Role of Science and Technology in Foreign Policy and Development Assistance

During the open portion of the October meeting of the President's Council on Science and Technology there were two hours devoted to this topic. Both are available on the Internet via streaming video.

Thursday, October 22 10:15 am

Moderators: Harold Varmus, Ahmed Zewail Speaker: Kerri-Ann Jones, Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Department of State (accepted)
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Friday, October 2310:00am
Moderators: Harold Varmus, Ahmed Zewail
Speaker: Nina V. Fedoroff, Science and Technology Adviser, Department of State
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Comment: The testimony indicates a very welcome increase in the attention to international science and technology. Those interested in the topic will want to see both sessions.

A part of the change is due to the change from the Bush to the Obama administration and to the attitudes of the two administrations toward both science and technology and towards international relations.

The last time there was such an initiative was, I believe, in response to the UN Conference on Science and Technology in Development, held in 1979. Today the chances for a major initiative are much better than they were 30 years ago.

• Scientific capacity has increased greatly all over the world and China and India are in the process of developing the capacity to be full partners with the United States.
• There is much more of a realization that many issues affecting the United States are in reality global systems problems. These include communicable diseases and other health problems, global warming and other environmental problems, energy technology and global hunger and agriculture.
• The improvement of travel and especially the improvement of the global information infrastructure (including the development of the Internet and the World Wide Web) have made international collaboration in science and technology much more rapid and efficient.

I hope the Congress will rapidly authorize a new and expanded program of international scientific collaboration, including more funding for such collaboration, funds for capacity building in the nations both poor economically and scientifically, and funds for the government staff needed to promote and monitor the program.