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Editorial
by Koïchiro Matsuura, General Director, UNESCO
“We will promote the global innovation society by developing part of the larger global efforts now taking place to build a more
and integrating all three elements of the knowledge triangle prosperous, equitable and peaceful world. UNESCO, whose
(education, research and innovation).” We will do so “by roots lie at the nexus between education, science and culture,
investing fully in people, skills and research, and by supporting is indeed honoured to be directly involved in the organization of
the modernization of education systems to become more this effort. We would like to thank the Abdus Salam International
relevant to the needs of a global knowledge-based society.” Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and the other members
That was the sentiment expressed by G8 leaders in a broad of the Trieste System for serving as hosts. We now live in a
statement of intent which they endorsed at the G8 2006 knowledge-based society where virtually every societal issue
Summit held in St. Petersburg, Russia last July. Ten months of consequence is directly linked to advances in science and
later, thanks to the generosity of the Italian government, the G8 technology. Think of a world without the internet? That world
and UNESCO have joined together to hold the G8-UNESCO did not exist two decades ago. Yet today our global society
World Forum on Education, Research and Innovation: A New could not function without electronic communications. Now
Partnership for Sustainable Development. The Forum, which think of a world without nanotechnology. Easy to do, you say.
will take place from 10-12 May, will examine how to better utilize But that won’t be the case 10 years from now, when products
the synergies created by education, research and innovation as and services in fields as diverse as CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Welcome to Friuli Venezia Giulia
Riccardo Illy
President of Region Friuli Venezia Giulia
I
n his address during the opening capital. But there cannot be sustainable
ceremony of the Forum, President development without particular attention
Illy thanked the G8, UNESCO to the issue of energy, said Illy. For this
and the Italian Government for having reason, last week a regional energy
chosen Trieste, the “City of Science”, plan was approved, which foresees
and Friuli Venezia Giulia, the “Region measures - also to be supported
for Innovation” for this event. Illy financially - in favour of energy
reminded the audience that Trieste saving, the search for alternative
is host to a hundred or so scientific and renewable sources and for the
and technological institutions (public promotion of these renewable sources.
and private) involving more than However, in view of the fact that results
8,000 people between the University cannot be obtained until the medium
and 4 scientific and technological to long term, in the short to medium
parks, through which innovation in term it will be necessary to continue to
the entire Friuli Venezia Giulia region rely on fossil resources, or at least the
is being supported. “We believe that least polluting of them, therefore gas,
development occurs via innovation, in particular. “I therefore believe that
and there cannot be innovation without Italy’s choice to concentrate on gas for
research activity”, said Illy. For this the production of electricity is the right
reason, the Region is investing a lot choice. Consequently, in order to make
in research, education, professional this resource available, we believe in
training, the transfer of knowledge the construction of gas pipelines and
and innovation. It is therefore no regassification terminals - obviously
coincidence that a recent survey of in compliance with environmental
the Emilia-Romagna Region (2006 legislation - which permit our country
data) placed Friuli Venezia Giulia first and Friuli Venezie Giluia to import the
in Italy in terms of quality of human quantity of gas necessary.”
