is one of the
single most important events in modern Japanese history. This “revolution”
greatly affected the events of history within Japan as well as Japan’s
relations with outsiders. The Meiji restoration ultimately exploded with
changes that changed the character of the Japanese nation forever. That is a
country that was confident at home and ready to encounter the world; a country
unique among its Asian contemporaries that was willing and seemingly able to
face the world as a nation among equals. The Meiji revolution continued far
beyond 1868. this cintinuing revolution brought about significant changes to
the Japanese culture in terms of education, social order of the entire country,
and mass modernization. This whirlwind of mobilization touched all aspects of
society.
Major reforms of the Meiji era included: compulsory
universal education, universal conscription into the military, mechanisms for
local self government, the Meiji constitution with the establishment of the
Diet and the guarantee of male suffrage, and the encouragement of capitalism and
markets.
These revolutionary ideas of the Meiji restoration meant
that Japan had the environment for mass national mobilization and rapid
modernization; as opposed to the slow crawl of other Asian countries. In terms
of the Japan we now know, the Meiji revolution with its reforms formed the
basis of the modernization of pre World War II Japanese industrialization; and
also the makings and experience for the post-war “Japanese miracle” in our
time.2
3. Korea’s
Story
When Korea achieved independence from Japanese rule in
1945 it was divided. The southern part had no industrial base. The predominant
activity of the people was agriculture. From 1945 to 1950 USA was the main
source of consumer goods supplied as emergency aid. Hence there was no
significant effort for technological development. The Korean war of 1950-53
devastated the whole peninsula and even small-scale industries were totally
destroyed.
Korea emerged from the war with a subsistence rural
economy. After the war, foreign aid particularly from USA provided for
modernizing some of the technologies but the country had all the problems of a
low-income underdeveloped country. At the end of Japanese rule only 22.0
percent of Koreans were literate and only 2.0 percent had completed secondary
school education.
The foremost priority of the Korean government twards
modernization and industrialization was education. The share of education in
the total budget rose from 2.5 percent in 1951 to more than 17.0 percent in
1966. The illiteracy rate dropped to 27.9 percent by 1960, to 10.6 percent by
1970 and to insignificant level by 1980. Several studies suggest that higher
investment in education is related to productivity growth, technological
development and employment generation.
Korea has established itself as an emerging
Knowledge Economy powerhouse in a remarkably short period of time. Yet, many
believe its experience has limited relevance to other countries. Success of
such transitions in Asian countries, the conventional wisdom claims, rests
solely upon peculiar arrangements allowing governments to authoritatively
impose “progressive” top-down policies on businesses and society at large. Korea ’s transition towards knowledge-based
economy is not such a story.3
4. Nokia’s
Story
In 2006, Nokia’s net sales grew to Euro 41.1 billion and
operating profit ot Euro 5.5 billion. Nokia’s revenue is more than the total
GDP of 57 OIC member states that include oil rich Arab countries as well as
Asian tigers. Nokia’s success story is built on constant innovation. As mobile
usage grew in the world’s emerging markets, Nokia continued to develop
affordable mobile devices that could contribute to increased economic growth
and quality of life. Nokia’s success story shows that how an innovation can
contribute to the socio-economic development of any country4
These examples have been discussed to highlight the
underlying factors and causes that lead to economic growth and
development. It is in the light of these
factors that the current situation of the OIC members will be examined.
5. Knowledge
explosion
Now the global scenario has changed,
knowledge explosion has occurred, knowledge is being doubled at yearly basis in
different fields of studies. Now there is a problem for developing countries
how to keep up with this. One among many new initiatives is establishing
digital libraries as already achieved in Pakistan.
There are a few basic realities and
accompanying notions that need to be stated. Firstly the pace at which new
knowledge is being generated has indeed no parallel in early history. The ease
with which one can access available information is just as impressive. It has
been estimated that whereas the total knowledge pool in other areas will double
in six to seven years, for life sciences such doubling time is estimated to be
nearly three years. This new scenario provides not only an extremely rich and
almost unmanageable store of data but also poses a serious challenge for an
effective and meaningful approach towards a focused discussion.
Thus there is a dire need for scientists,
academicians and policy makers to realise that computers and other highly
sophisticated devices have dramatically changed our ability to acquire, store
and retrieve information. So how do we cope with this knowledge explosion?
Internet, ISP’s enable us to download enormous amount of data in no time – that
fact alone poses a serious challenge of how to manage, coordinate, analyse,
draw conclusions, develop guidelines and then formulate effective strategies to
cope with future challenges.
In all such discussions it has to be
clearly understood that there are no secrets or mysteries underlying the causes
of success. We can find many examples of successful countries such as Japan,
Korea, Finland and USA. These countries did not use any mysterious powers which
are unknown to other countries, that are underdeveloped or called developing
countries. Successful countries set well defined goals and strive to achieve
them and thus succeeded in their endeavors.
