Anupam Varma Chair, ICSU Regional Committee for Asia and the Pacific

1. Knowledge, Ethics and Responsibility: Perspectives from Developing Countries - S-S and S-N Collaboration in a Regional Perspective Anupam Varma Chair, ICSU Regional Committee for Asia and the Pacific

2. Asia and the Pacific • The seat of unprecedented gains in agricultural production – Green Revolution • Constantly growing population – 50% of the worlds population resides in the region • Hunger and poverty rampant • 540 million people go to bed hungry • 200 million children malnourished • The knowledge divide most prominent World Science Forum, Budapest

3. Trained human resource and Institutional Infrastructure • Some countries in the region have an edge over others in having scientists practicing hard core science • The region is rich in traditional knowledge • In most of the countries of the region infrastructure is not adequate to harness benefit from the fast advancing frontiers of science. World Science Forum, Budapest

4. Broad Areas Specific Areas Bangladesh China India Indonesia Malaysia Pakistan Philippines Sri Lanka Thailand Viet Nam HRD Research & Development Technology & Development Regulatory Framework Regulatory Management Risk Assessment Data Management Public Awareness Quarantine Personnel Infrastructure Research & Development Technology & Development Regulatory Management Risk Assessment Risk Management Data Management Biosafety Clearing House Public Awareness Quarantine System Biodiversity Conservation Biodiversity Documentation Institutional Collaboration Technology Transfer Regulatory Biosafety Law Mechanisms Biosafety Guidelines Patent Laws Plant Variety Protection IPR Biodiversity and CKP Act Seed Act Food Safety Labeling of GMOs Asian Bionet Information Exchange Intra-regional Collaboration High Requirement Medium Requirement Low Requirement No Requirement World Science Forum, Budapest

5. ICSU Regional Committee for Asia and the Pacific • Chair: Anupam Varma (India) • Members: M. Shamsher Ali (Bangladesh) • Muhamad Awang (Malaysia) • Mustafa Baghirov (Azerbaijan) • Jennifer Graves (Australia) • Motonori Hoshi (Japan) • Mingsarn Kaosa-Ard (Thailand) • Ali Moosavi Movahedi (Iran) • Kan Zhang (China: CAST) • Ex Officio: Thomas Rosswall (Executive Director, ICSU) • N.N., Director ICSU Regional Office World Science Forum, Budapest

6. Some of the challenges • Environmental degradation • Sustainable development • Water – a major issue • Science education • Human, animal and plant health • Natural and man-made hazards • Lack of resources • Brain drain • Knowledge divide – increasing gap between S and N World Science Forum, Budapest

7. The approach for meeting the challenges • Strengthen science education to be competitive • Capacity building in S&T – essential for economic growth • Empowering women scientists • Planning and co-ordination of research in modern science and traditional knowledge World Science Forum, Budapest

8. The approach for meeting the challenges • Encourage Academies/National Level Scientific Society to be member of ICSU • Coordination of S&T Development with Asian Scientific Societies and Network of the Academies • Strategic partnership and networking • Develop intra- and inter-regional S-S and S-N collaboration for R&D • Information dissemination World Science Forum, Budapest

9. The approach for meeting the challenges • Bridging the science-policy interface • Advocate the importance of S&T to policy and decision makers • Provide input to important policies • Outreach • Creating public awareness on the importance of S & T World Science Forum, Budapest

10. The approach for meeting the challenges • Establish partnership with the network of academies and regional scientific societies, UNESCO Regional Office, TWAS Regional Office and other international agencies operating in the region. World Science Forum, Budapest

11. To achieve • Sharing the information • Better understanding of science, taking science to society • Developing science-policy interface for wider use of scientific knowledge in framing national policies • Sustainable development • Integration of scientific and traditional knowledge World Science Forum, Budapest

12. To achieve • Active S-S and S-N collaboration for R&D in cutting edge and emerging areas • Improved science education • Attract young people for a career in science • Transform information into knowledge • Focus on basic sciences • Capacity for science and technology development • Build scientific temper • Check brain drain • Encourage participation of diaspora World Science Forum, Budapest

13. To achieve • Ensure involvement in international research efforts • Bridging the North-South knowledge divide • Sustainable development of knowledge based societies in a competitive globalized world World Science Forum, Budapest

14. Ethics in science • “Science has a great ethical responsibility: to provide knowledge. Ethics without knowledge is as effective as a geographical exploration without a compass. …In simple words, the role of ethics begins where science and technology have opened possibilities. …” • Dr. Edward Teller • (Source:Hargittai, I. 2005 The Tragedy of Edward Teller. Hungarian Academy of Sciences) World Science Forum, Budapest