Twenty Vision Manuel Peimbert (Mexico) Significant Contributions to Sci- Secretary General Ence in the South

TWAS 20TH ANNIVERSARY TWAS NEWSLETTER Published quarterly with the support of the Kuwait Foundation he 20th anniversary of TWAS is certainly an occasion to celebrate the accomplish- for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) by The Third World ments of the Academy. Who could have imagined that the ‘foundation meeting’ of the Academy of Sciences (TWAS) c/o ICTP, Strada Costiera 11 Academy, held in Duino Castle, near Trieste, two decades ago, would have brought T 34014 Trieste, Italy us to the prominent position in which TWAS finds itself today? I do indeed feel honoured to PH: +39 040 2240327 fax: +39 040 224559 be a founding member of TWAS and I am indeed honoured to serve as its president today. e-mail: [email protected] Today, we are an Academy whose membership exceeds 650. We are an Academy whose website: www.twas.org

core programmes – our research grants, our awards and prizes, our fellowships and associ- TWAS COUNCIL ateships, and our support for meetings and lectures throughout the South – have benefitted President C.N.R. Rao (India) thousands of scientists in the developing world. We are an Academy that has been instru- Immediate Past President mental in the creation and development of the Third World Network of Scientific Orga- José I. Vargas (Brazil) nizations (TWNSO) and the Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS) – Vice-Presidents Muhammad Akhtar (Pakistan) scientific organizations that, Adnan Badran (Jordan) Lu Yong Xiang (China) in their own right, have made Godwin O.P. Obasi (Nigeria) Twenty - Twenty Vision Manuel Peimbert (Mexico) significant contributions to sci- Secretary General ence in the South. And we are an Academy that has recently assumed administrative respon- Jacob Palis (Brazil) sibility for the InterAcademy Panel on International Issues (IAP), a global network of more Treasurer Ali A. Al-Shamlan (Kuwait)

than 90 merit-based science academies. Council Members In short, we are an Academy that is being increasingly recognized as the leading voice both Atiia Ashour (Egypt) Frederick I.B. Kayanja (Uganda) for science and science-based development in the South. Gerald C. Lalor (Jamaica) Miguel A. Virasoro (Argentina) Proud of our accomplishments we should be. Nevertheless we should also view the Ahmed H. Zakri (Malaysia) Academy’s 20th anniversary not only as an occasion to look back but also as an opportunity TWAS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR to look ahead – in effect, to examine the past with an eye towards the future, focusing on the Mohamed H.A. Hassan (Sudan) challenges that lie ahead as we take pride in the success of our previous undertakings. EDITOR The future challenges are many. When, under the leadership of Abdus Salam, we decided Daniel Schaffer

to explore the possibility of creating an academy for scientists from the developing world, sci- ASSISTANT EDITOR ence throughout the South largely faced similar conditions: underfunding, understaffing and Peter Mcgrath

not having a proper place in the value system. A broad-based campaign to lift the capabilities MANAGING EDITOR and raise the profile of science throughout the South was the best strategy to pursue. Gisela Isten

Efforts to continue to build scientific capacity in the developing world remain a high pri- SUPPORT STAFF Helen Grant, Sheila Khawaja, ority. Yet, the situation today is much different. Science in the South, like the South itself, dis- Helen Martin, Leena Mungapen, Sandra Ravalico [CONTINUED PAGE 3]

DESIGN & ART DIRECTION Sandra Zorzetti, Rado Jagodic www.studio-link.it

PRINTING CONTENTS 2 TWENTY-TWENTY 6 THE MINISTER IN THE MIDDLE 9 OUR Stella Arti Grafiche, Trieste

ACADEMY 12 THEN AND NOW 15 MESSAGES 20 S&T PROGRESS IN CHINA Unless otherwise indicated, the text of this newsletter is written by its editors and may be reproduced freely 29DIVIDE NO MORE 34 AFRICA’S SCIENCE STATESMAN with due credit to the source plays a wide diversity of experience and accomplishment – a trend that carries significant implications for science throughout the developing world. In a sense, science in the South no Sep 2003 longer resembles a single shade of grey, but is now represented by a mosaic of colours that defies a singular description. China, the host of the Academy’s first General Conference outside of Trieste in 1987 and the venue for our 20th anniversary celebration, has emerged as a prominent scientific player in a variety of different fields. My own country of India, too, has made great strides in the development of its scientific infrastructure – an investment that has paid off handsomely in the cre- TWAS Newsletter, Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3, ation of dynamic scientific enterprises (as highlighted at sessions at the TWAS’s 8th General Conference held last year in New Delhi). In Latin America, Brazil has taken significant steps to improve its scientific and technological capabilities with encouraging results, not only for science and scientists, but also for its wider population. South Korea has travelled further along the road to science-based sustainable development to the extent that it now belongs to the Orga- nisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the world’s exclusive club of wealthy countries with average annual per capita incomes of US$22,000. (Korea’s annual average per capita income now exceeds US$10,000 and is expected to top US$20,000 by 2012.) Most observers agree that South Korea’s sustained commitment to the development of science and technology within its borders has played a significant role in its success. Malaysia and Indonesia have devised similar strategies in an effort to emulate the progress that has been made by their east Asian neighbour. These are a few examples of the changing scenario and there are many more. As the Academy looks ahead, it must recognize and respond to the dramatic changes that have taken place in science throughout the developing world over the past 20 years. Equally important, TWAS must anticipate the dramatic changes likely to unfold over the next 20 years. That is why TWAS has recently embarked on several measures that the Academy hopes will increase its future effectiveness. Last year, the Academy launched the TWAS Research Units in the Least Developed Coun- tries (LDCs), a scheme designed to support scientific and technological development in the South’s poorest countries. This new programme is designed to build and sustain scientific excellence at universities and research centres in LDCs that have done good work under extraordi- narily difficult circumstances. The long-term goal is to help the LDCs train a critical mass of highly qualified scientists capable of addressing the real-life problems facing their countries. Grants of US$30,000 a year for up to three years are available to the selected research groups. During the first round of competition, we received more than 100 applications and were able to fund six groups. Now, we hope to expand this effort in the years ahead. We can think of no better way of promoting both equity and excellence as part of a larger effort to ensure the advance of science and science-based development in the South. However, for this worthwhile project to succeed, we do need help and financial support from all concerned.

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3 TWAS Newsletter, Vol. 15 No. 3, Jul-Sep 2003 million inthenext3years. tion oftheworldeconomyand ourownrequirements,weshouldtrytoreachatargetUS$15 support andconfidencethattheir contributionsrepresent.Ifeelthat,consideringthesitua- tists thathaveinvestedintheendowmentfundfortheirgenerosity andfortheexpressionof a worldmarkedbyuncertaintyandrisk.We thankallthedevelopingnationsandscien- original US$10milliontargetintheyearsahead,servingas asourceoffinancialstabilityin generosity inthefutureordertocontinueadvanceour agenda. Development. TWAS hasdependedontheir supportinthepastandislikelytorelyontheir K Re including UNESCO, whichalsoservesasouradministrativeagency, theDepartmentfor ous supportofourbenefactors,beginning,course,withtheItaliangovernment,butalso from whichtolaunchevenmoreeffectiveprogrammesinthefuture. (WMO). Again,theworkwehavedonetogetherinpastshouldserveasastrongplatform United NationsEnvironmentProgramme(UNEP)andtheWorld MeteorologicalOrganization Cultural Organization(UNESCO),theUnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme(UNDP), with membersoftheUnitedNationsfamily–Educational,Scientificand which wehavealreadydevelopedstrongties.Andwillcontinuetostrengthenourrelations National AcademyofSciences,andHarvardUniversity’sKennedy SchoolofGovernment,with theUS as suchlike-mindedinstitutionstheInternationalCouncilforScience(ICSU), andIAP–aswell nizations, workingcloselywithitsaffiliatedinstitutions–TWOWS,TWNSO Academy nowbelievesarecentraltoenduringadvancesinscience-baseddevelopment. keen toexaminethekeyelementsthatliebehindhealthyandsuccessfulinstitutions,which knowledge ofthenaturalworldandourunderstandinghumannaturebehaviour. We are goal isnotonlytobroadenthereachofTWAS butalsotocreategreatersynergybetweenour was awardedtheNobelPrizeineconomics1979. served aspresidentofBrazil,andthelateArthurLewis(TWAS AssociateFellow 1985),who professor ofpoliticalscienceattheUniversitySãoPaulo, andbetween19952002, sciences: Federico HenriqueCardoso(TWAS Fellow 1984),whoearly inhiscareerwasasa scholars insuchfieldsaseconomics,sociologyandpoliticalscience. we havecometorealizethatneedworkmorecloselywithourfellowresearchersand increasingly concernedwiththeapplicationofsciencetoaddresscriticalissuesinSouth, that aredesignedtobuildscientificcapacityintheSouth.Moreover, astheAcademybecomes uwait Foundation fortheAdvancementofScienceandOPECFundInternational search Cooperation of the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida-SAREC), the search CooperationoftheSwedishInternationalDevelopment Agency(Sida-SAREC), The Academy’sendowmentfund,whichnowtotalsUS$7.4 million,islikelytoreachits None ofTWAS’s successinthepast20yearswouldhavebeenpossiblewithoutgener- The Academywillcontinuetoexpanditspartnershipswithinternationalscientificorga- In 2001,theAcademyelectedfivemembersinfieldsof‘socialscienceandeconomics.’Our Prior to2001,onlytwomembersofTWAS werefromdisciplinesotherthanthenatural TWAS hasgainedawell-earnedreputationfortheeffectivenessofitscoreprogrammes 4 Whether we can achieve this is just one of the questions facing the Academy in the years ahead. Others include: What will the Academy look like 20 years from now? Will its growth Sep 2003 be as spectacular as the first 20 years? Will it continue to expand its presence in the world of science in both the South and North? Will it continue to serve as the voice for science in the developing world – both as a repository of scientific knowledge and as an advocate for the developing world’s future? Only time will tell. But this much we do know. Because of the success it has achieved over the past 20 years, the Academy is poised to make an even greater contribution to science and TWAS Newsletter, Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3, society in the next 20 years. With a growing membership; with direct ties to the world of economics, sociology and political science; with a full range of strong partnerships with other scientific institutions and international organizations; with the synergistic strength provided by its administrative responsibilities with TWNSO, TWOWS and IAP; and with a stable budget and an endowment fund, which will hopefully reach US$15 million, there is reason to believe that the Academy’s future will be even more fruitful than its past. The Nobel Prize was Abdus Salam’s greatest scientific reward and the International Cen- tre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) his most renowned creation. But TWAS is the institution that embodies his loftiest dreams: a tight-knit community of the developing world’s most eminent scientists working together not only to advance the frontiers of science but to make science more relevant to society. It was, after all, the unity of scientific excellence and social good that served as Salam’s most ambitious goal. Let us celebrate the 20th anniversary of TWAS by rededicating ourselves to the principles that shaped Salam’s grand vision of better future – a vision that he most clearly articulated in a statement he made in 1983 – the year of the Academy’s birth: “Scientific knowledge is a shared heritage of all mankind. East and West, South and North have all equally participated in its creation in the past, and we hope, they will in the future. This joint endeavour in sciences remains one of the unifying forces among the people of this globe.” I personally have no doubt that it is scientific knowledge that will eventually bring equality amongst the nations. Only science can uplift the dignity of those who have been less fortunate. Only science can create a world, where equality and social justice prevail, and where all of humankind hold their heads high because of the self-esteem they have gained. And only that world will have peace and harmony. ■

