Untapped Potential: Us Science and Technology Cooperation with the Islamic World

THE BROOKINGS PROJECT ON U.S. POLICY TOWARDS THE ISLAMIC WORLD ANALYSIS PAPER ANALYSIS Number 8, March 2005 UNTAPPED POTENTIAL: US SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COOPERATION WITH THE ISLAMIC WORLD MICHAEL A. LEVI AND MICHAEL B. D’ARCY T HE S ABAN C ENTER FOR M IDDLE E AST P OLICY AT T HE B ROOKINGS I NSTITUTION THE BROOKINGS PROJECT ON U.S. POLICY TOWARDS THE ISLAMIC WORLD ANALYSIS PAPER ANALYSIS Number 3,8, May 2003 March 2005 UNTAPPED POTENTIAL: US SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COOPERATION WITH THE ISLAMIC WORLD MICHAEL A. LEVI AND MICHAEL B. D’ARCY T HE S ABAN C ENTER FOR M IDDLE E AST P OLICY AT T HE B ROOKINGS I NSTITUTION NOTEFROMTHEPROJECT CONVENORS The Brookings Project on US Policy Towards the Islamic World is designed to respond to some of the most difficult challenges that the United States will face in the coming years, most particularly how to prosecute the continuing war on global terrorism while still promoting positive relations with Muslim states and communities. A key part of the Project is the production of Analysis Papers that investigate critical, but under-explored, issues in American policy towards the Islamic world. The new US agenda towards the Muslim world is centered not just on how to find and destroy terrorist leaders and networks, but also on how best it can support positive change in a region suffering from a stagnant status quo. A widely recognized part of this program of change is bolstering human development, as a means towards under- cutting the causes of and support for violent radicalism. However, while science and technology has been an integral part of developmental success stories in East Asia, and science and technology cooperation was an essential aspect of US Cold War strategy, little understanding has been developed for how this key US strength—its strong science and technology resources and institutions—might be better utilized as part of its overall strategy towards the Islamic world. As such, we are pleased to present Untapped Potential: US Science and Technology Cooperation with the Islamic World by Michael Levi and Michael d’Arcy. In applying the best of science knowledge to one of the toughest foreign policy challenges of our day, Levi and d’Arcy have filled an important research space. We appreciate their contribution to the Project’s work and certainly are proud to share their views and analysis on this important issue with the wider public. We are grateful for the generosity and cooperation of the Carnegie Corporation, the Education for Employment Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the MacArthur Foundation, the Government of Qatar, the United States Institute of Peace, Haim Saban, and the Brookings Institution for their support of various Project activities. We would also like to acknowledge the hard work of Sara Gamay, Zaid Safdar, Ellen McHugh, Sarah Yerkes, and Garner Gollatz for their support of the Project’s publications. Stephen Philip Cohen Martin Indyk Peter W. Singer Shibley Telhami Project Co-Convenor Project Co Convenor Project Director Project Co-Convenor III EXECUTIVE SUMMARY merica’s relationship with the Islamic world, important regional problems like natural resource A marred by widespread hostility that is mani- management, all while strengthening American public fested most devastatingly by terrorism, is a liability diplomacy in the Islamic world. To be certain, some that cannot be ignored. In confronting it, efforts to science and technology cooperation, involving certain destroy terrorist groups must be matched by initiatives sensitive subjects, would be unwise, but a prudent that undermine radicalism, raise the standing of the balance is well within reach. United States and sap societal support for terrorists. These must remove reasons for terrorism and the Only a strategic approach will yield the full potential context within which new recruits are drawn towards benefits of science and technology cooperation, and radicalism and violence. Economic and social devel- the first foundation of that approach is a solid under- opment are important to realizing those visions—and standing of the state of science and technology in the science and technology can make critical contribu- Islamic world. There is no doubt that, even compared tions to such development. Nowhere is this sort of to other states at similar stages of economic develop- progress more urgently needed than in the Muslim ment, states in the Islamic world lag in science and states and communities that make up the wider technology performance. Beyond that, no short sum- Islamic world. Across a broad swathe from North mary can capture the immense diversity of the Islamic Africa to East Asia, the Islamic world—with some world, as no one country stands out overall. Malaysia important exceptions—not only lags behind global is by far the strongest in applying science and tech- standards in economic, human, and political develop- nology to industry, while the Middle East dominates ment, but is even farther behind in developing the in academic publishing, and Central Asia stands out science and technology capacity that can support with its sheer number of scientists and engineers. sustainable future growth. At the opposite end of the spectrum, sub-Saharan Africa trails consistently. Moreover, strong institutions Despite widespread and growing public hostility to the do exist even within weak states or regions, making United States in the Islamic world, American science cooperation possible. and technology are widely admired there. This pro- vides a valuable channel for productive cooperation. Many would be surprised to learn that the United By working wisely with scientists and engineers from States already engages this scientific capacity over a the Islamic world, the United States could bolster wide range of fields. The US government has taken a economic and human development and aid in tackling strong lead in this area, working with scientists and IV Untapped Potential: US Science and Technology Cooperation with the Islamic World engineers in nearly every state in the Islamic world, could do better. While it must be developed in collab- either through collaboration with US government oration with the scientific community, a strategy will scientists and engineers or by funding cooperative require strong political guidance if it is to be an work outside the government. Prominent participants integral part of America’s approach to the Islamic include the Department of Defense, Department of world. The United States should learn a number of State, the United States Agency for International lessons from past attempts at science and technology Development, the National Science Foundation, cooperation in the Islamic world and elsewhere: the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, the Department of Commerce, • Focus on applying technology, not just on scientific the Environmental Protection Agency, and the research and development. Department of Agriculture. Private-sector efforts (by With technological advancement the goal, research corporations and non-governmental organizations) and development are often not the best focus. In have played a role, too, most prominently through many states education will be paramount; in others, donations and loans (from the World Bank, for exam- the top priority should be to strengthen technology- ple) for technological, agricultural, and educational intensive industry. Where research and development development, through foreign direct investment in are possible, they should form a component of research and development, through corporate training scientific collaboration. Technology, which leads to programs (promoted by, for example, the World economic and societal development, should come Business Council for Sustainable Development), and first, though; research will follow in due course. through the efforts of groups like the US National Academy of Sciences to build bridges with civil • The political structure of scientific interactions society. Furthermore, American universities host matters. thousands of visiting Islamic world scientists every Take care in structuring interactions, whether year. Indeed, perhaps without knowing it, the United bilateral, regional, or spanning the Islamic world. States has built a broad and impressive program Initiatives that cover broader areas may seem sim- of science and technology cooperation with the pler and perhaps more cost-effective than bilateral Islamic world. approaches, but can be crippled by internal disagreement. They have met with success in some Despite these various initiatives, there is no coherent regions, such as Africa, but have faced greater diffi- strategy, and with a deliberate effort the United States culties in the Middle East. V • Take advantage of Islamic world diasporas. Within the context of a broader strategy, an expansion Many states have strengthened their science of American efforts will be beneficial. Individual and technology capacity by drawing on their programs ranging from a government-wide clearing- diasporas—not just their recent emigrants. Many house of science and technology cooperation to the areas in the Islamic world have substantial scientific execution of region-wide science and technology sur- diasporas in the United States, which could act as a veys would also be invaluable, serving as common bridge between the United States and their ancestral foundations of a comprehensive strategy. homes, and could therefore be profitably involved. Though

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