The Asian
miracle
The fastest growing centres
for science and technology are located in Asia, where spectacular
developments have taken place during the past ten years. China and
India get the biggest headlines. Their potential in science and
technology is repeated daily in international media. But in addition
to Japan and South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan are further ahead.
A few other countries, notably Malaysia, seem to be moving towards
the starting-blocks.
Asia
and Science and Technology Books at NIAS Linc
Asia
and Science and Technology articles 2000-2006
The Rise
of Asian science and technology
Asia
'leads Europe' in science spending, China has played a major
role in helping Asia overtake Europe in research and development
spending. North America continues to lead in scientific investment,
with public and private funding accounting for 37% of the world's
gross expenditure on research and development (GERD) in 2002. However,
Asia is now the second largest investor, with a share of 32%, overtaking
Europe which contributed 27% of GERD, according to data from the
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) featured in the UNESCO Science
Report 2005.
The UNESCO Science Report
2005 is available in English and can be ordered from the UNESCO
Publishing Office .
Download key
indicators on world GDP, population and GERD by region and
for selected countries in PDF.
Download key
indicators on the numbers researchers by region and for selected
countries in PDF.
World
Intellectual Property Organization: Growth rates of international
patents
Asian strategies for R&D
Building
science, technology and innovation policies
Joachim Ahrens, May 2005 How can developing countries construct
national science, technology and innovation policies to enhance
their development? This policy brief provides a guide to the issues
involved. Source: SciDev, May 2005
SciDev
Key Documents on R&D
Science
and Technology Policy Asian Network (STEPAN)
Established in 1988, the
Science and Technology Policy Asian Network (STEPAN) is a network
of researchers and institutions in the Asia-Pacific region focusing
on research and training support for national Science and Technology
(S&T) policy and management programs under the auspices of UNESCO.
STEPAN provides an umbrella policy level network to all other UNESCO
science networks.
Science
Council of Asia The annual SCA conference is held on a rotational
basis so that each member country can actively participate in and
contribute to the SCA. The annual conference consists of a
General Assembly, a Management Board Meeting, and a Symposium which
provides for discussions among scientists, engineers, policymakers,
and students from Asia .
Science
and Technology for Sustainability in Asia: The Agenda of the Science
Council of Asia
Academy
of Science for Developing Countries
Founded in1983 to give
recognition and support to research carried out by scientists in
developing countries, to facilitate their contacts and foster research
in developing countries
The
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chinese : pinyin : Zhongguó
Kexuéyuàn), formerly known as Academia Sinica is the national academy
for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China . It
is an institution of the State Council of China. It is headquartered
in Beijing , with institutes all over China.
The
Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST),
Missions of
the Ministry of Science and Technology are:
To research
and set forth the macro strategies for science and technology development,
as well as guidelines, policies and regulations for science and
technology to promote economic and social development; to conduct
research on key issues relating to the promotion of economic and
social development by science and technology, to research and determine
the major deployment and priority areas for science and technology
development; to promote the building of the national science and
technology innovation system and improve the national science and
technology innovation capacity.
Indian
Academy of Science, The Academy, founded in 1934, aims at promoting
the progress and upholding the cause of science in pure and applied
branches. Major activities include publication of scientific journals
and special volumes, organizing meetings of the Fellowship and discussions
on important topics, recognizing scientific talent, improvement
of science education and taking up other issues of concern to the
scientific community.
Pakistan
Academy of Science, the aim is to promote research in pure and
applied sciences , establish and maintain libraries; awards grants
and fellowships and gold medals.
Royal
Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (RONAST) is an independent
apex body established in 1982 to promote of science and technology
in the country. The Academy is entrusted with four major objectives:
advancement of science and technology for all-round development
of the nation; preservation and further modernization of indigenous
technologies; promotion of research in science and technology; and
identification and facilitation of appropriate technology transfer.
The
Science Council of Japan has held an annual International Conference
on Science and Technology for Sustainability since 2000. The focus
on 10 - 12 November 2004 was on the issue of the Asian megacities,
which are currently witnessing a rapid rise in urban agglomeration.
Research on R&D in Asia
SciDev:
How can developing countries
use research and development to accelerate their social and economic
progress?
The answer lies in developing procedures for originating, acquiring,
assimilating, adapting and diffusing new knowledge in other words,
in establishing a research and development (R&D) policy.
Scidev
China page
Welcome to SciDev.Net's gateway
for China, presenting news, views and information on science and
technology in this region.