> C.N.R. Rao President Third World Academy of Sciences Trieste, Italy

5 COMMENTARY

THE MINISTER IN THE MIDDLE

JOSÉ I. VARGAS, BRAZIL’S MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FROM 1992 UNTIL 1999, ASSUMED THE TWAS PRESIDENCY FROM ABDUS SALAM IN 1996. HE WOULD LEAD THE ACADEMY FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. AS THE SECOND OF TWAS’S THREE PRESIDENTS, VARGAS – THE MINISTER IN THE MIDDLE – OVERSAW KEY STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ACADEMY’S EVER-EXPANDING OPERATIONS.

hen Abdus Salam, TWAS’s the unforeseen consequences of the annual ‘voluntary contribution’ founding president, re- end of the Cold War was that im- from the Italian government of W signed due to ill health, poverished Asian and African na- about US$ 1.5 million. Even so, dur- he left behind an organization that tions lost their strategic roles in ing the early 1990s, one of the ma- carried many of his most enviable international politics. As a result, jor goals of the Academy was to find qualities: intelligence, commit- international aid soon slipped to an a way of overcoming its budgetary ment, passion, and a deep sense of average of just 0.25 percent of na- constraints and uncertainties. humanity. It was, therefore, an tional GDP. For developing coun- That is why I devoted so much time honour to have assumed the presi- tries, the anticipated global ‘peace and energy during my tenure to dency from him. dividend’ turned out to be an inter- transforming the Italian govern- Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, national ‘peace withdrawal.’ ment’s ‘voluntary’ contribution into Abdus Salam often urged govern- This was still the situation when, a ‘permanent’ contribution written ments in the North’s industrialized five years later, I took over the TWAS into Italian parliamentary law. countries to invest 0.75 percent of presidency from Abdus Salam. There We made good progress in reaching their gross domestic product (GDP) was a distinct lack of investment in this goal during my tenure, but ulti- on overseas development assis- developing countries – investment mately fell short of having the sig- tance. He also pushed for Southern that ought to be part of the North’s natures placed on the relevant doc-

Sep 2003 nations themselves to invest 2 per- larger effort to build a stable and uments. Now, I am told, the cent of their GDP on research and secure world for everyone. Academy is closer than ever to development. Few countries on ei- At TWAS, too, funds to give recog- achieving this momentous event ther side of the North-South divide nition, encouragement and support which will ensure TWAS’s financial have ever reached these targets. to scientific excellence in the South future. This modest goal became even – the main aims of the Academy – Budgetary constraints and uncer- more remote with the collapse of had always been tight. Fortunately, tainties had been the reasons be-

TWAS Newsletter, Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3, communism in 1991. In fact, one of since 1985, TWAS had received an hind the launch, in 1993, of TWAS’s

6 endowment fund. This is one area in 1998 with a further donation of grammes – later, these organiza- where I think my presence as TWAS nearly US$90,000. tions are still fully involved in president made an important con- Today, I am pleased to note that, as TWAS’s activities. This is a sign, not tribution. C.N.R. Rao reports, another mile- only of the high-profile inter- The aim was – and is – to build a stone in the growth of the endow- national links TWAS has developed fund of US$10 million to US$15 ment fund – the three-quarter mark over the past 20 years, but also of million. I sincerely believe that the – has almost been reached (see art- its relevance to scientific capacity endowment is the key to the icle on page 2). All this has been building and sustainable develop- Academy’s future well-being and in- achieved with donations from de- ment in the South. dependence. Most importantly, it veloping country governments and During my presidency, we also or- will help smooth out the bumps in private individuals. ganized three major international the road that inevitably surface dur- With this magnificent effort behind conferences – TWAS’s 5th General ing annual budget cycles. it, TWAS is now confident it can Conference in Abuja, Nigeria, held Although the fund had got off to a reach its minimum target of US$10 in 1995; the 6th General Conference good start, quickly reaching US$2.5 million within the next few years held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in million, contributions had pla- and perhaps reach beyond this tar- 1997; and, two years later, the 7th teaued when I assumed the presi- get to build a US$15 million en- General Conference in Dakar, Sene- dency in 1996. Indeed, no new sub- dowment. gal. stantial contributions had been re- Over the years, the Academy’s bud- I recall saying at the Rio conference ceived for several years. get has also been supplemented by that: “Over the past two decades, Thanks, in part, to my close per- programme-specific donations from Brazil has made great progress in sonal ties with Brazil’s then-presi- such organizations as the Depart- the development of its science and dent, Fernando Cardoso, who is ment of Research Cooperation of technology capabilities. Yet much also a TWAS fellow, the Academy the Swedish International Develop- work remains to be done to ensure doubled the endowment fund to ment Agency (Sida-SAREC), the that the benefits of Brazil’s science

US$5 million within five years. Kuwait Foundation for the Advance- and technology infrastructure reach Sep 2003 Much of the credit for this must go ment of Sciences (KFAS), the OPEC into every corner of society.” to president Cardoso, whose tireless Fund for International Develop- The same sentiments could have efforts on the Academy’s behalf ment and the United Nations Edu- been used to describe the state of opened doors to high-level govern- cational, Scientific and Cultural Or- the science and technology enter- ment officials. Brazil itself made an ganization (UNESCO). prises in many of the developing early contribution to the fund of I am pleased to note that, several world’s most ‘advanced’ nations.

US$500,000, and followed this up years – and many successful pro- These nations have become scientif- Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3,

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7 ically proficient but have yet to con- lieved that this was one area that regions to communicate effectively, vert this strength into broadbased needed strengthening. We had yet helping each other to solve com- Sep 2003 economic development policies that to devise successful strategies for mon problems. make a difference in the quality of ensuring the sharing of informa- Perhaps this project is the model to life for all their citizens. tion and networking on a consis- follow so that the good work of Indeed, tapping scientific progress tent basis. TWAS and TWNSO reaches beyond as a wellspring for government poli- A current TWNSO project, spon- the scientific community into the cies and practices that lead to sus- sored by the Global Environemnt homes of people in developing tainable development is another as- Facility (GEF) and executed in co- countries.

TWAS Newsletter, Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3, pect of Academy concern that grew operation with TWAS, however, of- This, I’m sure, was Abdus Salam’s during my presidency. This was not fers some promising answers. Un- ideal when he founded the Aca- necessarily through anything I did der the ‘Promoting Best Practices demy 20 years ago, and I have great per se, but can be traced to another for Conservation and Sustainable confidence that, under its present of Abdus Salam’s initiatives – the Use of Biodiversity of Global Signif- president, C.N.R. Rao – and for foundation of the Third World Net- icance in Arid and Semi-Arid Zones’ many years to follow – this will be work of Scientific Organizations project, five scientific conferences, the aim the Academy. (TWNSO). Among the organiza- each held in a different developing The tool is science, the method is to tion’s membership are 39 ministries country, have been organized. Not build scientific capacity and knowl- of science, technology and higher only that, but a volume of scientific edge networks, and the goal is sus- education, positive evidence that papers emanating from these meet- tainable development. TWNSO can reach into the deci- ings has been published by Kluwer Once again, let me say that I am sion-making core of governments in Academic Publishers. Another pub- honoured to have served as TWAS the South. A number of TWAS fel- lication, this one by TWNSO, in- president and, on the occasion of its lows, too, are either ministers of sci- cludes 21 case studies, and there 20th anniversary, I am delighted to ence, or are closely linked with gov- are plans to produce a third volume see its fine works continuing. Long ernment advisory bodies, including for a more general, non-technical may they do so. ■ academies of science. readership. This connection between science In this way, the scientific informa- > José I. Vargas and government is crucial, and is tion garnered in the field and in lab- TWAS Past President another key aspect that I tried to fo- oratories is being made available to Brazil’s ambassador to cus on during my time as TWAS a wide audience with diverse levels UNESCO president. Making this link de- of scientific understanding. Another Paris, France pends, perhaps more than anything feature of this dryland biodiversity else, on developing effective sys- project has been the setting up of a tems of communication. website where browsers can review To render intelligent decisions one technical reports and respond to is- needs solid scientific information. sues raised by the authors. The However, as reported in a previous website should also make it easier TWAS Newsletter article (vol. 12, for scientists and other stakeholders no. 3, July - September 2000), I be- from the world’s arid and semi-arid

8 FEATURE

OUR ACADEMY

M.G.K. MENON, ONE OF TWAS’S FOUNDING MEMBERS, RECALLS HIS FIRST DISCUSSIONS ABOUT TWAS WITH ABDUS SALAM AND, TWENTY YEARS ON, GIVES A PERSONAL INSIGHT INTO THE EARLY DAYS OF THE ACADEMY.

bdus Salam and I were both admit- assume responsibility for the advocacy A ted as Academicians of the Pontifi- of science, establish standards of excel- cal Academy of Sciences in May 1981. lence, and promote social, cultural and In those days, for meetings of the economic development. Academy, the Academicians were put up in M.G.K. Menon Scientists from such countries could hotels outside the Vatican City, but near the only become members of academies or soci- Academy. eties elsewhere in the world if they were of a very high During one Academy meeting, some time after we calibre, in which case they could be inducted as for- were nominated, Abdus and I went out for dinner. I eign fellows or members of the Royal Society in the told him what a wonderful thing he had done for sci- UK, the US National Academies, the USSR Academy of ence in developing countries by establishing the Inter- Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the national Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Tri- Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the like. este which enabled scientists from developing coun- The next morning we met for breakfast at the Pon- tries, almost as a matter of right, to spend time regu- tifical Academy premises. He told me that he wanted larly at ICTP and interact with the best scientists in the to discuss further the matter that came up in our con- world. There, they could recharge their batteries versation the previous evening concerning scientists in before returning to their home countries where they developing countries. I said that since this related to faced many hardships and handicaps pursuing their developing countries it would be good if we could bring scientific work. together all the academicians who were available that Sep 2003 I told Abdus that there was an additional problem. morning. We quickly arranged for a table around In many developing countries, the scientific commu- which we all sat. I recall that group vividly: there was nity tended to be very small – too small to make an Abdus Salam, of course, and also Carlos Chagas, Hec- academy or society. Scientists in those countries, tor Croxatto, Johanna Döbereiner, Malu wa Kalenga, therefore, did not have any institution to which they Thomas Odhiambo, Crodowaldo Pavan, Marcel Roche, could belong and which would confirm their academic Salimuzzaman Siddiqui and myself.

credentials. There was also no group that could Abdus expounded the idea to create an academy of Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3,

[CONTINUED PAGE 10]

