Science, Technology and the Millennium Goals

Soraj HongladaromDepartment of Philosophy

Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

Presented at an International Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation: Emerging International Policy Issues, Harvard University, September 23-24, 2002.

Outline of Talk

• Science and technology as key tools in development of the South.

• However, they are currently much tied up with globalized business interests.

• Hence a way out needs to be found.

• Feelings of alienation against S&T.

• How should S&T become integrated in the lifeworld of the people in the South?

Traditional Models of Scientific Research

• The “lone gentleman” model– The scientist is a gentleman working at his

leisure.

• The national government model– Funding for scientific research comes from

national governments.

• The corporate model.– Funding comes from private corporations.

Deficiencies of these approaches

• The lone gentleman model is hopelessly out of date.

• The second model usually focuses on big science research, such as in defense, which does not translate well into actual lives.

• The corporate model has shown that it has increased resentment and polarization.

Why We Need a New Model

• Feelings of alienation toward science and technology.– The recent Thai novel Amata.– S&T usually viewed merely as imported tools, w

hich have happened to serve only the rich and powerful.

• Polarization– The GMO controversy.– Why African countries rejected GM food aid.

A New Model: Community-Based S&T

• The new model should be able to avoid these deficiencies.

• It should retain the efficiencies of the corporate model, while avoiding its tendency for alienation and polarization.

• It should retain the aim for public service of the second model, while avoiding the pitfalls.

Community-Based S&T

• The roles of communities and cultures.

• Networking among communities.

• Research and development could become smaller in scale and scope.

• Strong links with indigenous knowledge and skills.

• Cultural ties between S&T with the existing knowledge systems.

An Example

• One of the Millennium Goals is to eliminate hunger.

• However, the current model of science funding focuses more on solution of isolated problems rather than the whole picture.

An Example

• In Thailand, farmers have continually developed techniques to improve their crops for millennia without much help from the government.

• What is needed now is a set of scientific research to help them cope more effectively with the current situation.

• The effort should grow out of the farmers themselves.

Another Example: Thai Wine

• The Thai government has recently liberalized the production of wine.

• Hundreds of wine makers have sprung up.

• These could coalesce into major corporations utilizing R&D

Historical Example

• James Watt and the steam engine

• This shows that science does not translate directly into technology and competitiveness.

• More factors are involved.

How this could be done

• The biggest problem seems to be funding -- If the authority to initiate and support research lies with the communities, where do they get the money?

• But where do national governments get theirs?

• And the corporations?

How this could be done.

• The idea is that research and development be smaller in scope and scale.

• We are not talking about big defense spending here, but a lot of activities going on at the same time.

How this could be done.

• There are the local problems, which need local solutions.

• Obviously networking is essential.

Integration of S&T

• One of the challenges for Southern countries is how to integrate modern S&T into their lifeworld.

• This is important so long as S&T are important.

• In my book on Science in Thai Culture and Society I proposed that the new model outlined here could do the job.

Michael Crow

“Harnessing Science to Benefit Society” http://www.cspo.org/products/articles/harnessing.html

“...we must design R&D policies that respond to the complex societal context within which science and technology are applied. Our scientific and technical abilities far outstrip our knowledge of the relationship between research and its outcomes, and the sophistication of the methods we use to make decisions about science policy.”

Acknowledgements

• I would like to thank Calestous, Brian, and Derya for having me here and for their superb organization.

• This talk is part of an ongoing project on science in Thai culture, funded by the Thailand Research Fund and the National Research Council of Thailand.