Academies Wrestle with Issue of Islam's Flagging Science Base
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news The bottom line Poles apart Cash crisis Secret weapon Michigan’s biotech Report sparks row Max Planck Society US Army seeks dream falls foul of over effects of oil pulls plug on partners for biotech funding cuts drilling in the Arctic chemical units research p102 p103 p105 p106 Academies wrestle with issue of Islam’s flagging science base Declan Butler, Trieste With the world on the brink of a conflict that is likely to reverberate for years to come, scientific leaders gathered in Trieste, Italy, last week to discuss why Islamic coun- K. M. CHAUDARY/AP tries have neglected science and technology, and what could be done to end this neglect. Stretching from Indonesia to Morocco, and from Uganda to Kazakhstan, Muslim countries are home to 1.3 billion people and three-quarters of the world’s fuel reserves. But their combined gross national product (GNP) is less than half that of Germany, illit- eracy levels are among the world’s highest, and science spending, at 0.2% of GNP, is well below the global average. The meeting of research ministers and heads of scientific academies was organized by the InterAcademy Panel on International The Koran states that Muslims should seek knowledge of nature, so why is science being neglected? Issues, as part of an effort to strengthen the resources and roles of scientific academies the region’s stunted scientific development They even proposed that scientists should worldwide in promoting research and pro- can be linked to the practice of Islam. Many help to ‘reform’ Islam. Others said that better viding independent advice to governments. speakers pointed out that the religion itself is science education might discourage people The delegates argued that political leaders pro-science, with the Koran stating the duty of from what many scientists regard as the in Islamic nations often fail to appreciate Muslims to seek knowledge of nature. Indeed, irrational aspects of religious belief. the importance of scientific research to they added that the Islamic world enjoyed six “The problem is coming from dogma, their countries’ development. Most speakers centuries of scientific progress while Europe from narrow interpretations of the Koran,” blamed public spending skewed towards the was floundering in the Dark Ages. said Atta-ur-Rahman, president of the Pak- military, low educational standards, and a lack But some delegates argued that aspects of istan Academy of Sciences and minister for of public interest in science for this pattern. Islam — particularly fundamentalism — are higher education. Rahman, who is director But there was less agreement on whether incompatible with modernity and science. of the Husein Ebrahim Jamal Research ▲ Bush seeks to beef up US nuclear-weapons arsenal Geoff Brumfiel, Washington which it says could be used to destroy the proposal and said that it would encourage The Bush administration is mounting a chemical and biological weapon facilities. global nuclear proliferation. “‘Penetrators fresh push to add to the United States’ The president’s 2004 budget asks for the can’t penetrate very far,” says Richard nuclear-weapons arsenal. repeal of a 1993 law that prohibits the Garwin, a physicist who has advised the US In a report to go to Congress this week, development of weapons with yields of less government on nuclear-weapons policy. “And the Air Force is expected to make the case than 5 kilotonnes as they would lower the they will not destroy chemicals or even for developing a “robust nuclear earth threshold for using nuclear weapons. anthrax under likely conditions of storage.” penetrator” that can destroy deeply buried In a hearing last week, Congressman Mac Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher targets. The earth penetrator, proposed last Thornberry (Republican, Texas) said the new (Democrat, California) says she hopes to year by Bush-administration officials (see weapons would strengthen the United States’ muster enough opposition to block the new Nature 415, 945; 2002), would be a hardened nuclear deterrent. “I’m concerned about how weapons in Congress. “I think Democrats version of an existing warhead. we keep our deterrent credible,” he said. are getting increasingly fired up about this,” The administration has also taken steps But scientists familiar with nuclear- she says. “And I think the American people to develop new, low-yield nuclear weapons, weapon design questioned the usefulness of should be fired up about it too.” ■ NATURE | VOL 422 | 13 MARCH 2003 | www.nature.com/nature © 2003 Nature Publishing Group 101 news ▲ Institute of Chemistry in Karachi, has championed plans to create a multibillion Pan Islamic R&D Fund by the 57-state Biotech project in turmoil as Organization of the Islamic Conference (see Nature 416, 120–122; 2002). Michigan balances books Perhaps the most contentious sugges- tion was that science is stifled by a lack Jonathan Knight, San Francisco of democracy in authoritarian Islamic A