9 sciences for developing countries, to which eminent sci- had arranged for a gala event to be held at Duino Cas- entists from developing countries could get elected. tle – he was already on his search for visibility, patron- Sep 2003 This would help nurture a community of scientists age and financial support. around the world that, apart from providing the pres- Abdus worked ceaselessly for the Academy. With tige of such an academy to its individual members, the prestige of a Nobel Prize behind him, he travelled would promote research and exchange programmes all over the world seeking support for the Academy. and be a powerful advocate for science. He was received at the highest levels by presidents, We were all very excited about the possibility and prime ministers and royalty. the opportunities this would open up. Abdus offered to Abdus was a great physicist, and that is where his

TWAS Newsletter, Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3, host it at ICTP’s headquarters in Trieste, Italy, and to primary reputation came from. But he also wrote provide it with the necessary wherewithal to get started. extensively about science for the developing world. He It was a glorious autumn morning in Rome; the sun made impassioned pleas at international conferences was shining onto the breakfast table around which sat and fora, where he spoke from his heart of the plight of this group of scientists from Asia, Africa and Latin scientists in the developing world; the need for science America. The Third World Academy in the South; the lack of growth of of Sciences had been born. Five of science and support for science in these founding members are no Abdus Salam has left developing countries; the glorious longer in our midst. They were all behind a monumental history of science characterized by great pioneers in their own respec- achievement that is great civilizations that are in areas tive ways, leaders in their countries now regarded as developing; and living and growing. and in their disciplines, and inter- the relatively small efforts required nationally respected. to make science a truly international There was no stopping Abdus cooperative enterprise. after that. It was agreed that we would constitute an Had he lived, Abdus would have certainly been a electoral college of academicians of the new academy very worthy candidate for a Nobel Peace Prize. For by including all scientists from developing countries me, the word TWAS conjures up fond memories of this who were either fellows, foreign fellows or members of great person who did so much for the developing the world’s great science academies and societies. This world, and of the wonderful moments that I have provided the nucleus, bringing in a much larger num- shared with him. For TWAS, his name will be etched ber of eminent scientists who did not previously in letters of gold. His hopes and ambitions for TWAS have the privilege of belonging to their own sci- should always be the objectives that we strive to entific academy. All those who formed this achieve. electoral college were referred to as TWAS’s It is a tragedy that he passed away when ‘founding fellows’. he was 70 years old and that towards the end The next event that I remember of his life he suffered from a debilitating dis- in the early history of TWAS ease. In some way, many of us close to was the first meeting in Tri- him suffered with him and for him. I este. The group was very remember vividly a talk that I was giv- small and most of the sci- ing in the lecture hall at ICTP in Tri- entists were accompa- este, when I spoke in passing about nied by their spouses. his anguish in not being able to pur- There was a convivial sue science in his own country, atmosphere of infor- and that he had to do all the mality, intimacy and great work that brought him the excitement of a so much distinction else- new venture. Abdus where; how this expe-

10 rience steeled his resolve so that others should be spared this anguish; and how magnificent institutions like ICTP and TWAS grew out of this pain. Abdus was visibly moved, and I had to com- pletely change the direction of my Whilst there is strong repre- talk. sentation in TWAS from coun- Sep 2003 With the foundation provided tries such as Brazil, China, India by Abdus Salam, TWAS has be- and Mexico, there is now increas- come increasingly successful. ing awareness and significant José Vargas succeeded Salam as promotional efforts towards president. Thereafter, C.N.R. Rao bringing in fellows from the took over. Both have provided smaller, poorer and disadvan- admirable guidance and direction taged countries – which was one to TWAS, assisted by a dedicated of the primary objectives of Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3, council. TWAS also owes a deep TWAS. C.N.R. Rao, as president, sense of gratitude to its executive has done a great deal towards director, Mohamed H.A. Hassan, this goal. who has provided first-class man- TWAS membership also in- agement and administration in cludes associate fellows – out- the running of TWAS. He has travelled tirelessly standing scientists from developed countries who are around the world, so that the presence of TWAS deeply committed to international science and the became integral and essential at all fora relating to the growth of science in the developing countries. Indeed, development of science. His influence has been enor- TWAS’s first Abdus Salam Medal, awarded in 1995, mously important in forging new relationships with a was given to Federico Mayor, a native of Spain and range of institutions and organizations across the then director general of the United Nations Educa- world, as well as in attracting money. One of the great tional, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). successes of TWAS has been the creation and growth TWAS has built itself a clearly recognized image as of its endowment fund, an investment that is hoped the voice of science of the developing countries. will reach US$10 million by 2005. Through a variety of programmes and projects and I had the privilege of being at TWAS’s 2nd General through its affiliated partners (the Third World Net- Meeting in Beijing, held in 1987 – a high level affair work of Scientific Organizations (TWNSO) and the that attracted officials from the highest levels of the Third World Organization for Women in Science government of the People’s Republic of China. At that (TWOWS)), it has enlarged its coverage to areas of time, TWAS was still small, and there was a very inti- government policy and the role of women in science. mate atmosphere of friendship. I can vividly recall Abdus at TWAS’s 2nd General Since then I have been to meetings in Trieste, Conference in Beijing in 1987. In October 2003, on Kuwait, Nigeria, Brazil and India. At each, there was the 20th anniversary of TWAS, we go back to Beijing. a strong local flavour, with a depiction of the region’s We will miss Abdus Salam, but he has left behind a science. Furthermore, the successive conferences de- monumental achievement that is living and growing. monstrated how, as we have moved forward in time, That is our tribute to him. ■ TWAS has grown more representative of the developing world. Each one of us attending these meetings > M.G.K. Menon has been educated by getting to know scientists from TWAS Founding Fellow other areas and knowing the problems of those areas. New Delhi, India

11 FEATURE

TWAS AND SUSTAINABILITY: THEN AND NOW

MOHAMED HASSAN, TWAS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, REFLECTS ON THE ACADEMY’S TWENTY-YEAR HISTORY, ANALYSING HOW THE ORGANIZATION HAS EVOLVED IN ORDER TO ADAPT AND RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGES FACED BY SCIENCE AND SCIENTISTS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

Since its inception in 1983, TWAS has been involved in nership with the Abdus Salam International Centre for science-based sustainability issues. Of course, the Theoretical Physics (ICTP)). Academy didn’t use this term in the 1980s. No one did. This focus on scientific capacity building is essential Moreover, the core strategies developed by the Academy because nations without a strong foundation in science during its first decade of existence focused on building an are unable to implement policies and participate effec- enduring foundation for scientific excellence in the devel- tively in programmes for sustainable development. oping world rather than on using science to address crit- In many respects, therefore, throughout its exis- ical social and economic issues. tence, TWAS has been on the frontlines of the sustainability campaign. The contributions we have made to evertheless all of the Academy’s initiatives, in a this campaign, by way of our core strategies, are N real sense, have focused on science-based sus- reflected in our most recent annual report. For exam- tainability, including our efforts to honour eminent sci- ple, the Academy now has 662 members, more than 80

Sep 2003 entists in the South through their election to TWAS; percent of whom live and work in the South. Over the our research grants programmes; our prizes and past 20 years, more than 1100 scientists have taken awards; our South-South scientific exchange pro- part in our South-South scientific exchange programmes; our fellowships and associateships programme (mostly young scientists at critical junctures grammes (in partnership with the United Nations Edu- in their careers), and more than 1600 have received cation, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) TWAS research grants. and the International Council for Science (ICSU)); and More recently, the Academy has embarked on a

TWAS Newsletter, Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3, our books and journals donations programme (in part- new series of projects that fit more directly into the

12 framework of ‘sustainability science.’ These projects local- and community-based programmes for more focus on successful applications of science and tech- effective application of renewable energy technolo- nology in addressing critical issues in the developing gies; and concrete examples of the conservation and world, and aim to combine scientific research and pol- sustained use of biodiversity resources in dryland re- icy making in mutually beneficial ways. gions. The Academy began to move in this direction in UNDP/TCDC has continued to be one of our main 1999 with the publication of a monograph, Sharing partners but other international organizations have Innovative Experiences: Examples of Successful Initia- joined us in these endeavours, including the Global tives in Science and Technology in the South. The effort, Environment Facility (GEF), the World Meteorological

All of the Academy’s which was sponsored by the United initiatives, in a real Organization (WMO) and UNESCO. Nations Development Programme’s sense, have focused The project’s goals, moreover, have Special Unit for Technical Coope- on science-based been expanded to include the orga- ration among Developing Countries sustainability. nization of workshops and the cre- (UNDP/TCDC), examined some 30 ation of institutional networks – all on-the-ground experiences in the as part of a larger strategy to create use of science and appropriate technologies that have a sustainable framework for advancing science-based had a significant impact on the lives of people in the sustainable development. developing world. Examples ranged broadly, from the In addition, the Academy has launched a TWAS redesign of an ancient plough in Ethiopia that helped Research Report series examining science-based solu- to improve crop yields in this nation that suffers tions to critical problems in the developing world. The chronic droughts, to the development of a nationwide first report in this series, focusing on scientific and Sep 2003 state-of-the-art digital communications system in technical solutions for providing greater access to safe South Korea. drinking water in rural areas in the developing world, This initial effort has been followed by a series of has been broadly distributed. The Academy is now projects with similar objectives that have explored spe- engaged in discussions with a number of governments cific themes of importance to the South: the conserva- and donor agencies in an effort to obtain funding for tion and wise use of medicinal plants; science-based the development and implementation of an action plan

strategies for improved access to safe drinking water; designed to put some of the successful applications Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3,

[CONTINUED PAGE 14]

13 Mohamed H.A. Hassan outlined in the report institutions to take a significant leap forward in their to wider use. Another scientific capabilities. Similarly, the Academy has TWAS Research Report, examining successful utiliza- started welcoming economists and social scientists into tion of renewable energy systems at household- and its membership ranks. Our objective is to create a forum community-levels, has been drafted for greater interaction between and should be published later this scholars and research in a wider year. The concept of range of fields of study – again with TWAS has also been a main sustainability has been an eye to putting science to work to partner in the Harvard University with us for some solve critical problems related to Kennedy School of Government Ini- time – even if the sustainability in the developing tiative on Science and Technology term has not. world (see ‘Bridging the Discipline for Sustainability (ISTS) and with Divide’, TWAS Newsletter, vol. 15, Harvard and the International Coun- no. 1, 2003). cil for Science (ICSU) on the creation of a global con- The Academy warmly welcomes – indeed embraces sortium devoted to the issue of science-based sustain- – the clarification that advocates of sustainability have ability. In addition, the Academy worked closely with a brought to the broad concept of sustainable develop- number of institutions – including ICSU, the InterA- ment and the rigour with which they have analysed cademy Panel on International Issues (IAP), and the the central role that science can (and indeed must) World Federation of Engineering Organizations play in the process. (WFEO) – on the organization of the week-long Sci- But I think it is important to recognize that many of ence Forum at the World Summit on Sustainable the principles driving the concept of sustainability Development (WSSD), held in August 2002. have been with us for some time – even if the term has All of these new initiatives have helped extend the not. Highlighting what’s new while acknowledging the agenda and reach of the Academy. But I would be value of what’s old may be the greatest challenge the remiss if I didn’t mention how two long-standing core advocates of science-based sustainable development activities of the Academy – its research grants and face in gaining credibility both within and beyond the

Sep 2003 membership programmes – have also been reformed global scientific community. Now, as we celebrate our and broadened to help us in our overall efforts to pro- 20th anniversary, TWAS stands ready to help on both mote science-based sustainable development. fronts. ■ For example, TWAS has launched a grant programme designed exclusively for scientific institutions > Mohamed H.A. Hassan in least developed countries (LDCs) that have done Executive Director commendable work under trying conditions. The Third World Academy of Sciences

TWAS Newsletter, Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3, three-year grants provide sufficient resources for these Trieste, Italy

14 TWAS 20TH ANNIVERSARY

ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY, TWAS HAS RECEIVED MORE THAN 100 CONGRATULATORY NOTES FROM HEADS OF STATE, MINISTERS OF SCIENCE, AND INTERNATIONAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS MANY INDIVIDUALS. ANNIVERSARY MESSAGES

Abridged versions of these messages have been published in a book to coincide with the 9th General Conference in Beijing being held on 16 - 19 October 2003. Full texts of the messages are available on the TWAS website (www.twas.org) by clicking on the ‘Anniversary Letters’ link. Here’s a sam- pling of what you will find.