6. Knowledge
based economy
The knowledge economy is either an economy of knowledge
focused on the production and management of knowledge, or a knowledge-based
economy. In the second meaning, more frequently used, it is a phrase that
refers to the use of knowledge to produce economic benefits. The phrase was
popularised if not invented by Peter Drucker as the heading to chapter 12 in
his book The Age of Discontinuity.
Various observers describe today's global
economy as one in transition to a "knowledge economy", or an
"information society". But the rules and practices that determined
success in the industrial economy of the 20th century need rewriting in an
interconnected world where resources such as know-how are more critical than
other economic resources. These rules need to be rewritten at the levels of
firms and industries in terms of knowledge management and at the level of
public policy as knowledge policy or knowledge-related policy.
An aspect of knowledge that has been
largely forgotten in knowledge economy thinking is wisdom. Wisdom invokes questions
of judgement, ethics, experience and intuition, all of which are necessary for
the best application of knowledge.
7. Science
and Technology can Contribute
a. Contribution
to human welfare
A nation’s ability to solve problems and
initiate and sustain economic growth depends partly on its capabilities in
science, technology, and innovation. Science and technology are linked to
economic growth; scientific and technical capabilities determine the ability to
provide clean water, good health care, adequate infrastructure and safe food.
Development trends around the world need to be reviewed to evaluate the role
that science, technology and innovation play in economic transformation in
particular and sustainable development in general.
For continued progress and sustainable
development, several areas have been identified by the World Summit on
Sustainable Development. It is obvious
that to stay competitive at the global level the OIC member states will need to
pay special attention to those areas of high priority.
b. Contribution
to Energy
Increasing access to energy is not a
goal, but it is one of the five priority areas identified by the World Summit
on Sustainable Development. Energy is an important input into the development
process. Considerable technological innovation is taking place in energy
generation and use, which will continue to be of strategic policy interest for
all countries.
Over the long term, the use of fossil
fuels is unsustainable. Burning fossil fuel results in the emission of carbon
dioxide and exacerbates the green house effect. About 80 percent of all climate
warming is caused by emissions of carbon dioxide. One promising solution for
reducing these emissions is the development of small, environmentally benign
power plants, units, and systems. The medium-term prospects for doing so are
promising. Hydrogen fuel cells and gas-fueled microturbines could be
economically viable in the medium term, opening up new opportunities for
expanding the base for energy sources. Venture capital investment in these
technologies has increased dramatically in the United States, and giant power
manufacturers and large oil corporations are investing in fuel cells and
renewable energy.
c. Contribution
to health
HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis are severe
problems in many African and South Asian countries, where HIVAIDS is
exacerbating what was thought to be a relatively well controlled tuberculosis
phenomenon. Malaria also remains a serious problem, with high mortality rates
in most tropical regions. Science and technology policy needs to be oriented
toward finding vaccines and cures for these diseases, while creating new
institutional frameworks from which new research collaborations can spring.
d. Contribution
to water and sanitation
Technological innovation is becoming
equally critical in the management of freshwater resources. So far much of the
attention on freshwater has focused on market-related issues, such as
privatization. Innovation-related responses are just starting to emerge. For
example, concern over water scarcity in agriculture in generating interest in
alternative approaches that reduce the amount of water used to produce a unit
of grain. Attention is also now turning to the development of drought-tolerant
crops using both conventional breeding methods and genetic engineering. These
technologies need not rely only on modern technologies. The development of
autonomous potable water unit in Uruguay illustrates the potential for
creativity in the water sector in developing countries.
e. Contribution
to political stability and global security
Scientific and technical innovations can
enhance national stability and international security. Over time economic
growth fuelled by innovations in science, technology and innovation can
increase social cohesion, stability, and democratization.
In Brazil and the Republic of Korea, for
example, economic growth over the past 40 years led to a virtuous cycle in
which first labor and then an emerging middle class began to insist on greater
social, economic, and political participation. Advances in education, science,
technology and economic growth in these and similar economies are improving the
prospects for both democracy and stability.5
8. Status of Science and
Technology in the Muslim World
Current status of science in the Muslim world can be
summarized in a few sentences. We had a glorious past where we made a
significant contribution. This now however has become a memory in which we can
only take genuine pride. The present status of science and technology is indeed
dismal and very depressing. Statistics have been presented to strengthen this
notion. Present efforts of the existing organizations have also been discussed.
There are 57 member countries of Organization of
Islamic Conference (OIC) which are commonly known as Muslim World. Out of these
57 countries 28 are in Asia, 25 in Africa and 2 each in Europe and South
America. There is not a single developed country in this group of 57 countries
stretching from Indonesia to Morocco and from Uganda to Kazakhstan, they are home
to over 1 billion people. Although most of them are predominantly Muslim
countries they have different indigenous cultures and traditions. Besides, they
also retain certain elements of the culture, life style and value system.
