Science and technology parks governance: a key to development

Some 95% of new science is created in countries comprising just one-fifth of the world population. This imbalance generates serious problems not only for the scientific community in developing countries but also for the economic development of these countries. Today, the frontiers between the functions of university, industry and government are blurring. Each institution can assume the role of the other: the university can take on the role of industry, helping to form business incubators; government can support new developments in industry through funding programmes and changes in the regulatory environment; industry can take on the role of the university by developing training and research. UNESCO is promoting the development of science and technology parks in developing countries to make sure they are part of this transformation.
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Caribbean Science Foundation on the cards

7 May - Countries from the Caribbean Common Market (CARICOM) meeting in Grenada on 9 April have recommended the establishment of the Caribbean Science Foundation (CSF) ‘as soon as possible to develop STI … for the region’s development’. A committee will be presenting a proposal for the CSF through the Chair of the CARICOM Steering Committee on S&T to Prime Minister Keith Mitchell of Grenada in time for the CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in July. This and other recommendations feature in the Final Report of the meeting, which also includes recommendations by Dr Khotso Mokhele, former President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Research Foundation of South Africa, under a consultancy commissioned by UNESCO and CARICOM. The April meeting was funded by the Government of Grenada, UNESCO’s office in Jamaica and Cariscience.

Read the Final Report
Click here for background on the meeting
On Cariscence

Launch of website for UN S&T cluster in Support of NEPAD

29 April - Since 1999, regional consultative meetings have been held to improve the coherence of the activities of the various United Nations agencies working in the five regions of the world, in the context of the reform agenda of the United Nations Secretary-General and as urged by the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council. These consultative meetings come at a time when Africa in particular is a focus of regional development efforts.

The UN S&T Cluster was established in 2005
The meeting started today 29 April, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Website)

UNESCO/Spanish Initiative in favour of Africa launched

28 April - Within the framework of UNESCO/Spanish cooperation, the Division for Science Policy and Sustainable Development launched a science and technology initiative in favour of Africa, the focus of which is to build capacities of the sub-Saharan African Member States in the area of science policy formulation. The immediate objectives are a) to formulate science and technology policies in two African countries and b) to set-up the first phase of an African Virtual campus. (More : Science Technology & Innovation Policy Initiative - African Virtual Campus)

Science, Higher Education and Innovation

1-4 July
UNESCO’s Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Venice (Italy) is organizing a policy forum in Budva (Montenegro) which will bring together ministers, parliamentarians, representatives of academies, universities and research funding bodies from Southeast Europe. The focus of the forum will be the Lisbon Strategy. For details, contact the UNESCO focal point in Venice or go to the website. See also the latest edition of the Venice office’s newsletter (January 2008)

Division for Science Policy and Sustainable Development

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