• Two decades ago, a group of dedicated and of TWAS and its leadership. We look forward distinguished scientists from the developing to wider participation and an enlarged mem- world met in Trieste, Italy, and pledged to cre- bership of scientists from Third World coun- ate a forum to facilitate the exchange of scien- tries, and the continued and expanded role of tific knowledge, expertise and information. relevant institutions in the North for a mutu- They also agreed to develop human resources ally beneficial future. in the South through the utilization of the I renew my support of TWAS and hope that the capacity present within the Third World, while Academy can continue to promote even higher taking advantage of assistance provided by levels of scientific cooperation in the future. ■ those in the North. This welcome initiative, under the leadership > Benjamin William Mkapa of the late Nobel laureate Abdus Salam, has President addressed the wishes of many governments United Republic of Tanzania and scientists in the South and has since pro- Dar es Salaam, Tanzania duced results beyond our original expecta- tions. We have witnessed the extended participation of many Third World countries in • I wish to congratulate TWAS on the occa- resolving some of their burning issues, and the sion of its 20th anniversary. There is no doubt development of knowledge networks in the that TWAS and its affiliated organization, the South. Multinational and regional participa- Third World Network of Scientific Organiza- tory programmes have also been developed tions (TWNSO), have come a long way in with immensely helpful outcomes. making their voices heard in the hallowed cir- We therefore applaud and uphold the mission cles of science and technology. A substantial

TWAS Newsletter, Vol. 15 No. 3, Jul-Sep 2003

15 portion of the Third World, especially African • In the two decades since its foundation, countries, still struggle to create the basic sci- TWAS has enjoyed remarkable achievements entific and technological infrastructure re- in promoting South-South scientific coope- quired to achieve self-sufficiency in areas of ration and fostering the training of science pressing need, including food and nutrition, and technology personnel. The success of its access to safe drinking water, energy, shelter, programmes has earned TWAS commenda- population control, security and defence. tions from all developing countries. China While appreciating the vision and the sense of treasures its excellent relationship with TWAS purpose of TWAS in marshalling and harness- and all its members. It is our ardent hope that ing human and material resources for science- we can enhance our collaboration in the and technology-driven development in the future, helping to advance the careers of sci- Third World, I hasten to add that partnerships entists and technologists throughout the among scientists, politicians and policy mak- Third World. ■ ers, captains of industries and other stakeholders are more imperative now than ever. > Xu Guanhua All hands, therefore, must be on deck to (TWAS Fellow 2001) achieve our desired goals. Minister of Science and Technology Once more, I wish TWAS a happy anniver- Beijing, China sary. ■

> Olusegun Obasanjo • TWAS has succeeded in many areas, President of Nigeria including the creation of networks; assis- Abuja, Nigeria tance for the mobility of Third World scientists; formation of partnerships among developing countries for promoting excellence in • TWAS has always been ahead of its times – scientific research; provisions for research practising networking before the word was in facilities for outstanding scientists; and spon- common usage; promoting South-South sci- sorship for advanced research, education and entific cooperation but not at the expense of training. In India, policies and programmes North-South cooperation; and placing the con- for technical cooperation among developing cerns of women scientists at the top of its countries are also a priority, and I wish to agenda. Over and above its lofty ideals, TWAS reaffirm that our views find expression in has been most generous in the awarding of its TWAS’s actions. prizes and grants and the implementation of In the future, TWAS may consider intensify- its plans and programmes. ing its efforts to find scientific and technolog- It is in this practical realm that TWAS could do ical solutions to societal problems common to more in the next 20 years. It can forge action countries of the South. It is the moral obliga- plans for solving the most pressing problems of tion of science and scientists to enhance the our age. To this end, task forces should be well-being of these societies that so whole- formed among the scientific communities in heartedly support their endeavours. ■ the South and more attention should be paid to humanitarianism, culture and ethics. ■ > Murli Manohar Joshi Minister of Science and Technology and Ocean > HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal Development Amman, Jordan New Delhi, India

TWAS Newsletter, Vol. 15 No. 3, Jul-Sep 2003

16 • We thought it appropriate on the 20th to the TWAS scientific community on its 20th anniversary of TWAS for South Africa to pay anniversary, and a commitment to a continued tribute to the dedicated people at TWAS who and strengthened partnership in the future. ■ have, over the years, devoted their efforts to the advancement of science in the developing > Koïchiro Matsuura world. Director-General I would like to applaud TWAS for its efforts to United Nations Educational, Scientific recognize, support and promote excellence in and Cultural Organization scientific research and to build scientific Paris, France capacity. We trust that scientific achievement will not only contribute to development but will also assist in restoring pride and dignity • On behalf of the World Meteorological among the peoples of the developing world. Organization (WMO) and the meteorological I wish TWAS the greatest success in the next and hydrological communities of the world, I 20 years of global scientific cooperation. ■ wish to congratulate the officers, executive director and staff of TWAS on the occasion of > B. S. Ngubane the Academy’s 20th anniversary. Their com- Minister of Arts, Culture, Science mitment and dedication have contributed to and Technology TWAS’s remarkable achievements. My tribute Pretoria, South Africa also goes to the founding fathers of TWAS, including the late Nobel laureate Abdus Salam and his colleagues, for their foresight • Over the past 20 years, TWAS has made a in promoting science and technology in the niche for itself in international science. It is developing world. now a partner to be reckoned with in stake- WMO’s collaboration with TWAS serves the holder dialogue on science issues on the aspirations of the South for socio-economic world scene. Its membership, made up of development through meteorology, hydrology world-class scholars and scientists from many and related geophysical sciences. As a scien- developing countries, is constantly sought tist and vice-president of TWAS, I believe that after for reliable opinions and expertise on the Academy remains a driving force for sci- science-related development issues seen from entific cooperation and excellence in areas a Southern perspective. The United Nations that are critical to humanity. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organiza- On this memorable occasion, I wish TWAS tion (UNESCO) has been happy to associate many more years of successful contributions itself closely with the birth and development to the advancement of science and technol- of TWAS, and pays tribute to the efforts of its ogy in developing countries. ■ leadership down through the years for this significant achievement. > Godwin O.P. Obasi UNESCO’s cooperation with TWAS has taken (TWAS Fellow 1996) many forms. As UNESCO itself engages in Director-General reform and refocusing, our cooperation is set World Meteorological Organization not only to continue but to expand signifi- Geneva, Switzerland cantly, exploiting to the full our strengths and complementarities. On behalf of UNESCO, I send warm greetings

TWAS Newsletter, Vol. 15 No. 3, Jul-Sep 2003

17 • Science and technology have always been support the basic sciences. We are very pleased central to prosperity and poverty alleviation. to see how well the organization, over the Today the accelerating rate of technological years, has fulfilled the aim of providing sup- progress creates both tremendous opportuni- port to young scientists working in the basic ties and significant risks for developing coun- sciences in the developing world. These sci- tries. Too many countries still cannot access entists have contributed to the creation of and utilize advances in scientific and techno- research environments in many countries. logical knowledge, and thus fail to capture High on our agenda for the future are con- the benefits that have become commonplace certed efforts in building the basis for in the rest of the world. TWAS is working to research in the world’s least developed coun- change this. Whether in agriculture, health, tries and we are counting on TWAS to be an water resources, energy or the environment, important partner in these efforts. ■ evidence suggests that developing countries which succeed in exploiting their science and > Berit Olsson technology capacity realize concrete eco- Head nomic returns and tangible social benefits. Swedish International Development Achieving these benefits requires a constant Cooperation Agency – Department commitment to human resource development, for Research Cooperation an innovative private sector connected to the Stockholm, Sweden academic community, public support for science and technology, and the global exchange of knowledge. • The OPEC Fund is pleased to have been TWAS members exemplify a vision in which associated with TWAS virtually from its incep- every country seeks to fully understand, inter- tion. We have witnessed the institution grow pret, select, use, transmit, diffuse, produce from a struggling, fledgling body to a major and commercialize scientific and technologi- player in the science and technology research cal knowledge that can bring prosperity and and development field, doing what we could an end to poverty. ■ to be present when called upon and to extend assistance, when necessary, to support some > James D. Wolfensohn of the Academy’s diverse projects and pro- President grammes. The World Bank Today, by any measure of scientific excel- Washington, DC, USA lence, TWAS ranks among the best institutions of its kind worldwide. It supports research in more than 100 countries in the • On the event of its 20th anniversary, the South and aids initiatives for promoting Swedish International Development Coope- indigenous capacity. The Academy has not ration Agency (Sida) would like to congratu- only succeeded in its undertaking to inform late TWAS on its excellent work during the the South and advise decision makers on the past two decades and to recognize its promi- scientific aspects of critical global issues; it nent role in the promotion of scientific excel- has, with its affiliated organizations, helped lence and the development of scientific capac- to demonstrate that the South can take care ity in developing countries. of its own, finding home-grown remedies for Sida’s support for TWAS dates back to 1993 its problems while simultaneously advancing and TWAS is a central actor in Sida’s efforts to global science and technology.