When we talk about Science and Technology development
in the Muslim world we find that Muslims have a glorious past in knowledge
creation. After centuries of inaction in Greece and elsewhere, Muslim scholars
resumed scientific activities in the eighth century CE and maintained the same,
with enthusiasm, for as long as five centuries. Their inscribed works,
estimated to number 1.55 million, still survive in libraries and museums in
more than 104 countries. These contributions are known to us largely because of
the work carried out by western writers. There are many prominent Muslim
scientists’ names like Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Jabir Ibnal Hayyan, Al-Khwarizmi,
Al-Razi (Rhazes) and Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen) who contributed in early
development of different fields of science. But it is unfortunate that Muslims
could not continue this heritage and today are lagging behind in almost every
sphere of life.6
The international weekly journal of science Nature
has published a comprehensive news feature on Islam and Science in its volume
no. 444, published on 2nd November 2006. The news feature sheds
light on multi-dimensional approach and current status of science in the Muslim
world.
There are total 853 universities. Only two
universities from Turkey are among the top 500 World Universities. Yemen and
Brunei Darussalam spend more than 9% of their GDP on Education and other all
spend less than 9 percent. There are 10 countries that have literacy rate less
than 50 percent. Five OIC member countries fall in first 50 in HDI rank, and 13
countries are in first 100 countries in this category.
World Bank Development Indicators for 1996-2003
record number of researchers per million people for 19 OIC countries. These OIC
nations cluster at the bottom end of the global scale. The highest scoring in
OIC country is Jordan, with 1,927 researchers per million people.
Of the 28 lowest producers of scientific articles, as
recorded by the US National Science foundation, half are OIC countries.
Moreover, over the past two decades the number of papers produced by 24 OIC
nations has remained flat or declined. Turkey’s publications rate per year has
grown from around 500 in 1988 to more than 6,000 in 2003. Next to Turkey is
Iran, which from a low base of less than 100 articles per year a decade ago now
produces nearly 2,000.
The OIC countries produce so few patents that they
are invisible on a bar chart of comparison with other countries. This lack of
technological competitiveness translates into low rankings in terms of
high-tech exports as a percentage of total exports – with one exception,
Malaysia, which ranks fifth worldwide with 58% high-tech exports, alongside
Singapore and the Philippines. Otherwise, Indonesia (14%) and Morocco (11%) are
the only OIC countries with high-tech exports larger than 10%.7
The Islamic world’s average science spending is at an
order of magnitude below global averages. In contrast, spending on defence
averages from 4% to 7% of the GNP. In many countries, the population of
scientists is meager and legal frameworks for innovation are largely
non-existent. Only two scientists from Islamic states have won Nobel Prizes,
Abdus Salam, a Pakistani (Physics, 1979) and Ahmed Zewail, an Egyptian
(Chemistry, 1999), Both carried out their research outside Islamic countries.
Today’s Muslim societies have generated few scientists of international repute.
Many of the Arab OIC member countries, including Malaysia, have fairly good
undergraduate education systems, but are weak at the postgraduate level.8
The tremendous advances made in the field of science
and technology in the last several decades have transformed our lives in a
multitude of ways. This is evident in almost every facet of human endeavour.
These advances have been driven by an ever-growing volume of exciting
discoveries, largely emanating from the science laboratories in the West, and
their transformation into new products or processes which have flooded world
markets, thereby showering vast economic rewards on those nations that have had
the courage and vision to make science and technology the cornerstone of their
respective development programmes.
Realizing the importance of Science and Technology in
the socio-economic development, Following organizations were established to
work for the development of science and technology in OIC member states.
a. COMSTECH
Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Ministerial
Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) is a
specialized committee established by the Third Islamic Summit held at Mecca,
Saudi Arabia in January 1981.
The mission of COMSTECH is to contribute towards
strengthening the individual and collective capacity of OIC member states in
Science and technology through mutual cooperation, collaboration and networking
of resources. Also to enable the Muslim world to use S&T as a major
contributor to socio-economic development and rapid industrialization.
COMSTECH under the dynamic leadership of
its Coordinator General Prof. Atta-ur-Rahman, has launched many programmes with
the collaboration of different international organizations such as
International Foundation for Science (IFS), Islamic, Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and Islamic Development Bank (IDB) for the
development of science and technology in the Muslim world such as:
1. COMSTECH
Scientific Literature Search Service
2. COMSTECH
Inter-library Resource Network Service
3. COMSTECH
Inter-Islamic Networks
4. Interactive
Thematic Workshops
5. IDB
M.Sc. Scholarship Programme
For
More information on COMSTECH programmes visit www.comstech.org 9
b. ISESCO
The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization -ISESCO- was set up by the Tenth Islamic Conference of Foreign
Ministers, which was held in Fez, Kingdom of Morocco, in May 1979.