FROM PAGE 1
11 May 2007 | 2
Highlights
3 | 11 May 2007
Sustainable Development
11 May 2007 | 4
e Education Awareness
Furio Honsell
Rector of the University of Udine
In the knowledge economy/society it is manufacture telescopes. At our university,
not enough for universities to operate only we have developed a special strategy for
according to the two traditional missions: increasing the entrepreneurial skills of our
higher education and research. They need students and for making them aware of how to
to perform a crucial third mission: service capitalize knowledge-based activities. We have
to their community and to operate as a promoted patents-filing, we have been carrying
strategic institution for the social, cultural out a Business Plan Competition, we have
and economic development of their region. joined forces with many local stakeholders
This is not just a matter of enhancing and started a technology park and a spin-off
technology and knowledge transfer from incubator. I am convinced that the strategy of
academia to business. Universities have to capitalization of research, building on regional
demolish the walls of the ivory tower and partnerships, is at the core of all successful
become open institutions, human capital and sustainable initiatives that universities can
factories, knowledge factories, and regional carry out in the present society. It applies both
development factories. Consequently both in G8 as well as developing countries, and has
researchers and students must understand to be at the core of all joint internationalization
the economic and management issues and and co-operation programmes between
implications behind their activities, must universities. I will illustrate below four examples
develop entrepreneurial skills, and be aware of of joint international collaborations according
how to pursue capitalization of research. Far to these principles. The first is with the
from being a threat to their traditional activities University of Yaounde and the Ministries of
and autonomy, or, even worse, a betrayal Animal Husbandry and Health of Cameroun for
of university and education values, this will training veterinary doctors in the most recent
enhance the overall impact of their research techniques for safety control and certification
and knowledge-based activities. of food products of animal origin. The second
To put it in a nutshell: in the XVIIth Century is a joint degree in wine technologies with the
Galileo had a terrific impact on the future of the University in Mendoza (Argentina). The third
world which triggered the scientific revolution. is a joint Masters with the JNTU University in
This he achieved by building less than ten Hyderabad (India) for building virtual museums
telescopes which he donated to the royal and IT for cultural heritage. Finally, we have
families of Europe. a cluster of projects for disseminating civil
He could not have possibly had such an protection and risk management expertise and
impact in this century without filing a patent, safety at work. All these projects capitalize both
drawing up a business plan, starting and research and regional entrepreneurial
incubating a university spin-off company to vocations”.
5 | 11 May 2007
Focus on Participants
Pratap C. Reddy
Founder and Executive Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group, India
A trained cardiologist with international The Forum’s added value comes from its have been drawn from the educational,
experience, Dr. Reddy is well known in structure. Participants include members scientific and entrepreneurial worlds,
the medical and business communities. of the G8 countries as well as others and have representatives from both the
He worked at the Missouri State Chest from developing countries. The speakers public and private sectors, thus giving the
Hospital (US), where he headed several Forum a fairly widespread representation,
research programmes. He also served spanning geography, economy, industry
as the Chairman of several scientific and culture.
meetings and presented papers at What is the role you foresee for your
US medical conventions. In 1983, the country in the field of sustainable
absence of world-class medical facilities development ?
in India spurred him to set up the first India and Indians are leading contributors
Apollo Hospital in Chennai, at a time to the global economy.
when private healthcare institutions International discussion forums such
were virtually unheard of in India. Over as the G8-UNESCO World Forum will
the years, Dr. Reddy has been able to certainly stand to gain from India’s
attract leading medical talent to India, insights and experience, which are
including doctors from hospitals in the US founded on the strengths of the size
and UK. He has also been instrumental of its population, its economy, and its
in bringing about several regulatory entrepreneurial might. As the Founder
changes concerning licensing, ceasing of and Executive Chairman of India’s first
import restrictions, permission for organ and largest corporate hospital chain,
transplants, etc.. Reddy’s pioneering I represent ‘New India’ - a country
approach and tireless efforts have where private enterprise has spurred an
contributed significantly to the emergence unprecedented economic resurgence that
of the private healthcare sector in India. has not only taken the country by storm,
but also the entire world, a corporate
What is your opinion of the added India confident in its own ability to add
value of the Forum as compared to value to both the national and global
other similar international events? economies.
11 May 2007 | 6
Hebe Vessuri
Head of the Department of Science Studies, Institute
of Scientific Research, Venezuela
In her summary, Vessuri emphasized of high technology as well. “Given the
three main aspects of the presentations diversity of local situations in the world it
from the sessions- the regional and local is only sensible to wonder whether this
dimension, the brain circulation and is the right sort of question to be asked
the HE governance to enable both new or expectation to be held”. According to
knowledge and equity challenges to be various speakers, “the high-stakes world
assured. Various speakers underlined of high tech is not even remotely the only
the fact that the “university, industry, possible way to develop and grow for
and government operate in a national a dynamic locality”. Even more, in the
and international context, but they future, this is going to be the exception
occupy local sites” as well. There is no rather than the rule. “We should rather be
practical arrangements reflecting a
disjunction between the global and the thinking of exploring alternatives that take
renewed approach to human mobility.
local, but a continuum with countless account of the diversity of situations”.