TWAS Newsletter, Vol. 15 No. 3, Jul-Sep 2003

18 At the OPEC Fund, we do not, as a contribu- society and to promote social and economic tor, aim to share the limelight with TWAS. development – depends, to a large extent, on Neither do we, in any way, seek to claim any their capacity to guarantee, through quality part of this huge accomplishment. Instead, we education, universal access to science. It also look forward, in all modesty, to continuing depends, in an extremely competitive inter- this close association. ■ national environment, on their endogenous capacity to develop new technologies and > Y. Seyyid Abdulai their ability to absorb, master and adjust to Director-General their needs the technological innovations OPEC Fund for International Development generated in industrialized countries. Democ- Vienna, Austria ratizing scientific knowledge thus represents a major challenge. Fulfilment of this pledge has been a quest to which TWAS has long • Over the 20 years of its existence, TWAS has been committed. Long may it continue. ■ gained worldwide recognition as a leading voice for the promotion of science in the devel- > Eduardo Moacyr Krieger oping world. The United Nations Conference (TWAS Fellow 1995) on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was President also created to assist countries in the South in Brazilian Academy of Sciences their development aspirations. I believe, there- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil fore, that there are many ways the two organizations could build partnerships aimed at ensuring the full realization of the benefits of • Despite all the work done by TWAS, the technological and scientific advances for peo- number of scientists in proportion to popula- ple in the developing world while minimizing tion is 10 to 30 times smaller in developing the risks associated with such advances. countries than in developed countries. Also, Close collaboration between TWAS and UNC- 95 percent of science in the world is still car- TAD in the development of the Science and ried out in institutions in industrialized coun- Technology Diplomacy Initiative, established tries. There is no time to relax or rejoice. The to assist policy makers and trade diplomats 20th anniversary of TWAS provides an oppor- from developing countries to make informed tunity to look back with pride on TWAS’s ac- decisions at international forums where sci- complishments, and to look forward towards ence and technology are discussed, marks an the challenge of increasing political and pub- important step in advancing this partnership. lic support for fostering a culture of scientific Best wishes for your future success. ■ excellence in Third World countries. ■

> Rubens Ricupero > M.S. Swaminathan Secretary-General (TWAS Founding Fellow) United Nations Conference Chairman on Trade and Development MS Swaminathan Research Foundation Geneva, Switzerland Chennai, India

• The future of the developing countries – and here I refer to their ability to create a fair

TWAS Newsletter, Vol. 15 No. 3, Jul-Sep 2003

19 FEATURE

S&T PROGRESS IN CHINA

THIS YEAR, AS TWAS CELEBRATES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY, THE ACADEMY RETURNS TO CHINA TO HOLD ITS 9TH GENERAL CONFERENCE. TO COMMEMORATE THE OCCASION, YONGXIANG LU, PRESIDENT OF THE CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, EXAMINES HIS NATION’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD OF SCIENCE.

China’s history, traditions – and its sci- made the development of science and entific advances – go back to ancient technology a major priority. Now, China times. Inventions such as paper, gunpow- is making great strides forward in turn- der and the use of silk as a lightweight ing scientific and technological achieve- fabric, for example, are attributed to the ments into commercial successes. Chinese civilization. Around the end of the Although still considered a developing 16th century and the beginning of the 17th Yongxiang Lu country, China has successfully used science century, trading routes with the West began and technology to improve significantly the to open up. As well as goods, scientific ideas began to well-being and prosperity of its citizens. With the flow between Europe and China. Later, around the mid- improvement of crop varieties and the adoption of dle of the 19th century, the ‘Westernization Movement’ more efficient cultivation techniques, 1.2 billion people took hold and the practice of what we recognize as mod- now have ample food and adequate clothing (mainly ern science and technology began to take root. Western- from cotton), even though the amount of land per head style science has since been promoted by successive Chi- of population in China is only a third of the world aver- nese governments. In particular, over the past 20 years, age. Developments in medical sciences and improve-

Sep 2003 a more forward-thinking and modernizing Chinese gov- ments in the country’s healthcare system also mean ernment has increased funding for science and technol- that the average life-span of the Chinese is now a ogy, and recent years have seen the rapid development of respectable 72 years. Industrial technologies have been scientific advances in China. established, and the technology level of the country as a whole has been lifted to the equivalent of the tech- ver the past 20 years, national policies have nology present in developed countries during the 1980s. O emphasized the strategy of advancing China’s Advances by Chinese scientists and engineers work-

TWAS Newsletter, Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3, prosperity through education and science, and have ing in various academic disciplines not only serve

20 China, but have made significant contributions to world tributions in the areas of quantum field theory and science. particle physics, atomic and nuclear physics, con- densed matter and statistical physics, astrophysics and PHYSICAL SCIENCES the theory of gravitation. The physical sciences, including physics and chemistry, Among the advances made by Chinese scientists in focus on the study of structures and interactions of theoretical research, Huang Kun (a member of the Chi- matter and form the basis of all scientific disciplines. nese Academy of Sciences, CAS) and colleagues pre- Their study can lead to the development of novel sented the Huang-Zhu model of semiconductor super- materials and new technologies. lattice theory in 1988, and, in Among the milestones of Chi- 1990, Ouyang Zhongcan (also a nese scientists was the prediction, Advances by Chinese CAS member) formulated his liquid in 1933, of the existence of the scientists and engineers crystal model of biological mem- transuranic elements (elements not only serve China, branes. heavier than uranium), and the pro- but have made Among Chinese successes in posal, in 1941, of an experimental significant contributions experimental and observational protocol to search for neutrinos to world science. studies, there are many significant (rare sub-atomic particles that were results. These include the discovery eventually detected some 15 years of the fifth order of symmetry in a later in the USA). quasi-crystal (1984) and, between 1986 and 2000, the In the second half of the 20th century, China began synthesis of more than ten new nuclides (atoms with an constructing its own modern experimental facilities, unusual atomic mass different from their stable state) including an experimental nuclear reactor built in 1958. in a heavy ion accelerator. This was followed by the Beijing electron positron col- Among the advances in theoretical and experimen- lider and the Lanzhou heavy ion accelerator system, tal chemistry is Lu Jiaxi’s (CAS member) model, de- Sep 2003 suitable for low-energy nuclear physics research, both rived using atomic cluster structural chemistry. The of which came on-line in 1988, and a multi-channel model, published in 1973, simulates the action of an solar magnetic field telescope, built in 1994. enzyme present in the nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live Many other key laboratories have also upgraded symbiotically in the root nodules of leguminous plants. their facilities, giving China better equipment and In more applied research, techniques for extracting experimental conditions than ever before. Chinese potassium from brine and ways of obtaining boron and

physicists have thus been able to make numerous con- lithium by distillation have meant that the saline lakes Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3,

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21 in China’s northwestern regions could provide jobs and with an activity almost as high as the natural product income security for many workers. The importance of and, in 1981, the artificial production of transfer Sep 2003 the industrial-scale production of lithium was ribonucleic acid (tRNA) – a molecule involved in pro- enhanced in 1996 with the successful development and tein synthesis within cells – that had the identical production of the lithium ion battery – a breakthrough chemical structure and biological activity as the origi- that has aided the development of nal molecule. many countries’ technology indus- More recently, Chinese biolo- tries, including Japan’s, as the light- Chinese biologists were gists made international headlines weight battery is used in such the only group of when they were the only group of TWAS Newsletter, Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3, portable electronic devices as lap- scientists from the developing scientists from the top computers. world to participate in the Human developing world to Chinese scientists have also car- Genome Project. The first draft of ried out studies related to the participate in the the complete sequence of the industrialization of a high tempera- Human Genome Project. human genome was published in ture superconductor. By producing 2000. As part of this effort, Chinese a 100-metre long superconductor scientists completed the draft tape, superconductor research in China advanced from sequence of the 30 million base pairs of chromosome the laboratory to the production phase. Also, in 2000, 3. Although this was only a small part of the working Chinese nanotechnology researchers produced a coax- draft of the whole genome, their involvement showed ial cable that could lay the foundation for producing that Chinese scientists are capable of playing their part the next generation of fibre optics. Other nano-scale in major international projects. developments have potential applications in material- Research into Drosophila – the fruit fly that scien- processing and electronic technology. tists have used for nearly 100 years in their genetics experiments – has also led to interesting insights LIFE SCIENCES regarding the molecular basis of learning, memory and In the second half of the 20th century, Chinese scien- decision-making in vertebrate animals, including tists began to apply modern molecular biology tech- humans. niques to their life science research. Initial successes included the synthesis, in 1965, of crystalline insulin

22 The past 50 years have also seen advances in the Biotechnology is also being applied in the medical quality of varieties of many of China’s staple crops, field. Although medical biotechnology in China did not including cotton, maize, rice, soybean and wheat. The start until the late 1970s, progress has been made on increase in yield brought about by cross breeding several fronts. In 1992, for example, new techniques of paddy rice now provides enough food for tens of mil- applying the anti-cancer drug, interferon, were devel- lions of people. Further breeding work is now benefit- oped. This was followed in 2001 by the discovery of a ting from the construction of a high-resolution map of gene, known as IHH, confirmed to be the cause of the the paddy rice genome completed in 1996, and the genetic disease Brachydactyly Type A-1, a disease that draft of the complete genome sequence of indica rice causes an abnormal shortness of the fingers. There published in 2001 – the first crop plant to be fully have also been important developments made in the sequenced. Since then, Chinese biologists have worked fields of microsurgery and liver and gall bladder clini- out the precise sequence of rice’s chromosome 4. This, cal science. and subsequent work, will not only help researchers understand the secrets of rice, but will help in the study INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY of other grain crops such as wheat and corn. Having been identified as major weaknesses in Chi- Chinese scientists have also learned many tech- nese research programmes, studies on electronic, com- niques for transferring genes from one species of plant puter and semiconductor science have been carefully

or animal to another – the process of genetic transfor- planned and deployed since the start of China’s mation used to produce genetically modified organ- Twelve-Year Plan (1956 - 1967). As early as 1957 the isms. In 2000, Bt-cotton, genetically modified to be first transistor was successfully developed in China, resistant to such insects as the bollworm, was being and China’s first electronic computer was produced in grown on 700,000 hectares, or 20 percent of the land 1958. By 1973, China was developing its own small- down to cotton in China. With reduced pesticide and scale integrated circuit computers and entered the era Sep 2003 labour inputs, the cost of producing a kilogramme of of ultra large-scale integrated circuit computers at the cotton has been cut by 28 percent, making the Chinese beginning of the 1980s. The rapid development of cotton industry more competitive on the world market. China’s computing technology is obvious when com- Indeed, by 2002, 31 genetically modified crop varieties paring the operation speeds (or ‘FLOPS’) over the past had been approved for commercial release and China’s few years. In 1997, the Milky Way Series Parallel Vec- plant biotechnology capacity ranked second in the tor Supercomputer reached a maximum operating

world, behind only the USA’s. speed of 13 gigaFLOPS (or 13 billion FLOPS) whereas, Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3,

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23 just five years later, the latest computer models are ics and many other fields, and has also stimulated reaching speeds more than a thousand times faster. many subsequent research efforts. These computers now play major roles in Chinese Development of systems science in China, which has weather forecasting, oilfield surveys and scientific data relied on the country’s engineering science capacity, analysis. began with studies on operations research and cybernet- Chinese scientists have also developed intelligent ics. Qian Xuesen (Tsien Hsue Shen), another CAS member, English/Chinese translation software, while a Chinese first applied systems science to the fields of engineering, text conversion system and Chinese intelligent inter- and his 1954 ‘Engineering Cybernetics’ monograph is face mean that Chinese culture will not be lost as the regarded as a classic. Chinese systems science studies technological revolution rolls on. A Chinese laser type- also produced many practical applications, including a setting system developed by Wang Xuan (CAS mem- Population Forecast Model (1980) and the National Grain ber) in 1985 also brought the Chinese printing indus- Output Forecast Model (2001), that are important for try into a new era. long-term predictions of the Chinese economy.