Scidev
South Asia page
Welcome to SciDev.Net's gateway
for South Asia , presenting news, views and information on science
and technology in this region.
Scidev
Southeast Asia page
Welcome to SciDev.Net's gateway
for South-East Asia, presenting news, views and information on science
and technology in this region.
Change
in the air: science in the Muslim world The Islamic world's
scientific agency is on a path to reform. Ehsan Masood assesses
the obstacles on the road ahead. 23 March 2006, Source: SciDev.Net
Chinese
science: forging the future
11 April 2006 Source: Science
Central to China 's long-term
scientific ambitions is the work of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
(CAS) and the dozens of research institutes it encompasses (see
China
unveils plans for science-based development )
Is
China the next R&D superpower?
Reforms and steadily
growing funding have Chinese scientists producing research breakthroughs,
but challenges remain
By Dennis Normile, Illustration
by Chuck Mackey -- in Electronic Business , 7/1/2005 .
East
Asia: Innovating to Win
This is the concluding chapter of the Book "Can East Asia Compete?"
The chapter seeks to answer the following questions: Why is innovation
important to enhance a country's economic competitiveness? To what
extent do East Asian countries meet the necessary conditions for
innovativeness? What should East Asia do?
Ethics
in Asia-Pacific
Science and technology provide the knowledge and means to change
the world around us, impacting all societies and social classes.
The ethical implications of recent and accelerated developments
in science and technology have added a major dimension to the debate
on social policy and economic development.
ICT
in the Hands of the Poor Subtitled "Initiatives for Innovation
and Research" this website provides information about and from
a network of projects in South Asia supported by UNESCO.
Innovative
East Asia: The Future of Growth
The first chapter of this World Bank report, titled Economic Changes
and Policy Implications in East Asia, discusses among other things
the role of FDI in propelling economic growth and innovation in
the coming years.
Nature
China Focus
China is developing fast
as a major economic force in the Asian Pacific and in the world
at large. This is partly thanks to the entrepreneurship of the Chinese
people, but also due to their dedicated pursuit of new technologies.
Keen to sustain both trends,
China has recently made significant efforts to turn itself into
a world-class scientific power. This special supplement,
published in the 11 March 2006 issue of Nature,
presents a variety of perspectives, many from scientists of
Chinese origin working in the United States, on how it can achieve
this goal.
Realizing
Innovation and Human Capital Potential in APEC
This is a 130 page Report discussing innovation and human capital
in the Asia-Pacific countries. The Report is focused on international
mobility of highly qualified people in APEC and olicies to attract
highly qualified people; and development of industrial clusters
towards a knowledge-based economy.
Universitites, science centres, networks
The
Academia Sinica ( Zhongyang Yánjiùyuàn; " Chinese
Academy "), headquartered in the Nangang district of Taipei,
is the national academy for the Republic of China on Taiwan .
APEC
Center for Technology Foresight (APEC CTF). The APEC Center
for Technology Foresight is a center established and supported by
APEC, through active co-operation of Thailand and other APEC member
economies. This Center is hosted by Thailand 's National Science
& Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)
CAPSTRANS
Community and Sustainability Projects , The Centre for Asia
Pacific Social Transformation Studies (CAPSTRANS) seeks to examine
these processes through innovative research by combining methods
from a variety of disciplines, including political science , economics,
sociology, anthropology, social history and media studies.
Center
for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific
(CSSTEAP) , The Centre is an Education and Research Institution
that is capable of high attainments in the development and transmission
of knowledge in the fields of Space Science and Technology.
The
Indian Institute of Science ( IISc ) is a premier post-graduate
institution of research and higher learning located in Bangalore
, India . It offers postgraduate and doctoral research programmes
to over 2,000 active researchers working in 48 specialized departments.
IISc is the best in India in terms of research output (citation
and impact factor) by the journal Current Science.
The
National Institute of Science and Technology Policy oversees
national foresight exercises in Japan. To reach the 6th Japanese
Delphi survey report directly, go to the map of Foresight in APEC
and click on Japan .
Network
of Technology Parks and Technology Incubators
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia
(ESCWA) has created this "initiative aimed at fostering the
creation of technology parks, essentially as instruments for networking
at the disciplinary, sectoral and functional levels would constitute
a logical and a necessary step at the present time.
Tokyo
Institute of Technology (Tokyo Kogyo Daigaku ), often
called TiTech or Tokodai for short, is the largest institution of
higher learning in Japan dedicated to science and technology. It
was founded in 1881 in Tokyo as the Tokyo Vocational School . The
university is a member of LAOTSE
, an international network of leading universities in Europe
and Asia exchanging students and senior scholars.
