analyzing the state of science and technology in non hegemonic countries (2008)

IRD/Savoirs et Développement 1

Analyzing the state of science and technology in non hegemonic countries

Rigas Arvanitis“Savoir et développement”

IRD, France

FLACSO Marzo 2008


Un poco de publicidad...

Revue d’Anthropologie des Connaissances http://www.ird.fr/socanco/

www.cairn.info


Un poco de publicidad...

Dos otros “journals”:

Science, Technology and Society (Sage) International Journal of Technological

Learning, Innovation and Development


Key areas of interest of IRD Team

Scientific communities The creation of scientific knowledge The practice and policies toward

scientific cooperation The evaluation of research systems /

The role of evaluation The relation of research and

production Technological learning and innovation

in entreprises The social insertion of science


Why review research and innovation systems ? Political decision makers are not keen on

supporting research University reform is always more important

than research Research policy in many countries is an

outgrowth of international cooperation Crisis are good for research ...and the context has changed !


Seven changes that affect research and innovation systems ?1. Science and technology get closer; You need science to develop

technology and technology becomes an input of science (Frontier sciences, basic technological research, …) Basic/Applied no more applies.

2. The increasing role of private companies and private R&D. Structures are not fitted for this change.

3. The Environmental issues are at the forefront 4. Users demand more participation (NGOs, multiplication of funding

sources and implicit policy-making bodies)5. Information technologies (ICTs) contribute to a new economy and

new collaborative practices6. Governance of science is all the more international but national

actors implement national directions. 7. Changing North–South relations. “Developing countries” have

disappeared.


Five stakes for research

Access to resources (budgets, salaries, institutional position, status of researchers)

Access to researchers: Training for research Access to infrastructure : Creation of laboratories

and teams Access to power structures : Recognition of

research inside university structures and administrative levels

Access to data and the field


Necessary studies

Science in Africa (Roland Waast, IRD) 12 countries

Morocco : evaluation of research, national process (Waast)

ESTIME: S&T in Mediterranean countries (7 countries)

Meta-Study : UNESCO (Mouton & Waast) (52 countries all continents)


The Meta-Study proposal

Create the conditions for a mapping of researchTemplateBibliographyNetwork of reference centers

Reduce the diversity to a typology of research systems.


Template for country reviews 1/3

Necessary items that one has to take into account:

1. Context: history & context

2. Institutions (listing/narratives)

3. Governance of science (science policy.making level

4. Policies



5. Knowledge producers1. Universities 2. Research institutes3. Tech centres / Innovation units4. R&D (productive) units

6. Scientific community structures1. Associations2. Journals3. Meetings4. International cooperation



7. Ressources (people+funding)

8. Significant outputs (publications)

9. Technology indicators + innovation surveys

10. Scientific cooperation agreements


The research systems reviews

Support policy analysis Disciplines / areas / history

Support in-depth case studies instead of simple indicators Social acceptance of science

Field research and strategic evaluation Insufficient info by stats / insufficient indicators

Comparison (benchmarking?) is not a “panacea” See pb. with the typology of countries case studies


Some difficult issues 1/2

Innovation + research (should we add economic specialization, foreign R&D, FDIs?)

Do we have innovation systems? Research systems? No systems at all? Social insertion of science? Elite knowledge vs lay knowledge (persons/ indigenous/local/users knowledge)?

What about sustainable development? Millenium objectives? Innovation systems?


Some difficult issues 2/2

What about the special role that social sciences play in the research system ?

What about funding mechanisms? Institutes vs. Agencies

(the change of mechanisms is inducing changes in the evaluation and decisions about fields of research)


INSTITUT AGENCY

Organisation

Own research personnel

Fund with no personnel

Budget related to internal forces

Budgets on call for offers

Definition of research programmes

By researchers (internal committees), strong steering by researchers

By « donors », external funders, and programme mamangers


INSTITUT AGENCY

Evaluation

Mainly by committees, and mainly individual (recrutement ; advancement).

Mainly by “external” committees on projects by peers.

Scientific community

Participation depends on size of the institution

Participation depends on the amounts of the funds


Some needs

A more formal exercise of the research and innovation systems (eg. Amable, Barré, Boyer)

Create an exchange plateform / collaborative work with Unesco Including bibliometric data institutions+disciplines

Including narratives(data not comments)


Additions on the long term

Create reference centres in some countries and create teams

See p.13 + examples like STEPI

Networking of “observatories” Example of RICyT / example of MIRA

Promote training in policy related analysisOn a regional basis – Unesco offices + other

organizations (ALECSO, Africa, EU DG research, OECD, Globelics network)


Future strategy : 4 orientations

Strategic evaluation (country review) Focus on uses of research Micro-bibliometric analysis

Specific surveys

seguido


1. Strategic Evaluation

not only expert rounds

Deskwork (indicators) Analysis of survey results Experts foreign/local by domain Field work (case studies)


2. Uses of research

Focus on uses of research and innovation through research (R&D)

“productive knowledge” areas that are interface


3. Bibliometrics

micro-bibliometric analysis at the level of disciplines and institutions create a specific training on these issues (see example country/discipline)

Eventually create specific databases ?


4. Future surveys

Surveys on innovation: SMEs and technological learning

Surveys on cooperation + labs : A real need that has not been covered /EULAKS

Pay attention to the accumulation of narratives (case studies/local knowledge) /EULAKS again!


Muchas gracias

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analyzing the state of science and technology in non hegemonic countries (2008)

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