MATHEMATICS AND SYSTEMS SCIENCE ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY China has a strong tradition in mathematics. Recent Manufacturing technology is the backbone of human advances have taken mathematical studies in China civilization and allows nations to compete on the beyond the field of pure mathematics and into the world stage. In recent years, as in many other coun- fields of scientific computing and engineering design. tries, Chinese manufacturing has embraced advances The Chinese Academy of Sciences established the in mechanization, automation, intelligent systems and Institute of Applied Mathematics and the Institute of robotics. Systems Science in 1979, and the Institute of Compu- The concept of a ‘computer integrated manufactur- tational Mathematics and Science Engineering Compu- ing system’ (CIMS) was put forward by US researchers

Sep 2003 tation was launched in 1995. These institutes were in 1973. Chinese scientists embraced this idea and, by then merged into the Academy of Mathematics and the late 1980s, had moulded it into a ‘contemporary Systems Science in 1998. integrated manufacturing system.’ This more modern Among the current crop of renowned Chinese version of CIMS uses information technology to opti- mathematicians is CAS member Feng Kang who solved mize the management and operation of businesses, a long-standing computational problem concerning improving their efficiency and market competitiveness. long-term predictions. Feng’s method has since been These developments have been recognized by the

TWAS Newsletter, Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3, successfully applied to astrophysics, molecular dynam- world’s academics and China has won three major

24 prizes for its CIMS system from the American Manufac- scientists have studied the effects of the uplift of the turing Engineer Society: Tsinghua University won the Qinghai-Tibet plateau (1979) and calculated the rota- ‘leading university award’ in 1994, Beijing No.1 tion speed of the Earth’s inner core (1995). Successful Machine Tool Factory won the ‘leading factory award’ exploration and development projects have made great in 1995, and Huazhong University of Science and Tech- contributions to the exploitation of China’s oil and gas nology won the ‘leading university award’ in 1999. fields and helped China avoid a potential crisis due to a Since 1987, CIMS has also been lack of energy resources. More re- applied to hundreds of businesses cently, geological and environmen- in China, including enterprises Chinese manufacturing tal research have contributed to the engaged in aerospace, chemical has embraced advances Yangtze River Three Gorges water manufacture, electronics, petro- in mechanisation, conservation and hydroelectricity leum production and textiles. Many generating projects. automation, intelligent of these forward-thinking busi- Alongside the application of nesses have played leading roles in systems and robotics. Earth sciences for industrial devel- the modernization of Chinese man- opment, in the 1950s China also ufacturing industries. began work on efforts to conserve soil and water resources in its largest river basins, to EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES measure the history of climate change, and to forecast Several research projects conducted under the Twelve- such natural hazards as earthquakes. Year Plan and the country’s sustainable development Of particular importance has been the reconstruc- strategy have provided the scientific basis for the tion of the history of East Asian atmospheric circula- exploitation of natural resources and the protection of tion based on studies of dust accumulation in the Loess the environment. Among other projects, Chinese Earth Plateau. This research has been critical for the recov- ery and management of the plateau’s fragile ecosys- tem, and has provided input into efforts to prevent sand storms, water loss and soil erosion – all symptoms of desertification. Along with deep-sea sediments and polar ice cores, knowledge of the ancient history of the Chinese loess dusts is also one of the three pillars on which studies of global environmental change are based. In the field of palaeontology, many important fossils have been discovered and studied. Ancient hominid fossils found in Zhoukoudian of Beijing Province, Lantian of Shaan’xi Province and Liyang and Yuanmou of Yunnan Province, for example, have provided important pieces of evidence for the understanding of human origins and evolution. Also, since

1987, many bird and animal fossils have been discov- Sep 2003 ered in Liaoxi. Among them are fossils, aged between 80 and 150 million years, which have filled a gap in the knowledge of early birds – from the archaeopteryx, that appeared late in the Jurassic Period (208 to 144 million years ago) to those of the Cretaceous Period (144 to 65 million years ago) – a gap that had existed

for more than 100 years. Thanks to these fossils, China Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3,

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25 has become centre of world research on the origin and evolution of prehistoric birds.

SPACE TECHNOLOGY With the launch of the first Sputnik satellite by the Soviet Union in 1957, space science and technology became a reality. Satellite research and manufacture in China began soon after, and the first Chinese satellite was launched successfully in 1970. Since then, China has launched more than 40 satellites and has mastered the technology of launch-and-recover satellites, and satellites with geo-synchronous and sun-synchronous orbits. From the late 1980s, China started using its launch- and-recover satellites as a research platform for micro- gravity research. In addition, a ‘dropping tower’ was of the world’s mainstream science programmes. Chi- constructed to serve as a more Earth-bound micro-grav- nese research establishments, too, are becoming ity laboratory. increasingly involved in the inter- Today, China is implementing national academic exchange envi- two main space programmes: the The launch of the ronment. Double Star Programme and a manned Shenzou Collaborative scientific research manned spacecraft test programme. 5 spacecraft is scheduled between Chinese scientists and Together, it is hoped that these ini- for later this year. international colleagues has tiatives will propel Chinese space expanded from dealings with some technology to a new stage. 30 countries in the 1950s to about The Double Star Programme includes an equatorial 200 countries today. By 2000, there were nearly satellite and a polar area satellite, both of which are 20,000 cooperative projects being carried out with located in the active region of the near-Earth magne- other countries, with the participation of approxi- tosphere – the Earth’s magnetic environment in space. mately 50,000 Chinese scientists and 20,000 foreign Together with four European Space Agency satellites, scientists. six-point triangulations in geospace can now be made Among the collaborative research projects already for the first time. These hyper-accurate measurements underway are the Sino-European Double Star space assist research into the variations of the Earth’s mag- programme mentioned above. In 2002, Chinese scien- netosphere and the mechanism of storm events. tists also took the lead in establishing the International China’s manned flight programme dates back to the Digital Earth Association, which aims at producing early 1990s and, since 1999, four unmanned ‘Shen- high-resolution satellite maps of the entire globe. zhou’ series test spacecrafts been successfully launched. Many such cooperative projects have already pro- The payload of Shenzhou 4 included a ‘simulation man’ duced remarkable results. For example, in 1983, Chi-

Sep 2003 and 52 pieces of scientific monitoring equipment. Its nese scientists successfully manufactured a germanate success has advanced plans for the launch of the bismuth crystal, which colleagues at the European manned Shenzhou 5 spacecraft, which is scheduled for Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) used to later this year. make ultra-sensitive energy detecting devices. In 1997, China also supplied large-scale permanent magnets for INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC EXCHANGE an alpha magnetic spectrometer – used to detect dark Although China is still regarded as a developing coun- matter and antimatter – that was launched on board

TWAS Newsletter, Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3, try, its scientists have become an integral part in many the USA’s Discovery space shuttle. Another collabora-

26 tion between Chinese and American scientists involved travel to other developing countries, while 150 awards extracting nearly 20,000 ice cores from a glacier on the have permitted scientists from other countries in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. These cores are now being used South to come and work in Chinese laboratories. to diagnose environmental changes. More recently, also as mentioned above, Chinese scientists played a SCIENCE EDUCATION significant role in producing the draft sequence of the China’s support for high-quality science education has human genome. helped narrow the technology gap between itself and International collaborative efforts specifically with the world’s more advanced countries. Now, several other developing countries include the China and million scientifically trained personnel have made con- Brazil Earth Resource Satellite No.1 (CBERS-1). tributions to their country’s economic and social devel-

Jointly manufactured by these two nations, and opment. In addition to the many technicians and sup- including an array of sophisticated light and infrared port staff, lecturers and researchers, several outstand- sensors, the satellite was successfully launched in ing scientists have made world renowned scientific October 1999. The satellite is currently being used for and technical contributions. Chen Ning Yang and investigating natural resources and environmental Tsung-Dao Lee, for example – who together won the monitoring not only by China and Brazil, but also Nobel Prize for physics in 1957 for their “investigation many other countries. of the so-called parity laws which led to important dis- China shares many of the problems of other Third coveries regarding the elementary particles” – World countries. As a result, Chinese scientists have obtained their higher education in their native China. always sought South-South scientific cooperation. To Despite these successes, science education in mod- improve friendship and to seek collaboration, Chinese ern China is facing severe challenges. The Chinese gov- scientists often visit countries of the Third World. Chi- ernment is aware that, for sustainable development to nese scientists also try to use available South-South continue at pace, there is a critical need for more sci- Sep 2003 cooperation funds to support scientists from other entific and technological innovation. It is therefore Third World countries to participate in courses and making efforts to promote scientific creativity through workshops, and to attend international conferences. a series of educational reforms. Research-oriented uni- Indeed, TWAS has played its part in enabling many versities and research institutions engaged in high- of these exchange visits to take place. Of 900 awards level academic research are recognized as the cradle under TWAS’s South-South fellowship and associate- for fostering innovative talents, and China is now

ship schemes, 85 have allowed Chinese scientists to undertaking to combine the two related disciplines of Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3,

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27 teaching and research. Science education is also being Collaboration is also important as many scientific expanded to include the history of science, the philos- issues transcend national boundaries. Problems such ophy of science, sociology and social science to help as combating desertification, the exploitation of under- students obtain a more all-around and balanced view. ground and deep-sea resources, the exploration of outer space, the construction of the information super- CONCLUSION highway, and the analysis of the The 20th century witnessed extraor- human genome sequence, to men- dinary advances in scientific and In this age of tion just a few, cannot be solved by technological developments, and any one country acting alone. globalization, prosperity we continue to confront a rising Cooperation between countries is tide of innovation in this new cen- for Third World countries necessary – in fact, it is vital. The tury. depends on science and international exchange of science However, during the 20th cen- technology. and technology is especially impor- tury, the people of the Third World tant for Third World countries. suffered from their lack of science TWAS, and other like-minded insti- and technology capacity. Indeed, differences in the tutions, act as important bridges linking scientists from level of science and technology capacity represent one developing countries. of the major factors deepening the divide between the Let us scientists of the world, therefore, commit ‘poor South’ and the ‘rich North’. ourselves to building TWAS into an irreplaceable Now, more than ever before, in this age of global- bridge promoting North-South and South-South ization and the knowledge economy, prosperity for cooperation and exchanges. Only by working together Third World countries depends on science and tech- can we create a brighter future for human kind. ■ nology. Many countries, however, lack the ability and expertise to achieve such development on their own. > Yongxiang Lu Scientific exchange and cooperation between Third President World countries, therefore, has a special significance – Chinese Academy of Sciences a situation that makes TWAS’s efforts so vital. Beijing, China Sep 2003 TWAS Newsletter, Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3,

28 FEATURE

DIVIDE NO MORE

THE ‘DIGITAL DIVIDE’ IS PERHAPS THE MOST WELL-KNOWN OF ALL THE DIVIDES BETWEEN THE NORTH AND SOUTH. YET THIS GAP IN ACCESS TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IS REALLY PART OF THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DIVIDE.

