A R C H I V E S

R&D intensity growing in many countries

October 2009 - From 2002 to 2007, world expenditure on research and development (R&D) rose by as much as 44% in absolute terms, from an estimated PPP$788.5 billion to PPP$1137.9 billion, according to the latest fact sheet by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. In relative terms, however, the share of world GDP devoted to R&D remained stable, at 1.7%. The GERD/GDP ratio has nevertheless increased markedly in 62 out of the 106 countries with available data. R&D intensity has even more than doubled in 14% of the countries surveyed, including China, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Thailand and Tunisia. In around 20% of countries, R&D intensity has remained stable, although it has fallen considerably in 24 countries (23%). Read the fact sheet.

Workshop for countries from East Africa and North Africa on S&T statistics and indicators

March 2009 - Fourteen countries from East and North Africa are meeting in Mombasa (Kenya) from 30 March to 3 April to exchange ideas and best practices in STI policy with countries undergoing a review. The meeting is being organized by UNESCO’s Division of Science Policy and Sustainable Development, together with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, African Union Commission for Human Resources, Science and Technology, New Partnership for Africa’s Development and Kenyan Ministry for Higher Education, Science and Technology. The meeting includes a training workshop on 31 March on Statistics and Indicators in Science and Technology to stress the importance of these tools for any STI review.

Workshop for SADC countries on S&T statistics and indicators

September 2008 - Countries from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) met in Gaborone (Botswana) from 22 to 26 September to enable those which have already reviewed their science, technology and innovation (STI) policy – either with UNESCO or independently – to exchange ideas and best practices with countries undergoing a review. The five-day meeting was organized by UNESCO’s Division of Science Policy and Sustainable Development together with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. The meeting was run back to back with a training workshop on Statistics and Indicators in Science and Technology to stress the importance of these tools for any STI review.

UNESCO Science Report 2010

March 2008 - The UIS is currently preparing global statistics on R&D and higher education for publication in the fifth report in the series of UNESCO Science Reports on the state of the support system for science around the world. The report is due for release at the World Science Forum in November 2009. The UNESCO Science Report is published every five years. Read the UNESCO Science Report 2005 in English or French. Enquiries may be addressed to the Editor or to the UIS.

Science remains predominantly a man’s world

November 2007 - In an interview, Ernesto Fernández Polcuch from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics analyses some of the findings in the report on Science, Technology and Gender, released last month.
Read the interview (English - français).