The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization features in its objectives briefly outlined below:
1. To
strengthen and promote cooperation among Member States and consolidate it in
the fields of education, science, culture and communication ;
2. To
develop applied sciences and use of advanced technology within the framework of
the lofty and perennial Islamic values and ideals ;
3. To
consolidate understanding among Muslim peoples and contribute to the
achievement of world peace and security through various means, particularly
through education, science, culture and communication ;
4. To
consolidate complementarity and to seek to achieve coordination among the
specialized institutions of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in the
fields of education, science, culture and communication and among the Member
States of the Islamic Organization (ISESCO) in order to consolidate Islamic
solidarity ;
5. To
consolidate Islamic culture, protect the independence of Islamic thought
against cultural invasion and distortion factors, and safeguard the features
and distinct characteristics of the Islamic civilization ;
6. To
safeguard the Islamic identity of Muslims in non-Islamic countries.10
For more information on ISESCO activities
visit www.isesco.org.ma
c. Islamic Development Bank
(IDB)
The Islamic Development Bank is an international financial institution
established in pursuance of the Declaration of Intent issued by the Conference
of Finance Ministers of Muslim Countries held in Jeddah in Dhul Q'adah 1393H,
corresponding to December 1973. The Inaugural Meeting of the Board of Governors
took place in Rajab 1395H, corresponding to July 1975, and the Bank was
formally opened on 15 Shawwal 1395H corresponding to 20 October 1975.
The purpose of the Bank is to foster the economic development and social
progress of member countries and Muslim communities individually as well as
jointly in accordance with the principles of Shari'ah i.e., Islamic Law.
The functions of the Bank are to participate in equity capital and grant
loans for productive projects and enterprises besides providing financial
assistance to member countries in other forms for economic and social
development. The Bank is also required to establish and operate special funds
for specific purposes including a fund for assistance to Muslim communities in
non-member countries, in addition to setting up trust funds.
The Bank is authorized to accept deposits and to mobilize financial
resources through Shari'ah compatible modes. It is also charged with the responsibility
of assisting in the promotion of foreign trade, especially in capital goods,
among member countries; providing technical assistance to member countries; and
extending training facilities for personnel engaged in development activities
in Muslim countries to conform to the Shari'ah.11
For more information on IDB activities
please visit www.isdb.org
d. SESRTCIC
The
Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic
Countries (SESRTCIC), more commonly known within the Islamic Community as the
Ankara Centre, was founded as a subsidiary organ of the Organisation of the
Islamic Conference (OIC) in pursuance of Resolution No. 2/8-E adopted by the
Eighth Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM), held in Tripoli in May
1977. The Centre started its activities in Ankara on 1 June 1978.
The basic
mandate drawn up for SESRTCIC is threefold:
1) To
collate, process and disseminate socio-economic statistics and information on
and for the utilisation of the member countries,
2) To study
and evaluate the economic and social developments in the member countries to
help generate proposals that will initiate and enhance co-operation among them,
and
3) To
organise training programmes in selected fields geared to the needs of the
member countries as well as to the general objectives of the Organisation of
the Islamic Conference.
In
addition to the implementation of the above-mentioned mandate, the Centre
assumes the role of focal point for the technical co-operation activities and
projects between the OIC system and the related UN agencies. It also acts as
the major research arm of the OIC whereby it is assigned the task of preparing
the main economic and social reports and background documents for the multitude
of economic, social and technical co-operation meetings and conferences held at
different levels under the umbrella of the OIC every year.
At the
threshold of its 27th year of existence and active involvement, within the
framework of its field of specialisation, in the common effort towards the
realisation of the noble objectives of the OIC, the Ankara Centre is
increasingly solicited to put its accumulated experience and acquired know-how
at the service of the Organisation and its member countries as reflected in the
ever-expanding scope of activities it carries out.12 For OIC related
statistics visit www.sesrtcic.org
The
indicators or parameters for measuring science have all been documented.13,
so there is hardly any difficulty in assessing the present state of science in
OIC countries. To cope with the challenge of this dismal plight we need
collective, concerted efforts, much better coordination and above all strong
political will and commitment for the development of Science and Technology.
9. The
Strategy for Development of Science and Technology in the Islamic countries
The
Strategy of Science and Technology Development in the Islamic Countries, which
was prepared by the ISESCO in cooperation with the COMSTECH, was adopted by the
8th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference held in Tehran, Islamic
Republic of Iran in December 1997.
This
document has been developed on the basis of three assumptions. Firstly, the
Islamic countries are underprepared for taking up the challenge posed by
worldwide advancement of science and technology. The number of S&T manpower
is inadequate, the allocation of funds for education, research and development
are far below the desired norms, economic development measured on the
touchstone of Human Development Index (HDI) is far below the world average, and
attitude towards S&T has only begun to be responsive. Secondly, it has yet
to be realized that S&T research is a necessary ally of economic
development. Thirdly, the “need-achievement” required for growth and survival has
yet to be demonstrated. It has been argued that earlier rise of science in the
Muslim Ummah during the 7th to 14th century Ad, resulted
from high collective consciousness and accumulation of vast quantities of
intellectual capital. To be able to confront the challenge, these attributes
have to be recaptured.
The
First Islamic Conference on Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific
Research, held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from 15-18 October 2000,
thoroughly examined and consequently adopted the Implementation Mechanism of
the Strategy for Development of Science and Technology in the Islamic
Countries, and requested the ISESCO to follow up the different implementation
stages of the strategy in cooperation with the OIC Member States, and in coordination
with the OIC General Secretariat and COMSTECH.
