International Sceince and Engineering Partnerships

The National Science Board has recently issued a report (in draft form) titled:

International Science and Engineering Partnerships:
A Priority for U.S. Foreign Policy and Our Nation's Innovation Enterprise

Excerpts:

The U.S.–Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF), the U.S.–Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD), and the Israel–U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD) were jointly endowed by the U.S. and Israel to organize, fund, and help achieve common goals for international partnerships in science, agriculture, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, the BSF Board of Governors recently called for Palestinian involvement in workshops sponsored by BSF, which emphasizes the power of science diplomacy to bring together otherwise very antagonistic populations. With support from the U.S. Department of State, regional scientific workshops have proved to be a very cost effective way of bringing scientists together around common issues in the Middle East and in other regions of the world. These regional scientific workshops should continue to be a high priority, but subsequent funding for actual research collaborations are also needed.

The USAID-funded Red Sea Marine Peace Park Cooperative Research, Monitoring and Management Program (RSMPP Program) serves as another good example of a multilateral Israel–Jordan–U.S. science partnership with great benefits to science, those nations, the region, and the pursuit of peace. Funding requirements for such partnerships are modest and pay substantial long-term dividends.

Egypt and the U.S. have also experienced great success in establishing collaborative partnerships under the aegis and support of the jointly funded Egypt–U.S. Joint Science and Technology Fund. Like the U.S.–Israel Funds referenced above, this fund represents an excellent example of science diplomacy that could well serve as a model for other bilateral and multilateral diplomatic relationships in the Middle East and elsewhere. Very recently, the U.S. established the Community College Initiative (CCI) with Egypt under the aegis of the Fulbright Commission. This innovative program will sponsor up to 200 Egyptians to study for up to two years at community colleges in the United States.....

Unfortunately, some policies implemented or strengthened following the September 11th attacks have inhibited international S&E partnerships. Issues such as intellectual property protection, management and access to data, data representation policies, export controls, materials/technology transfer policies, standards, and visa policies all require careful discussion to foster the growth of U.S. participation in S&E partnerships, while protecting the security of the U.S. and its allies around the world. U.S. scientists and engineers, in dialogue with policy makers and students, must work together to create solutions for problems that transcend individual government agencies and research institutions.14 Therefore, the Board recommends:

Recommendation 6
Congress should direct the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Department of State, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to balance U.S. security policies with the needs of international science and engineering including intellectual property protection, management and access to data, export controls, technology transfer, and visa issues......

The U.S. has always attracted many international students and researchers, but security regulations implemented after the September 11th attacks made it more difficult for foreign students and researchers to enter the country. The Department of State has done much to address these problems, but a perception continues to persist in the international community that the U.S. does not welcome non-U.S. scientists, engineers, and students as it once did. The Department of State recorded a decline in foreign students and researchers entering the country since September 11th,17 and there is increasing concern that not enough American students are entering the S&E workforce or participating in international S&E education and research experiences.......

The U.S. Government supports international S&E partnerships for multiple beneficial reasons. However, little is really understood about the benefits of such partnerships both by the public and in Congress. The benefits of international science and engineering partnerships are not only vital to the future of the U.S., but also stand at the forefront of solving the most pressing issues facing the entire world. Climate change, natural disasters, food shortages, sanitation and drinking water, energy resources, and the spread of disease are only a few of the issues that have global consequences and require a collaborative global effort from not only scientists and engineers, but from policy makers at all levels. The U.S. is uniquely positioned to help shape the direction of international cooperation and provide leadership in building S&E partnerships that can address these important global issues.

Comment: This is a good report. I hope it will do some good, that is that the recommendations be accepted.

I was involved in the cooperative projects described above, and I value them highly. JAD