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Policy matters: another view
aIt is all very well for us to say that the Pakistani government has no clue what to do when it comes to devising policies on research and development. But how far are developed countries such as the United States responsible for the failure of S&T policies in developing countries?
Sci-tech World presents excerpts from a report titled “US science and technology policies from the vantage point of the developing world”, included in the Science and Technology Policy Yearbook. The writer, Judi Wangalwa Wakhungu, who is executive director of the African Centre for Technology Studies, Nairobi, discusses the way American policies influence developing countries:
“Is science and technology supposed to benefit humanity? A “developing country” mind inquires. If so, it is hard to imagine how billions of people can be invisible. But in a science and technology policy sense, they are!
“The international system led by the US has failed to meet the scientific and technological needs of the world’s poor. The United States promotes a high-tech world, yet the promise of technology remains largely unfulfilled in the developing world.
“From the vantage point of the developing world, the United States is completely detached from their realities. The poor of the developing world live in different climate zones, have different modes of agricultural production, face different health conditions, and have different lifestyles. The United States is materials-intensive, promotes mass consumption, is powered by fossil fuels, and is geared towards economic growth with little regard for human welfare. US science and technology emphasizes defence (that is military) spending, industrialized world health and agricultural issues, basic research in the natural sciences, space exploration, and conventional energy. A developing country view notes that the United States is not just about “missiles and medicine.” It is, simply, about business as usual…
“A developing country perspective observes that if science is supposed to benefit humanity, then research questions must address the problems of the developing world. Science and technology must show a greater responsiveness to the needs of all the world’s citizens. Successful applications of science and technology to the problems of developing countries must be seen in terms of opportunities and not obstacles. It is often said that the developing country infrastructure is not suited to assimilate new technologies from the United States and other industrialized countries. Developing countries should not be viewed as problems but as resources that must fulfill their potential, along with other countries, for the betterment of humanity. Both the United States and developing countries have much to learn, providing opportunities for R&D questions that are still unexplored. Future developmental prospects for the United States and the developing world will depend on their ability to work together for common goals.
“Many UN agencies have tried to bridge the gap between science in advanced countries and that in the developing world. But the US’s less than cordial relationship with the UN has been disappointing to the developing world. With greater responsiveness, the United States and developing countries must learn how to cooperate…
“All countries must together learn how to mobilize science and technology for the problems of developing countries. They must together work out a more fair system of intellectual property rights. The R&D system is geared overwhelmingly towards the problems of developed countries. The United States must take the leadership role in making the poor of the developing world visible and it must mobilize science and technology to address their crises.”
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