project to turn Michigan into a biotech- countries. Adnan Badran, president of the nology powerhouse is being gutted to help Beirut-based Arab Academy of Sciences keep the state out of debt. MCNEA/MSU B. and former deputy director-general of the The Life Sciences Corridor — established United Nations Educational, Scientific in 1999 with settlement money from a multi- and Cultural Organization, is convinced state lawsuit against the tobacco industry — that a lack of free expression and creative provides nearly $50 million a year in research thinking explains the absence of a vibrant funding to Michigan’s major research univer- scientific culture. “Oppressive regimes are sities and biotechnology start-ups (see Nature hindering the creativity of scientists in 400, 391; 1999). In the long term, the project Islamic states, imprisoning the brains of is intended to help lessen the state’s economic the élite,” he said. reliance on the motor industry. Michigan State University is among the Whether religious culture helps or But in February, Michigan’s governor, institutions set to lose biotechnology funding. hinders the advancement of Islamic Jennifer Granholm, chopped the pro- society is a “legitimate question”, argued gramme’s 2003 budget down to $32.5 mil- budget, administered by the Michigan Eco- Çigdem Kagitcibasi, a psychologist and lion as part of a package of cuts to address the nomic Development Corporation, has gone member of the Turkish Academy of Sci- state’s $285-million shortfall. The deficit is to fund basic research at public institutions ences. She said it is important to assess the projected to grow dramatically, and on 6 such as Michigan State University, with the impact of religious dogma on education, March Granholm proposed cutting all but rest helping private start-up companies or and expressed concern about the growth $20 million from the programme in 2004. public–private collaborations. of fundamentalist religious schools. Supporters of the project were surprised So far the fund has been involved in some Such arguments drew fire from by the governor’s decision. “In terms of cre- 50 Michigan start-ups. The declining econ- Mohamed Falougi, deputy director gen- ating jobs and sources of revenue, this was a omy has made the project’s job even more eral of the Islamic Educational, Scientific rather creative proposal,” says Frank Press, a important, says its managing director, Raili and Cultural Organization, who said that former president of the National Academy Kerppola. “We have been playing the critical they are political, and should not arise of Sciences and now a consultant with the role of providing seed capital to new compa- at a meeting of scientists. Saleh Al-Athel, Washington Advisory Group in Washington nies while private-sector investment has president of the King Abdulaziz City for DC, which advised on early project plan- pretty much shut down,” he says. Science & Technology in Riyadh, Saudi ning. “To regress now is short-sighted.” Grants from the Life Sciences Corridor Arabia, warned against the idea that The Life Sciences Corridor was set up as are given in lump sums, so previous awards science is synonymous with progress, a 20-year project to foster the sort of growth will remain untouched, Kerppola says. But whereas Islam is somehow ‘backward’. in commercial biotechnology that has sur- far fewer awards will be made this year. Although the academic élite of Islamic rounded universities in other states, notably Granholm said that cuts were a “tough countries is generally suspicious of the California and Massachusetts. choice” forced by Michigan voters’ resistance United States’ motives and commitment Nearly half of the programme’s annual to tax increases. ■ to democracy in the region, many scien- tists and intellectuals are now so impa- tient for greater freedom that they are willing to contemplate change imposed from outside, according to Badran. Auction of DNA archive cancelled The meeting provided a rare opportu- nity for Western scientific leaders, such Rex Dalton, San Diego have expressed interest and we are pursuing as Bruce Alberts, president of the US A historic archive of molecular-biology a private sale.” National Academy of Sciences, to rub papers will not be broken up and sold, as “I am glad that Christie’s has withdrawn shoulders with their Islamic counterparts. planned, at auction next month. Jeremy the auction,” says Klug, who sold his papers Most said that the gathering marked a Norman, the California-based owner of the to the archive on the basis of an agreement positive step towards greater cooperation archive, said that he hopes instead to keep it that they would be kept together. between Islamic and Western scientists. intact and sell it to a library. When the proposed sale, scheduled for Rahman added that scientists are well The auction house Christie’s announced 25 April, was disclosed last month, Klug and placed to engage in dialogue between on 4 March that it was cancelling the auction others expressed anger that the papers were Islamic countries and the West.