Science
and Technology in China, Wikiperia article about ancient and
modern Chinese science
Science
and Technology in Japan, Wikiperia article about ancient and
modern Japanese science.
Science
and Technology in India, Wikiperia article about science in
India.
International
Conference on Science and Technology for Sustainability
UNIDO
United Nations Industrial Development Organisation's
vision is to improve the living conditions of people and promote
global prosperity through offering tailor-made solutions for the
sustainable industrial development of developing countries and countries
with economies in transition.
The
World Future Society is a nonprofit educational and
scientific organization for people interested in how social and
technological developments are shaping the future. With 30,000 members,
the Society serves as a nonpartisan clearinghouse for ideas about
the future, including forecasts recommendations, scenarios, alternatives,
and more.
Biotechnology
Biotechnology
opportunities for developing countries
Health biotechnology -
the application of genetic engineering techniques to the development
of new drugs and vaccines - is often seen as the preserve
of rich countries. For poorer countries, struggling with failing
health systems and low medical research budgets, it
is an expensive, long-term investment. Yet health biotechnology,
drawing in particular on genomics, has the potential to make
cheap, locally produced drugs, as well as build a thriving industrial
sector. This special supplement , published in a special supplement
to the December 2004 issue of Nature Biotechnology
, presents case studies of progress in health biotechnology
in seven countries in the developing world.
Free registration is required to view these articles.
What
prospects and pitfalls does biotechnology hold in the pursuit of
food security for Asia? ADB / Asian Development Bank (ADB),
2001 This working paper from the Asian Development Bank examines
the risks and benefits of biotechnology in relation to human health,
the environment, and Agriculture. IN this context it aims to identify
measures to minimise adverse impacts, explore the use of biotechnology
to reduce poverty and achieve food security in Asia and develop
policies and strategies for ADB to support biotechnology in developing
countries in Asia.
Biotechnology
in Asia: opportunities, pitfalls and policy needs
Download the Programme of
the UNU-IAS
Roundtable on Policy Issues Pertaining to Biotechnolgy Development
in Asia.
Biotechnology is increasingly
becoming a vehicle for economic growth in today's knowledge-intensive
economy. It has an unprecedented potential to improve health care,
increase agricultural and industrial productivity, and enhance environmental
quality. Asian countries have recognised the opportunities offered
by biotechnology to marshal their socio-economic growth and have
given due attention to its development. Nonetheless, Asian countries'
share of income from biotechnology relative to their counterparts
in North America and Europe remains modest. It is reckoned that
only six Asian nations, namely Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan,
India and Singapore have significant biotechnological capability.
Despite this, the Asian region has recently witnessed a rapid growth
in the number of companies, revenues and employment in the biotechnology
industry.
Risk
Perception in Genetically Modified Crops
In recent
years, China has become one of the largest growers of genetically
modified (GM) crops in the world. Moreover, the Chinese government
is making substantial investments to develop the domestic biotechnology
sector. Some western observers fear that the pressures of food security
and increased international competition coupled with a weak civil
society, might cause the state to disregard the potential socio-economic
and environmental risks of GM crops. In this project, the Centre
for Development Studies of Groningen University and the Rural Development
Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences will join forces
in a study on the risk perception of various stakeholders –
state institutions, companies, scientists, NGOs and farmers –
and determine how this shapes China’s current and future biosafety
and risk management policies.
Nuclear Science
Not
just weapons: nuclear science for development Over the past
decade, the UN's nuclear energy regulator has helped over 90 developing
countries reap the benefits of safe radiation-based technology,
reports Marilyn Smith . 12 April 2006, Source: SciDev.Net
ICT
WorldSci.Net
This site is devoted to research on the impact of new information
and communications technology on science and technology in Africa
and Asia . It focuses on four geographic areas: Kerala ( India ),
Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, and Philippines.
Bytes
for All
An online community for discussion and links related to issues of
information technology throughout South Asia.
ESCAP
ICT Activities
This web site describes the Information and Communications Technology
Activities of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and
the Pacific.
Discussion groups
S-Asia-IT
S-Asia-IT, a mailing/discussion list for IT developments in South
Asia ( Bangladesh , Bhutan , India , Maldives , Nepal , Pakistan
, and Sri Lanka ), provides forum for those interested in the development
and use of information technology in the South Asian context.
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