The International Basic Science Programme IBSP of UNESCO
Herwig Schopper University Hamburg and CERN Chair of Scientific Board of IBSP
Herwig Schopper,DESY,19/20 MAY 2011 Sustainable installation of new technologies (new energy sources) needs understanding by society of problems concerning environment, energy and climate
Broad Science education at all levels is necessary for a knowledge oriented society Scientific cooperation (regional and intercontinental, small or big projects) is important driver for sustainable development Long-term partnerships between developed regions and regions in development (Europe and MENA) should be established
Basic science provides a foundation and opens doors for such activities (this meeting at DESY not by chance!)
Herwig Schopper,DESY,19/20 MAY 2011 How can Basic Science contribute to such tasks Basic science: Determines our understanding of nature (cosmos, microcosm, evolution)‚ ‘Weltbild‘, part of culture (teaching at schools!) Education in basic science enables people to make their own judgments on technologies Encourages young people to go into science and technology Many technologies can be transferred to solar power projects (metrology, supercontuctivity,etc) Near term cooperation
Herwig Schopper,DESY,19/20 MAY 2011 One instrument contributing to achieve the mentioned objectives: International Basic Science Programme IBSP of UNESCO
It is the only programme for Basic Science in the whole UN family, a part of the ‘S’ in UNESCO
Contributes also to the general objectives of UNESCO: -Peace and security -Sustainable development -Poverty reduction
-Energy???
IBSP: what it is, what it does
- Started 6 years ago, still in development - Focalises on a few Major Priority Actions (criteria below) - Assures quality standards of projects in the developing world - IBSP is not a funding agency for scientific projects, but can provide ‘seed funds’ - Strong partners are needed (co-financing) - IBSP can give initial push (‚Inertialzündung‘) to establish regional or international centres of excellence monitored by an International Scientific Board appointed by Director General of UNESCO IBSP managed by ADG G.Kalonji and Dir. M.Nałecz
Herwig Schopper,DESY,19/20 MAY 2011 Major collaborating partners
• Abdus Salam International Centre ICTP, Trieste • Academy of Sciences for the Developing World TWAS, Trieste • CERN, European Centre for Particle Physics, Geneva • International Unions of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology IUBMB, Pure and Applied Chemistry IUPAC, Pure and Applied Physics IUPAP • International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology ICGEB, Trieste • International Centre for Pure and Applied Mathematics ICPAM, Nice • Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation ISESCO • Federation of African Societies of Chemistry FACS, Addis Ababa • International Commission on Mathematical Instruction ICMI, Quebec, Canada • others
Herwig Schopper,DESY,19/20 MAY 2011
Main Criteria for Major Activity Projects
- Scientific excellence - Relevance, uniqueness and added value to regional or international development goals, - Foster young generation and/or gender equality - at least two countries must participate, at least one from developing world - Considerable involvement of national institutions or governments is necessary
- Provide scientific expertise to governments or decision makers if wanted
Herwig Schopper,DESY,19/20 MAY 2011 Categories of flagship projects
A. Door opening for projects in politically difficult regions benefitting from the unique relations of UNESCO with governments B. Innovations to Science Education C. Networks for capacity building Not just bilateral, but rather regional or pan-continental networks
Only 2 examples can be given for each category
Herwig Schopper,DESY,19/20 MAY 2011 Examples of Flagship Projects (mainly for Africa and MENA) Open doors SESAME International Centre for synchrotron-light in the Middle East, Allan, Jordan talk by KhaledToukan, Director Outstanding example for Institutional capacity building and ‚science for peace‘ International Organisation with these two tasks founded under UNESCO with CERN as model Member States: Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestine, Turkey, cooperation between governments, not only scientists involved (in Council government representatives)
Herwig Schopper,DESY,19/20 MAY 2011 UNESCO category 2 centres
Rules imply a certain independence from host state, stable financing for 5 years and monitoring • International Biomics Training Centre in Rehovot, Israel, training program in Proteomics, Genomics and Bioinformatics, for post-graduate researchers from region, scholarships
• International Centre for Biotechnology in Nsukka, Nigeria in co-operation with Regional Centre for biotechnology in New Delhi, India
• International Centre for Advanced Training of Scientists of Portuguese-Speaking countries, Lisbon, Portugal
Herwig Schopper,DESY,19/20 MAY 2011 Innovations to Science Education
Teaching of teachers (highschool-teachers) courses at CERN teaching them also how to organise similar courses for teachers in their countries, „cascade effect“ African nodes (Morroco, Ruanda) invite people from neighbour countries
Global Project on microscience experiments experimental kits for elementary schools, for (hands-on) for basic science education (chemistry) workshops in more than 80 countries, centres in Cameroon, Kenya, South Africa
Herwig Schopper,DESY,19/20 MAY 2011 Networking for capacity building in developing countries
Two examples for Africa
1. Creation of Digital libraries and repositories for African universities (including Open Acess issues) Training of trainers, (with ISESCO, Library Alexandria) courses at CERN for African librarians trained to use soft ware packages and to organise similar courses at home supervised by CERN Cascade effect participants from many countries: Benin, Cameron, Ehtiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Senegal, Tunisia, nodes in Morocco and Rwanda
Herwig Schopper,DESY,19/20 MAY 2011
2. Neurosciences in Africa: Establish research collaborations between national institutions, interdisciplinary approach: natural sciences combined with health and social aspects (HIV, AIDS, malaria, sleeping sickness) Reverse brain drain, learn how to setup labs, research plans and apply for grants international schools took place in Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Rwanda Other UNESCO activities under umbrella of IBSP
L‘Oréal/Unesco partnership for the promotion of women in basic sciences (yearly prize) The International Year of Chemistry 2011 with IUPAC The International Year of Crystallography 2013 with IUCr
Creation of World Library of Science partnership UNESCO and Nature Publishing Group
Herwig Schopper,DESY,19/20 MAY 2011 Under discussion
International satellite for science education (Russia provides satellite and launch, USA and countries from developing world take care of ‚payload‘ and programmes) International advanced schools in basic sciences in Lybia (dorment) Energy forum together with ICTP, Trieste Not to dublicate ongoing scientific and technological efforts Building of Trust between scientifique and political leaders using UNESCO‘s special relation with governments
Herwig Schopper,DESY,19/20 MAY 2011 Hope:
Activities to promote basic sciences will help in two ways for projects discussed at this Forum: 1. to prepare in the long term the foundation and the sustainable installation of projects (science education), 2. Immediate cooperation by technology transfer from basic science to pilot projects
Thank you