In the 1960s, the scientific and and easy access to information. engineering community began to In effect, the world has become a conceive and create new informa- smaller place. This trend has tion and communication tech- opened new, and still unknown, nologies (ICTs), largely drawing on advances in the perspectives in almost all areas of human activities, emerging field of computer science. One of their main including politics, economics, science, technology, edu- objectives was to facilitate the exchange of data between cation, arts and culture. The world, in short, is being scientists. The new network proved so successful that, in transformed into a global village. the early 1990s, this technological revolution entered the This communications revolution differs from previ- public domain. The internet, or world wide web, had ous technological advances, though. The decentralized been born. open architecture and the creation of networks without geographical boundaries permit the transfer of all n less than a decade, the internet has revolution- types of information across the globe within seconds, I ized the way people communicate – and, in the pro- making current ICTs some of the main engines behind cess, changed the way we live. Governments, busi- the process of globalization. nesses, international and nongovernmental organizations – not to mention individuals – all quickly incor- INTERNET BOOM porated internet technologies into a broad range of Since the home computing and internet boom of the Sep 2003 their day-to-day activities. Considering how wide- mid 1990s, the number of people connected to the spread internet usage has become, we often forget that world wide web has virtually doubled every year. In the technology was not a part of our lives until the 1999, for example, an estimated 150 million people early 1990s. Today we can’t live without it; ten years were ‘connected’, a figure that grew to more than 600 ago, most of us did not even know it existed. million, or nearly 10 percent of the world’s popula- Among the many benefits of the internet are tion, by 2002. However, as would be expected, there

increased communication, more efficient management, are many more internet users in North America and Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3,

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29 Europe compared to Africa, Latin America and the indeed, universities and research institutes were Middle East (see figure, page 33). In fact, 72 percent among the first internet users in the South. A TWAS Sep 2003 of internet users live in the world’s high-income coun- survey, conducted this year, focused on almost 400 sci- tries, the populations of which account for just 14 per- entific institutions in developing countries and found cent of the global population. that more than 70 percent now have their own web- Hundreds of millions of people from developing site. countries, meanwhile, remain excluded from the ‘infor- This high rate of internet connection allows scien- mation society.’ The ‘digital divide’, therefore, is very tists in developing countries access to information that much a part of the science and technology gap that would previously only have been available in obscure

TWAS Newsletter, Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3, exists between developed and developing countries. publications or from expensive scientific journals – Indeed the digital divide is both a reflection of the sci- even if this access is often slowed by narrow band- ence and technology divide and a widths and poor telecommunica- primary source of its continuing tion infrastructures. existence. In this age of high tech- In 1999, an estimated nology, it is sobering to think that 80 150 million people had WORLD SUMMIT percent of the world’s population As UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan internet access, a figure has never even heard a dial-tone. has noted: “Timely access to news that grew to more than However, there are signs that, as and information can promote trade, the market in the developed coun- 600 million by 2002. employment, healthcare and edu- tries begins to reach saturation, cation. The openness that is another countries in the South are begin- of the hallmarks of the information ning to catch up. In 1998, for example, South America society is a crucial ingredient of democracy, good gov- accounted for just 3 percent of global internet users, a ernance and accountability.” figure that increased to 5.5 percent by 2002. In China, The digital divide, however, continues to impede it is estimated that 20 percent of the country’s 1.3 bil- the work of Third World science, business and govern- lion people are on-line, and in South Korea there are ment. Though many individuals, organizations and more internet users per person than in the USA. institutions might be connected to the internet, the Naturally, many more people in the urban areas of speed and reliability of the connections is often poor developing countries are connected to the and software packages are frequently out of date and internet compared to rural areas and, incompatible with more modern versions used elsewhere. As a first step to reducing the digital divide, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the UN agency responsible for examining global communications issues, is hosting the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). The event will take place in two phases at two separate locations. The first phase will be held from 10 - 12 December 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland, and the second from 16 - 18 November 2005, in Tunis, Tunisia. The objective of WSIS is to provide an opportunity for a wide range of stakeholders to develop a better understanding of the infor-

30 mation revolution, to examine its impact on the international community, and to lay foundations for global In addition to its involvement in preparing the rules regarding its future use. Draft Declaration of Principles and Draft Plan of Among the anticipated outcomes of the WSIS will Action for the WSIS, TWAS and its partners (ICTP, be the recognition of the central role of science in the ICSU, UNESCO and CERN) are also involved in or- information society, as well as the need for universal ganizing a discussion meeting – ‘The Role of Science and equitable access to scientific knowledge. WSIS will in the Information Society’ – in Geneva on the 8-9 also recognize the central role of universities and December, immediately before the WSIS Geneva research institutions in knowledge production and dis- conference. semination, and the need for developing innovative The meeting, which takes advantage of CERN’s technologies and training protocols as integral parts of Geneva location, will examine how science has laid the information society. the foundations of today’s information society and Regional preparatory conferences have already the role that science will continue to play in the fu- been convened, giving stakeholders the opportunity to ture. Parallel sessions will examine the potential formulate the WSIS agenda. Thus far, discussions have contributions of science to information and com- centred on a range of issues, including the role of gov- munication issues, focusing on economic develop- ernments in providing access to the new information ment, education, environmental stewardship, technologies, capacity building and obstacles to infras- healthcare and enabling technologies. The confer- tructure development, and the need to address issues ence’s conclusions will be discussed at a UNESCO related to cultural identity and linguistic diversity in roundtable on science to be staged during the WSIS this new information age. itself. (See rsis.web.cern.ch for further details).

TWAS’S ROLE TWAS and WSIS have complementary mandates: To access to copyrighted material). The goal of these rec- address the enormous gap in scientific research capac- ommendations is to make full use of the potential of ity and to promote the diffusion of technology between digital communications for bridging the scientific countries in the North and the South. Therefore it divide. A follow-up roundtable – Developing Coun- should come as no surprise that TWAS has become tries’ Access to Scientific Knowledge: Quantifying the fully engaged in WSIS’s preliminary discussions. Digital Divide – will also be held in Trieste, in October Through the TWAS / ISTS (Initiative on Science 2003 (see www.ejds.org/meeting2003). and Technology for Sustainability) Project, the In May 2002, TWAS, together with ICTP, the Euro- Academy has also been involved in the organization of pean Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), the symposia, roundtables and public awareness events International Council for Science (ICSU) and the that have taken – and will take – place before and dur- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural ing the actual summits in Geneva and Tunis. Organization (UNESCO), agreed a set of specific pro- Last year, for example, the International Centre for posals for the Draft Declaration of Principles and Draft Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and TWAS hosted a round- Action Plan that were jointly submitted to the WSIS table discussion in Trieste that produced a set of rec- secretariat.

ommendations in the critical areas of These proposals place science and the interests of Sep 2003 infrastructure (including con- the scientific community firmly at the centre of the necting research establish- WSIS debate, and contain details of how decisions ments to the internet), con- made at WSIS, and their implementation, can help tent (including reducing build scientific capacity in developing countries, pro- barriers to scientific lit- mote sustainable development, and expand the infor- erature), and licensing mation society to include the people of the South – all

arrangements (including with the purpose of reducing the digital divide. Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3,

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31 RECOMMENDATIONS This, in turn, has strengthened the trend towards the The general background to increasing privatization of knowledge and the pre- the Draft Declaration of Prin- dominance of corporate interests over the general ciples and Draft Action Plan, interests of societies. as compiled by TWAS and its This process not only affects the development and partners, affirms that: diffusion of science everywhere, but hinders the potential of science and technology to address basic human • The digital world offers needs and sustainable development problems in the novel opportunities for involv- developing world. TWAS, CERN, ICSU, ICTP and ing scientists in developing UNESCO, therefore, have proposed that the following countries in global scientific actions be included in the WSIS Draft Declaration of endeavours, but only if basic Principles and Draft Plan of Action: ICT tools are placed at their disposal. The good news is • Any legal regime on database protection should that many of these tools are guarantee full and open access to data created with now more affordable and public funding. accessible. • Scientific knowledge should be recognized as a • Existing systems for the public good, and scientific data and information publication and dissemination should be made as widely available and affordable of scientific information do as possible. not provide sufficient access • Restrictions on proprietary data should be avoided to knowledge originating from many developing to maximize its availability for academic research countries. Steps must be taken to close this South- and teaching. North information divide. • Provisions should be made in all countries for long- • While scientific data and information from one term support for the systematic and efficient col- country may or may not be relevant to another lection, preservation and provision of essential dig- country’s needs, all countries must be able to ital data, related, for example, to population trends develop and communicate their own knowledge. and climate change. • To reduce inequalities in access to information, and • Funding should be made available to enable all to achieve sustainable development, science and universities worldwide to gain access to the inter- technology need to play a fundamental role that net by 2005. will maximize the possibilities and benefits of ICTs • Development and deployment of open-source (i.e. in basic and applied research, agriculture, educa- non-proprietary) software should be encouraged. tion, health, economic development and govern- • Electronic publishing and affordable pricing ment. schemes that make scientific information accessi- • Ensuring equitable access to scientific knowledge ble and affordable in all countries should be pro- and to software tools for analysing and disseminat- moted. ing this information is essential, as is making avail- • Initiatives to increase scientific literacy and con-

Sep 2003 able networking infrastructure, information-pro- sumer awareness of how to select and interpret sci- cessing equipment, software and training that is entific information published on the world wide affordable to universities and research institutions web should be encouraged. worldwide. FUTURE FORWARD OPEN ACCESS Despite the broad-ranging issues raised during the run Digital technologies have already altered conventional up to the WSIS, a host of critical questions remain

TWAS Newsletter, Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3, ways of creating and disseminating scientific data. unaddressed.