“The losses to developing countries are
mediations, including strategic anchoring Therefore, “instead of asking what a
a real threat and we must move from
on national innovation systems. Public local context can learn in its effort to
‘brain drain’ and ‘brain gain’, to a new
policies must thus have dual or multiple copy from the experiences of the great
set-up in which developing nations will
approaches to attend to a complex set of industrial complexes that have grown
be compensated by their contribution to
problems. “When considering capacity- in the world, it seems more promising
human resource provision to the global
building for example –said Vessuri-, it is to explore the peculiar combination of
economy by concrete mechanisms, as
not a question of thinking only of science the local conditions and endowments
countries like India are doing”.The third
and technology, as has often been with the regional, national or even global
issue deals with education governance,
done, but it must include enabling local opportunities, on the basis of capacity
the identification of the best models
populations to improve their condition building and strategic thinking”. The
of education governance, teaching
in connection with practical knowledge second comment has to do with brain
and management. According to Hebe
issues (traditional or not), while circulation, said Hebe Vessuri, that
Vessuri, “an improvement in university
promoting a better appreciation of local underlined the increasing importance
governance is observable in many
needs and opportunities. The session of migrations and brain circulation.
different contexts, together with an
“postcard” proposed by Hebe Vessuri According to the session rapporteur,
intense period of reform in the laws of
highlights the importance of dealing with in view of the global ‘requirements’ of
higher education in many countries”.
the issue of how emerging localities the new economies, various speakers
can compete with the high-stakes world focused on the necessity to establish
7 | 11 May 2007
Programme of Saturday 12 May 2007
09:00-10:00 Knowledge and Professor Teboho MOJA Resources, Science and Technology Closing Session
Sustainable Development Department of Administration African Union
Leadership and Technology ADDIS ABABA 14:30 - 15:45 Knowledge for
Chair The Steinhardt School of Education Sustainable Development: The
Professor Jacob PALIS USA ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION Future
President Hon. Professor Hany Mahfouz
The Academy of Sciences for the 10:30-11:00 Coffee Break HELAL Chair
Developing World (TWAS) Minister of Higher Education and Professor Werner BURKART
National Institute of Pure and 11:00-13:00 Special Session Scientific Research Deputy Director General
Applied Mathematics on “Science, Technology and EGYPT IAEA
BRAZIL Innovation: Perspectives for VIENNA
Africa” Hon. Dr. Noah M. WEKESA
Keynote speakers Minister of Science and Keynote Speakers
Professor Hans VAN GINKEL Coordinator Technology Professor Édouard BRÉZIN
Rector United Nations University Professor Mohamed HASSAN KENYA Former President of French
TOKYO Executive Director The Academy Academy of Sciences
of Sciences for the Developing Hon. Prof. Romain MURENZI Laboratory of Theoretical Physics
Hon. Professor ATTA-UR- World (TWAS) Minister of Science, Technology of the École Normale Supérieure
RAHMAN, FRS President African Academy of and Scientific Research FRANCE
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Sciences RWANDA
Science and Technology TRIESTE Mr. Roger H. SCHJERVA
Chairman [Federal Minister] Hon. Dr. Yaye Kène GASSAMA Deputy Minister
Higher Education Commission Welcome remarks DIA Ministry of Finance
PAKISTAN Ambassador Armando SANGUINI Minister of Scientific Research NORWAY
Personal Representative of the SENEGAL
Dr. Dimitri PISKOUNOV Prime Minister for Africa Sir David KING, FRS
Deputy Director-General Director General for sub-Saharan Closing Remarks Chief Scientific Advisor to H.M.
UNIDO Africa Hon. Dr. Patrizia SENTINELLI Government and Head of the Office
VIENNA ITALY Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Science and Technology
ITALY UK
10:00-10:30 Discussion and the Opening Remarks
Report of the Rapporteur Professor Nagia ESSAYED 13:00-14:30 Lunch 15:45-16:30 Discussion
Rapporteur Commissioner for Human
mail: forum.ictp@theoffice.it
web: g8forum.ictp.it
Video of the Forum online on www.rvnet.eu
Photo first page: Indira Savitree, delegate from Mauritius