The
Second Islamic Conference of Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific
Research, which was held in Tripoli, the Great Socialist People’s Libyan
Jamahiriya, Fro 3-6 May 2003, decided to evaluate and to follow up the
implementation of the various phases of implementation mechanism of the
Strategy for Development of Science and Technology in the Islamic Countries.
The
Third ISESCO Consultative Council Meeting for the Implementation of the
Strategy for the Development of Science and Technology in the Islamic Countries
was convened n Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on 26-27 June 2006. The Consultative
Council is an advisory scientific body, set up by the First Islamic Conference
of Higher Education and Scientific Research Ministers, held in Riyadh, Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia in October 2000. This Meeting reviewed the implementation
status of the Strategy for the Development of Science and Technology in the
Islamic Countries in preparation for the Third Islamic Conference of Ministers
of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
The
Third Islamic Conference of Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific
Research held in the State of Kuwait, Kuwait city from 19-21 November 2006
adopted several reports prepared by the ISESCO. In adopting the report of the
Implementation of the Strategy for the Development of Science and Technology in
Islamic Countries, the Conference urged member states to renew their
commitments to scientific and technology development, to accord it a top
priority in national development plans and to contribute at least 1% of their
GDP to the promotion of science and technology. The Conference also recommended
to the member states to take practical steps to ensure a speedy transformation
of their economies into knowledge-based economy, to promote the integration of
information and communication technologies in various fields and to bridge the
digital divide.
The
Third conference of the Ministers of Higher Education and scientific Research
agreed to hold the Fourth Conference in September 2008 in Baku the Republic of
Azerbaijan and also adopted a Draft Study on the ways to enhance scientific and
technological cooperation among countries of the Islamic World; a project on
the Islamic Ethical Network on science with the aim to launch the network; a
draft strategy on the promotion of university education in the Islamic World; a
project on the implement action mechanisms of the strategy for development of
biotechnology in the Islamic World; and a draft action plan on the prevention
of immigration of scientific competencies form the countries of the Islamic
World.
9. The OIC Vision 1441 on Science and
Technology
Knowledge
acquisition is emphasized in the teachings of Islam. This quest of knowledge
has assumed increasing importance in today’s knowledge-intensive economy.
Success in the new economy will go to firms and countries that are proficient
in the acquisition, generation, distribution and exploitation of knowledge. The
Muslim world is facing a knowledge gap because of its deficiency in science,
technology and innovation. For example:
¯ OIC
countries’ expenditure on R&D as a proportion of GDP – about one tenth that
expended by most developed nations;
¯ Number
of researchers, scientists and engineers in the OIC engaged in R&D is one
tenth that found in the developed world;
¯ The
number of patents filed by OIC nationals in 1997 accounted for only 0.3% of the
world average;
¯ Scientific
publications in international journals by scientists and engineers from member
countries accounted for only about 3% of the world’s total.
This
deficiency in Muslim S&T is particularly intriguing given that Muslims were
once world leaders in S&T a millennium ago. Arresting this decline in
S&T will not be easy. The Muslim world has no other alternative than to
invest heavily in human resource development and S&t infrastructure.
Despite considerable progress in advancing human development and reducing
poverty over the past two decades much still remains to be done. A new vision
grounded on a commitment for S&T is necessary in order to ensure that the
Islamic world reclaims its past supremacy in S&T.
VISION 1441
The
Muslim world needs a vision to rededicate ourselves to mastering S&T to
ensure that we can face the challenges of the new global economy with
confidence. The 10th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference held
in Putrajaya, Malaysia, adopted the OIC Vision 1441 on Science and Technology.
Our vision would be:
“OIC member states are committed to become a community that values knowledge
and is competent in utilizing and advancing S&T to enhance the
socio-economic well-being of the Ummah”
Seven
key strategic thrusts that are central towards the realization of vision 1441
as follows:
Commitment
Ensure
that there s commitment at the highest political level to S&T that
translates into solid and sustained investments in S&T including human
resource development and infrastructure by both government and industry;
Capabilities
and Capacity
Improve
our ability to acquire and transform S&T knowledge and skills for a strong
competitive advantage. Human resource is our ultimate resource. Industries need
to be strengthened to ensure the vitality of our industrial base. Also, our
S&T institutional framework also needs to be revamped to enable it to provide
the necessary leadership in driving the agenda for change. A modern knowledge
infrastructure is essential to enable us to undertake productive research;
Collaboration
Promote
smart partnerships and synergy among our research institutions, universities
and industries to enhance the effectiveness of our S&T efforts;
Concentration
We
cannot go to it alone in S&T development. Our resources – manpower and
financial – are limited. We need to be selective in ensuring that resources are
devoted in areas that will yield maximum benefits;
Culture
Developing
a society that is appreciative and supportive of S&T. We need to create an
environment which encourages and rewards ideas, supports science and
innovation, promotes entrepreneurship and inspires interest in S&T careers.
