WWW.NATURE.COM/NATURE
This press release is copyright Nature. VOL.444 NO.7115 DATED 02 NOVEMBER 2006
Commentary: The challenges facing science and technology in Muslim nations
Spending on research and development in the Islamic world is well below the global average, and continues to fall behind that of developed countries in the West. Countries such as Taiwan, South Korea and China are currently undergoing rapid expansion in science and technology, and economic growth - can a similar leap forward be made in the Muslim world?
In a Commentary in this week's Nature, Nader Fergany, lead author of the Arab Human Development Reports (AHDR), argues that building a knowledge-based society in the Arab world means respecting key freedoms of expression and association. He discusses the AHDR reports, which identify deficits in the acquisition and production of knowledge, the levels of empowerment of women, and individual and national freedom as major barriers to Arab development. The reports also lay out the necessary steps towards reform, the seeds of which Fergany believes are already in place. Given a more favourable environment, the considerable human potential of the Arab world could, he suggests, form a solid foundation to reclaim the epic scientific achievements of its history.
In a related Commentary, Herwig Schopper, former director-general of CERN and president of the SESAME Council, argues that a big jump in developing science and technology in Muslim nations is needed and makes several recommendations for how progress might be achieved. He lists the many initiatives that have so far failed to lead to concrete action, and proposes that the importance of research in contributing to the overall welfare of Muslim societies needs to be recognized. There is also a real need to strengthen international scientific cooperation, and to work towards better job security for individual scientists. Schopper believes that science can be an "excellent tool" for building trust and helping to promote peace; there is, he says, much to gain.
CONTACT
Nader Fergany (Almishkat Centre for Research, Egypt)
E-mail: [email protected]
Herwig Schopper (SESAME Council, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland)
E-mail: [email protected]
News special: Science in the Muslim world
An unprecedented look at the prospects for science and technology in the Muslim world is offered in Nature's News section this week.
One feature documents the power shift taking place in countries with large Muslim populations as the secular regimes and one-party states that have ruled many Muslim countries for decades are being replaced, or directly challenged, by Islamists -- those committed to a greater say for Islam in politics. Ehsan Masood asks whether Islamist governments will be better or worse for science. Past secular regimes have invested poorly in science and research, with the oil-rich Gulf states being the worst offenders, according to a news article by Jim Giles. Masood investigates statements made by the Muslim Brotherhood on science and looks at the activities of existing Islamist regimes.
The picture when Islamists come to power is more nuanced than it may first seem to outsiders. Restrictions on freedom of speech are likely to continue, as is investment in military technology, but greater attention to higher education is a trend that reformers and conservatives alike can welcome. Mostafa Moin, an Iranian reformer, scientist and former presidential candidate, spells out his hopes and fears for the future in an interview with Nature.
Too few Muslim governments collect data on the actual status of science and innovation, so the problems facing scientists are not even on their agenda. Without true measures of quality and performance, weaknesses in higher education and research institutions will never be properly addressed. Declan Butler tackles the lack of statistics available on investment and performance, and analyses the best of what is available.
Finally a timeline outlines the major achievements that Arab-Muslim scholars made during the 8th to 13th centuries, and a global map gives an overview of the cultural and political diversity found in the Muslim world.
CONTACT:
For background information please contact the Nature Press Office
PRESS CONTACTS…
For North America and Canada
Katie McGoldrick, Nature Washington
Tel: +1 202 737 2355; E-mail: [email protected]
From Japan, Korea, China, Singapore and Taiwan
Itsumi Kitahara, Nature Tokyo
Tel: +81 3 3267 8751; Fax: +81 3 3267 87
E-mail: [email protected]
For the UK/Europe/other countries not listed above
Katherine Anderson, Nature London
Tel: +44 20 7843 4502; E-mail [email protected]
About Nature Publishing Group
Nature Publishing Group (NPG) is a division of Macmillan Publishers Ltd, dedicated to serving the academic, professional scientific and medical communities. NPG's flagship title, Nature, was first published in 1869. Other publications include Nature research journals, Nature Reviews, Nature Clinical Practice and a range of prestigious academic journals including society-owned publications. NPG also provides news content through [email protected] and scientific career information through Naturejobs.
NPG is a global company with headquarters in London and offices in New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Boston, Tokyo, Paris, Munich, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Delhi, Mexico City and Basingstoke. For more information, please go to <www.nature.com>.
