Virtual Networks, Knowledge transfer, International Collaboration

The 'Science and Innovations as a Global Enterprise' panel earlier today led to some great discussions on how to tackle some of the bigger problems facing the global scientific community, such as: brain drain from in the south, corporate research being outsourced outside of the company's home country, knowledge transfer, and more.

The facilitator for this panel, Alan I. Leshner, Chief Executive Officer of the AAAS, opened the discussion with some broad key points, such as major global societal issues that have scientific relevance - all of them - and why strong science and technology bases are now required for nations to reach prosperity.

Alan I. Leshner, Chief Executive Officer of the AAAS

Arden L. Bement, Director of the National Science Foundation in the USA, talked about the need to move from data sharing on to knowledge sharing, which is more difficult than it sounds. The importance of transformative research, broadband access in developing countries, and more seamless international collaborations were mentioned.

Arden L. Bement, Director of the National Science Foundation

Alan Bernstein, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, opened his talk with two quotes from other scientists:

"Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world. It is the Universal Language.” - Louis Pasteur

“The new electronic interdependence recreates the world in the image of a global village” - Marshall McLuhan

He then talked about some of the projects that he has worked with while at the CIHR, and why he accepted a new post working on a Global HIV / AIDS vaccine initiative.

Alan Bernstein, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Peter Nijkamp, Chairman of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, focused his talk on national and international collaboration. He posed the question of private sector investment outside of their home country, versus foreign investment within scientific research in another country, and eurocentric "diseases" that plague scientific progress in the European Community.

Peter Nijkamp, Chairman of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research