Community
Improving
the quality of life of the society by making S&T relevant to their daily
lives in terms of technologies which enhances efficiency and convenience. We
need to develop the innovation capacity of the community empowering them to use
S&T to meet local needs.
Compassion
Te
pursuit of our S&T vision does not diminish our concerns in assisting our
disadvantaged members.
Two
realize this vision 1441 following recommendations have been made:
1. OIC Summit to adopt Vision 1441 and its objectives
as the guiding principle in steering our S&T development for the next two
decades. The key objectives of Vision 1441 are:
¯ to achieve at least 14 percent of the world’s
scientific output by the year 1441 H through increased investments in S&T
including R&D.
¯ to achieve competent workforce of at least 1441 RSEs
(researchers, scientists and engineers) per million by year 1441 H; and
¯ to achieve investments in R&D of at least 1.4 percent of GDP
2. To conduct an annual OIC conference on S&T
parallel to the ICFM annual meeting;
3. Establish a seed fund totaling 500 million USD to
support, amongst others;
¯ Establishment of a Pan-Islamic R&D Fund to
promote R&D investments among member countries;
¯ Establishment of a Muslim world Technology
Investment Fund such as venture capital, for the acquisition of technologies
and growth of new technology-based companies;
4. Support
greater industry participation and investments in R&D/ technology
development activities as well as other support measures;
5. Increase budget for education and training in order
to expand and enhance educational opportunities at all levels including
technical and vocational education as well as adult and continuing education;
6. Establish strong and dedicated institutional
framework for Science, Technology and Innovation incorporating scientific
management and advisory system with active participation from all sectors
including industry to underscore importance as well as to provide committed
leadership and policy direction in the promotion and development of S&T
through national plan of action/national S&T policy;
7. Establish and strengthen national academies of
sciences in OIC countries to act as independent advisory bodies to the
respective governments;
8. Enhance and expand opportunities and participation
of women in the mainstream of development in particular areas relating to
S&T;
9. Increase seats for OIC nationals for undergraduate
and post-graduate education in institutions of higher learning in member
countries;
10. Launch
science and technology management training courses for senior personnel of
S&T institutions as well as those from industry among member countries;
11. Expanding capabilities towards new and emerging
technologies such as nanotechnology and photonics;
12. COMSTECH and IDB to harmonise the development of a
comprehensive information portal/database on S&T and industry of member
countries and to help disseminate the guidelines for a National IT Strategy
prepared by IDB for the maximum benefit of member countries;
13. To take advantage of existing centers of excellence
in Muslim countries for training of Muslim scientists;
14. To foster collaborations with international bodies
such as UNESCO, UNU, etc. as well as regional bodies involving OIC member
countries to develop S&T on a global basis;
15. Malaysia in collaboration with COMSTECH and IDB to
initiate smart partnerships to harness scientific and technical strengths of
existing and proposed centres of excellence among member countries;
16. To promote and expand existing academia-industry
linkage programmes across OIC countries including programmes to enhance
commercialization of R&D;
17. Establish OIC Business Angel* Networks;
* An Angel Investor is one who
advances capital for the purpose of development of technological products,
based not purely on market considerations but more on personal trust.
18. Malaysia, COMSTECH and IDB to conduct technology
assessment through technology foresight and/ or technology mapping or other
similar methodologies to enhance competencies in prioritization of S&T
projects.
19. Initiate collaborative programmes among grass-root
communities, civil societies and NGOs, industries and academies in member
countries to promote greater science awareness among citizens;
20. For Malaysia, COMSTECH and IDB to establish a
virtual network of expatriate Muslim scientists, technologists and business
leaders, and to promote a regular interaction between them and Muslim
scientists residing within OIC member countries;
21. COMSTECH in
collaboration with IDB and other international and national organizations to
initiate pilot projects harnessing applications of technology for the benefit
of society in particular the underprivileged;
22. Member countries to initiate development of pilot
ICT-community projects in their respective countries with possible reference to
the guidelines from the National IT Strategy developed by IDB;
23. Adoption of common position on intellectual property
rights issues;
24. Initiate special emergency programme to provide
funding and other development assistance to address the pressing problems of
the 22 LDCs, taking into consideration that S&T as a sector must be given
high priority at the same time;
25. Entrust COMSTECH with financial support of IDB and
the cooperation of member countries to operationalise this Vision.
26. Establish an effective monitoring and evaluation mechanism
to track the implementation and progress of the Vision and its programmes.
10. The OIC Ten-year Programme of Action
The OIC
ten-year programme of Action entails a framework that assigns general and
specific responsibilities on the part of all OIC member states, the OIC
standing committees, the OIC affiliated and specialized institutions as well as
its subsidiary organs.
The
Secretary General assigned relevant responsibilities to all the departments
within the OIC General Secretariat and requested them to review their
activities within their domains and to make pertinent recommendations on the
implementation of the Ten-year Programme of Action.
The
General Secretariat convened the First Coordination Meeting of the OIC
Institutions in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 5th March 2006.
The Meeting developed a comprehensive Framework for implementation of the OIC
Ten-year Programme of Action.
