Why did Islamic science decline centuries ago and how can it rise again? This was the central question of a conference organized in Kazan on 25-29 August by the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, Islamic World Academy of Sciences headquartered in Amman and UNESCO. The conference had as its theme Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for Sustainable Development in the Islamic World: Policies and Politics of Rapprochement.

It was felt that there was a need to revisit the rise and decline of Islamic science, both to highlight the contribution the Islamic civilization has made to the world civilization and to understand the deep-rooted reasons for this decline, in order to learn from the lessons of the past.

A symposium organized during the conference by the Islamic World Academy of Sciences in collaboration the UNESCO and the Kazan State University addressed the question of why the Islamic civilization – which enjoyed almost five centuries of scientific superiority – did not later undergo a European-type renaissance.

The symposium’s conclusions were reflected in the Kazan Declaration, which described it as ‘imperative’ for the interest in science of the scientific community and ultimately the public, to rediscover science.

The Declaration stresses that ‘STI are not exogenous factors which determine a society's evolution independently from its historical, social, political, cultural, or religious backgrounds. Rather, they are the tools within humanity’s reach for the fulfillment of human needs while maintaining the natural environment.’

The Declaration urges the decision-making community of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and other developing countries to lead by example in promoting sustainable development. It calls upon them to improve the capacity for policy integration at all levels of government by ensuring, for example, that key economic, environmental and social considerations are integrated into sectoral policy analysis, design and implementation, before decisions are taken.

The Declaration also urges them to ensure that the best scientific advice - as for example may be provided by academies of sciences - on sustainability issues is coordinated at the highest level within government and communicated to decision-makers. A session during the conference on The Role and Functions of Academies of Sciences gave the representatives of no less than 10 academies of sciences, including those from France, the USA, Malaysia, Pakistan, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Tatarstan and Romania, the opportunity to present short overviews of their respective academies and their outlook for the future. The session compared the different models of academies of sciences existing worldwide, ranging from the Soviet-style academy of sciences to the Anglo-Saxon model and the international or global model personified by the InterAcademy Panel encompassing the Islamic World Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS).

Among other recommendations, the Declaration also urges the decision-making community to cooperate internationally to develop common approaches for making economic, environmental and social policies mutually supportive; and to identify sustainable development policy targets and timetables, and conduct regular reviews of progress.