32 Who, for example, should have responsibility for One example is the cataloguing information that belongs to everyone? new Public Library of Will scientists in developing countries be able to send Science project launched and receive information and get easy and affordable with funding from the access to scientific publications? After years of rhetori- Gordon and Betty Moore cal debate on science and technology transfer, are gov- Foundation, the Irving A. ernments and businesses ready to provide the incen- Hansen Memorial Founda- tives and investments to tackle these essential needs? tion and the Howard Hughes There is also uncertainty over the very nature of Medical Institute. This nonprofit science and how it will be produced and disseminated scientific publishing venture aims to provide scientists in the future. In 2001, for example, TWAS and ICTP with high-quality, high-profile journals in which to Sep 2003 launched their eJournals Delivery Service (see www. publish their work, and makes the full contents freely ejds.org), which permits scientists in the South to available on the internet (see www.publiclibraryof- receive up-to-date scientific publications by email from science.org). Another example is the Directory of Open a growing list of publishers, including Academic Press, Access Journals hosted by Lund University, Sweden Elsevier, World Scientific Publishing Co., the American (see www.doaj.org). Physical Society and the Optical Society of America. The WSIS alone will not solve the digital divide. As the internet dramatically reduces the cost of dis- There are many critical negotiations (starting with

seminating published information, other services offer- World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Doha Development Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3, ing free or reduced cost access to scientific publica- Round of negotiations launched in 2001) and national tions are also becoming available. Are we, therefore, and international policies and actions (good gover- heading towards new systems of journal distribution nance, increased aid and investment, and science and organized by scientific societies and not by publishers? technology creation among many others) that must be implemented at all levels if the summit’s objectives are to be attained. But this year’s WSIS meeting in Geneva – and the follow-up in Tunis in 2005 – can outline guiding prin- INTERNET USE BY REGION 2002 ciples on these issues. WSIS will not produce an international treaty containing binding obligations, but it will likely develop a high-level political agreement Africa 1% Latin America 6% expressing the common will of the international community. The scientific community is eager to con- Asia/ tribute with resources and ideas and is looking for- Pacific 31% Canada ward to a successful World Summit on the Informa- & USA 30% tion Society. ■

> Diego Malpede TWAS / ISTS Project Trieste, Italy For more information: Middle East 1% tel: (+39) 040 2240 685 fax: (+39) 040 2240 689 email: [email protected] Europe 31%

For further information on the World Summit on the Source: Nua Internet Surveys Information Society, see > www.wsis.org.

33 IN MEMORIAM AFRICA’S SCIENCE STATESMAN

THE THIRD WORLD ACADEMY OF SCIENCES IS MOURNING THE LOSS OF ONE OF ITS FOUNDING FELLOWS. LAST MAY, THOMAS R. ODHIAMBO, BORN IN MOMBASA, KENYA, IN 1931, DIED AT AGE 72. PERHAPS MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE, ODHI- AMBO HELPED RAISE THE PROFILE OF SCIENCE IN AFRICA.

Among the anecdotes that surround With his qualifications in hand, he killing beneficial insects along with the life of Thomas Odhiambo, one returned to his native Kenya and the target pest species, these insec- says he was born holding a small mi- took up a position teaching zoology ticides often had adverse effects croscope in his left hand. As a young at the University of Nairobi. Shortly and pest populations would soon boy, he became fascinated by wasps, afterwards, in 1967, he published a bounce back to problematic levels. spending hours observing their intri- landmark paper in the prestigious “At that time, there was no knowl- cate behaviours. Even from an early Science journal (“East Africa: Sci- edge of how to control, on a sus- age, Odhiambo had a well-developed ence for Development,” Science, vol. tainable basis, the major tropical sense of curiosity about the natural 158, page 876). In the article, he ar- pests,” Odhiambo said in a 1988 in- world. He wanted to know how things gued that Africa had to embrace the terview for the TWAS Newsletter. worked, what made things tick, and scientific method to develop its own ICIPE’s initial focus, therefore, was what effects small changes could have capabilities, and not just ‘buy into’ to study and improve local farmers’ on large, complex systems. technology developed in the North. traditional methods of pest control. This was equally true not only of the He also called for the establishment These practices were then refined insects he studied, but also of scien- of scientific ‘centres of excellence’ in into low-cost technologies that tific institutions and the scientific in- Africa that would help nurture and could easily be adopted by African frastructure of Africa as a whole. develop not only the continent’s farmers. young scientists, but also its scien- Hard work and quality science soon dhiambo, the son of a telegraph tific capacity. brought Odhiambo’s reputation to O clerk, was educated by mis- Just three years later, these ideas the world stage but, even when ac- sionaries and, by his own admis- came together in perhaps Odhi- cepting the many prestigious hon- sion, the Encyclopaedia Britannica. ambo’s most high-profile achieve- ours that had been awarded to him, After graduating from Makere Uni- ment, the establishment of the he never forgot the relevance of his versity College, Uganda, he went International Centre of Insect Phys- work at grassroots levels.

Sep 2003 on to serve in Uganda’s Ministry of iology and Ecology (ICIPE). During his acceptance speech for Agriculture for several years before Founded in 1970 the ICIPE was the first Africa Prize for Leadership heading to Cambridge University, Odhiambo’s response to what he for the Sustainable End of Hunger, UK, to study entomology. In 1965, was seeing in Kenya’s agricultural presented to him in 1987, for ex- he graduated with a PhD in insect fields. Poor farmers were being ample, he said: “The link between physiology and, a year later, while forced into debt by being per- research and the farmer is vital. still at Cambridge, he obtained an suaded to buy insecticides from Eu- Only when new technologies for

TWAS Newsletter, Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3, MA in natural science. rope and elsewhere. However, by sustainable agricultural production

34 are adopted by the resource-poor lows to over 130. He was tireless in state, however, Odhiambo was re- farming households in the conti- promoting the potential of this tal- membering his childhood curiosity Sep 2003 nent will the action affirm that the ent for assisting national develop- and working out ways to stimulate research and development effort ment programmes. similar feelings in today’s children. has been worthwhile.” “We want to send a message to the In fact, he became chairman of the With over 350 staff from more than scientific community that they have of the Council for the Promotion of 20 countries, ICIPE has developed to pick up their courage, state what Children’s Science Publication pro- into one of the internationally rec- they can do, and start doing it so moting the development and deliv- ognized centres of excellence that that people can see that scientists ery of scientific publications de-

Odhiambo had said were required can make a difference to the na- signed for children in Africa. Odhi- Vol. No.Newsletter, TWAS 15 Jul- 3, in Africa. tional development plan,” he said. ambo himself wrote six science Indeed, ICIPE scientists are cur- But promoting the role of science in books for children. rently collaborating with over 80 national development is a two-way These six books, together with his institutions and governments from street – and Odhiambo recognized more than 130 research papers and around the world. Its major re- the importance of also getting his monographs, are Odhiambo’s writ- search areas include the mosquito message to the politicians. ten legacy. But the research and vectors of malaria, the tsetse fly In 1993, Odhiambo convened a policy organizations that he was in- vectors of sleeping sickness and meeting of stakeholders of the Re- strumental in establishing repre- various livestock diseases, and search and Development Forum for sent his most enduring contribution pests of crops such as bananas, Science-led Development in Africa to science and society, and will con- cowpeas and sorghum. Thanks to (RANDFORUM). According to Odhi- tinue to be felt by all the people of Odhiambo’s vision of ‘holistic’ sci- ambo, this meeting in Botswana the African continent for decades to ence, ICIPE scientists are also car- was a breakthrough that enabled come. rying out research into beneficial participants to discuss how Africa, The Academy insects such as the natural preda- by using science and technology, has lost one tors of pest species, pollinating bees could escape from further economic of its dearest and silkworm moths. marginalization. Heads of four and most noble After 26 years as director, Odhi- African countries, as well as three members. ambo relinquished his leadership of former leaders, attended a presi- We will miss ICIPE in 1993. Part of the reason dential forum, arranged for imme- him. ■ was that, having achieved what he diately after the RANDFORUM could for the practice of science in meeting, to discuss scientific issues Africa, he was now focusing his ef- with the continent’s leading re- forts on science policy. searchers. Since then, the RANDFO- In 1983 he became one of the RUM has met twice more, and later ‘founding fathers’ of TWAS, serving this year, will meet again in Nigeria. as vice-president until his death. He Via the RANDFORUM, Odhiambo was also instrumental in founding managed to get his message – that the African Academy of Sciences science and technology form the (AAS) in 1995. As the AAS’s first foundation stones of economic de- president, Odhiambo dedicated his velopment – across to the highest efforts to identifying Africa’s scien- echelons of power on the African tific talent, and helped increase continent. membership from the initial 32 fel- Even while dealing with heads of

35 WHAT’S TWAS?

THE THIRD WORLD ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (TWAS) IS AN AUTONOMOUS INTER- WANT TO KNOW MORE? TWAS offers scientists in the Third World a NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT PROMOTES SCIENTIFIC CAPACITY AND EXCELLENCE variety of grants and fellowships. To find out more about these opportunities, check out IN THE SOUTH. FOUNDED IN 1983 BYAGROUP OF EMINENT SCIENTISTS UNDER the TWAS web-pages! Our main page is at:

THE LEADERSHIP OF THE LATE NOBEL LAUREATE ABDUS SALAM OF PAKISTAN, www.twas.org

TWAS WASOFFICIALLY LAUNCHED IN TRIESTE, ITALY, IN 1985, BY THE SEC- FELLOWSHIPS RETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS. Want to spend some time at a research institution in another developing country? TWAS has more than 660 members from 76 countries, 62 of which are develop- Investigate the fellowships and ing countries. A Council of 14 members is responsible for supervising all associateships programmes: www.twas.org/Fellowships.html Academy affairs. It is assisted in the administration and coordination of pro- www.twas.org/AssocRules.html grammes by a small secretariat of 9 persons, headed by the Executive Director. The secretariat is located on the premises of the Abdus Salam International Cen- tre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy. UNESCO is responsible for the GRANTS administration of TWAS funds and staff. A major portion of TWAS funding is pro- Seeking funding for your research project? vided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy. Take a look at the TWAS Research Grants: www.twas.org/RG_form.html The main objectives of TWAS are to: TWNSO runs a similar scheme, for projects • Recognize, support and promote excellence in scientific research in the South. carried out in collaboration with institutions • Provide promising scientists in the South with research facilities necessary for in other countries in the South: www.twnso.org/TWNSO_RG.html the advancement of their work. • Facilitate contacts between individual scientists and institutions in the South. • Encourage South-North cooperation between individuals and centres of schol- EQUIPMENT arship. But that’s not all TWAS has to offer. TWAS was instrumental in the establishment in 1988 of the Third World Network For instance, do you need a minor spare of Scientific Organizations (TWNSO), a non-governmental alliance of more than part for some of your laboratory equipment, 150 scientific organizations from Third World countries, whose goal is to assist no big deal, really, but you just can’t get it anywhere locally? Well, TWAS can help: in building political and scientific leadership for science-based economic devel- www.twas.org/SP_form.html opment in the South and to promote sustainable development through broadbased partnerships in science and technology. > www.twnso.org TWAS also played a key role in the establishment of the Third World Organiza- TRAVEL tion for Women in Science (TWOWS), which was officially launched in Cairo in Would you like to invite an eminent scholar 1993. TWOWS has a membership of more than 2000 women scientists from 87 to your institution, but need funding for his/her travel? Examine the Visiting Third World countries. Its main objectives are to promote research, provide Scientist Programme, then: training, and strengthen the role of women scientists in decision-making and www.twas.org/vis_sci.html development processes in the South. The secretariat of TWOWS is hosted and assisted by TWAS. > www.twows.org Since May 2000, TWAS has been providing the secretariat for the InterAcademy CONFERENCES Panel on International Issues (IAP), a global network of 85 science academies You’re organizing a scientific conference and would like to involve young scientists worldwide established in 1993, whose primary goal is to help member academies from the region? You may find what you work together to inform citizens and advise decision-makers on the scientific are looking for here: aspects of critical global issues. > www.interacademies.net/iap www.twas.org/SM_form.html