Included
in the OIC Ten-year Programme of Action are nine items of actions related to
Science and Technology; one item related to health and one item related to
environmental issues. The following are the specific item of the science and
technology as prescribed by the OIC 10-year Programme of Action and the
necessary actions that have been taken and planned to be executed by the OIC
General Secretariat in cooperation with the OIC Member States, Standing
Committees, Subsidiary Organs, Affiliated and specialized Institutions.
Effectively
improve and reform educational institutions and curricula in all levels, link
postgraduate studies to the comprehensive development plans of the Islamic
World. At the same time, priority should be given to science and technology and
facilitating academic interaction and exchange of knowledge among the academic
institutions of Member States, and urge the Member States to strive for quality
education that promotes creativity, innovation, and research and development.
ISESCO,
COMSTECH and IUT are to cooperate to ensure effective and active coordination
between OIC Member States for effective improvement and reform of educational
institutions and curricula in all levels, and for linkage of postgraduate
studies to the comprehensive development plans of the Islamic World.
COMSTECH
in conjunction with ISESCO is to strengthen selected universities, especially
in science/engineering with financial and overall support from IDB/OIC with the
objective of elevating at least 20 universities within the OIC Region so that
they may be ranked among the top 500 universities in the world ranking.
COMSTECH
in conjunction with ISESCO/IDB is to identify the ten best centers of
excellence in OIC member countries and strengthen them to the highest standards
with financial and overall support from IDB/OIC so that they can be used for
high training of scientists/engineers from the OIC member countries and for
promoting cutting edge research in frontier fields of Science and Technology.
Assimilate
highly-qualified Muslims within the Muslim World, and develop a comprehensive
strategy to utilize their expertise and prevent brain migration phenomenon.
Entrust
the General Secretariat to study the creation of an OIC Award for Outstanding
Scientific Achievements by Muslim scientists.
Call upon
Islamic countries to encourage research and development programmes, taking into
account that the global percentage of this activity is 2% of the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP), and request Member States to ensure that their individual
contribution is not inferior to half of this percentage.
Take
advantage of the important results of the World Summit on information society,
held in Tunis, in which all Muslim States actively participated with a view to
close the digital gap between the developed and developing states and request
the General Secretariat to follow up these results in order to build the
capacities of Member States to adhere to the information society which, in
turn, will sustain development in Muslim States.
Encourage
public and private national research institutions to invest in technology
capacity-building, in areas of advanced technologies, such as the acquisition
of nuclear technology for peaceful uses.
Review the
performance of the OIC-affiliated universities so as to improve their
effectiveness and efficiency, and call for participation in the two Waqfs
(endowments) dedicated to the two universities in Niger and Uganda, and provide
support to the International Islamic University in Malaysia.
Call upon
the Member States to extend enhanced support to the Islamic University of
Technology in Bangladesh in order to enable it to contribute more towards
capacity building of the OIC Member States through human resources development.
Urge the
IDB to further enhance its programme of scholarships for outstanding students
and HI-tech specializations aimed at developing the scientific, technical, and
research capabilities of scientists and researchers in the Member States.
11. Makkah Declaration
The Makkah
declaration of the OIC Third Session of Islamic Summit Conference held in
Makkah adopted and endorsed the Ten-year program of action to face the
challenges of the Muslim Ummah in the 21st century.14
Developing countries particularly Muslim countries
should carefully think what to do and what are their needs and what resources
are available. In this scenario they should find out priority areas which can
fulfill their national needs and devise mega projects and start work on those
projects to achieve prosperity.
11.
The role of IDB scholarship programme in socio-economic development
In
today’s world for the development of any nation knowledge based economy is a
must. The key to knowledge economy is human resource development. Knowledge
based economy is a mere a dream without human resource development.
Human Resource Development (HRD) is the use of training,
organizational development, and career development efforts to improve
individual, group, and organizational efficiency to mobilize workforce.
Human Resource Development is the framework for helping employees
develop their personal and organizational skills, knowledge, and abilities. Human
Resource Development includes such opportunities as employee training, employee
career development, performance management and development, coaching,
succession planning, key employee identification, tuition assistance, and
organization development.
The focus of all aspects of Human Resource Development is on
developing the most superior workforce so that the organization and individual
employees can accomplish their work goals.
Human Resource Development can be formal such as in classroom
training, a college course, or an organizational planned change effort. Or,
Human Resource Development can be informal as in employee coaching by a
manager.
OIC member states
should launch programmes for the human resource development in all fields in
general and in the every sphere of science and technology in particular so that
our existing S&T manpower can become more efficient and productive.
In this article
we compared knowledge based economy of Japan’s GDP with the entire Muslim
World’s GDP and found that alone Japan’s GDP is more than the resource rich 57
OIC member states.
Another
comparison of number of scientific publications by some of the major OIC member
states with some developed countries is given below:
OIC Member States |
Total Publication in
2007 |
Pakistan |
913 |
Iran |
3,473 |
Turkey |
6,131 |
Malaysia |
951 |
Saudi Arabia |
586 |
Syria |
82 |
Jordan |
560 |
Knowledge-based
Countries |
|
Japan |
37,730 |
France |
27,475 |
Germany |
36,894 |
Korea |
13,398 |
Source: www.isiknowledge.com
Above given
statistics consolidates the fact that Science and Technology is crucial for the
development. All developing nations need to take vital steps in the human
resource development in every field of science and technology. The fact
everyone know that the development can only be achieved through the knowledge.
The Islamic
Development Bank (IDB) scholarship programmes aim to assist in the development
of scientific, technical, and research capabilities of scientists and
researchers in member countries and non-member countries, and to build
science-based human capital. There are three types of scholarship programmes:
i. The
scholarship programme for Muslim communities in non-member countries,
established in 1983;
ii. The
merit scholarship programme for high technology for member countries,
established in 1991;
iii. The
M.Sc. programme for the least developed member countries, established in 1998.
Major activities
of the three IDB scholarship programmes are presented below
i. The IDB Scholarship Programme for
Muslim Communities (SPMC)
The IDB provides
scholarships to deserving students who have the talent and merit but not the
resources to pursue their first degree level education. Support to such
students in specific disciplines enables them to become professionals who are
dedicated to the development of their communities and countries. The approved
disciplines are medicine, engineering, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, veterinary
sciences, agriculture and computer science. Schoparships are available to study
in the students’ own countries or in IDB member countries. The programme also
includes banking, finance, administration, management, accountancy and
marketing for Muslim communities in transition economies such as the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the countries of eastern Europe.
The IDB awards the scholarships as grants to the Muslim communities and as
interest-free loans (qard hasan) to students recommended by their communities.
The refunded loans are deposited in trusts (Awqaf) that are established in each
country to help other needy students from the same communities. The cumulative
approved scholarships up to the end of 1427H are:
Number
of Muslim Communities Supported: 48
Number
of Member Countries Supported: 10
(on exceptional basis)
Number
of Graduate Students: 4,752
Number
of Students Currently Enrolled: 2,698
Total
Financing: $
62 million
ii. Merit Scholarship Programme for High
Technology (MSP)
The MSP provides
an outright grant to scholars to undertake doctoral or post-doctoral research
in designated universities. This programme aims to develop technically
qualified human resources in IDB member countries. The cumulative total of approved scholarships up to the end of 1427H
are:
Number
of Scholars Selected: 346
Scholars
Awarded Doctoral Degrees: 184
Scholars
Currently Enrolled: 162
Member
Countries Covered: 46
Number
of Beneficiary Institutions: 237
Total
Financing: $
13 million
Iii. M.Sc. Scholarship Programme for Science
and Technology (MPST)
The aim of this
programme is to provide students with access to educational opportunities and
to create an intermediate level of science-based human capital. This programme
also leads students from the LDMCs to qualify for the IDB Merit Scholarship
Programme for High Technology. For this purpose, new features have been
introduced in this programme to allow students from the LDMCs to register for
qualifying courses for doctoral research. Cumulative total of approved
scholarships up to the end of 1427H is:
Number
of Students Selected: 183
Number
of Students Graduated: 77
Number
of Students Currently Enrolled: 106
Total
Financing: $
0.946 million
An important
aspect of the three IDP scholarship programmes is to cooperation extended by
member countries. Presently, 12 member countries are hosting SPMC students.
The three IDB
scholarship programmes have benefited over eight thousand science graduates
worldwide. Among non-member SPMC graduates, 98 percent of the traced graduates
are in gainful employment. For MSP graduates, 46 member countries and 203 of
research institutions have benefited from the IDB’s support. Over 80 percent of
MSP graduates have returned to their own countries. For MPST, 4 science
graduates from the LDMCs have enrolled for doctoral research programmes.
Overall, the IDB is committed to continue playing a catalytic role in the
promotion and application of science and technology resources for the
betterment of people.
Conclusion:
The discussion outlined above is a compilation of a
number of initiatives currently being taken by several international
organizations to strengthen science and technology in OIC member states. All of this collectively provides a very
well-defined action plan. The need of
the time now is to appreciate these efforts but much more important is the
long-term effective implementation of these proposals. This has proven one of the most serious
limitations and a key obstacle to achieving tangible and concrete
programs. We will need to critically
monitor, evaluate and assess on a regular basis the progress that is being
achieved in the area of science and technology. The present important initiative of compiling review papers is also a
very useful first step which can provide a basis for the meaningful future
exchange of information and ideas.
References
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socio-economic
2. http://members.cox.net/calvinlew/issuepapers/meijirevolution.htm
3. Tanveer
Kausar Naim. Science & Technology Policy for Industrialization: some
lessons for OIC Member Countries from Experiences of Korea, Malaysia, Egypt and
Pakistan.
4. www.nokia.com
5. Calestous
Juma, Lee Yee-Cheong. Innovation: applying knowledge in development. UN
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Butler, The Data Gap. Nature, Vol. 444, 2nd Nov. 2006.
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