A research center to advise Muslim states on science and technology policy-related issues will be inaugurated on July 12 in Islamabad, Pakistan, SciDev. Net reported.
The U.S. $8 million project is part of a program launched by COMSTECH, the Organization of the Islamic Conference's (OIC) committee for scientific cooperation, to help Muslim states develop their science policy; the art of justifying, managing or prioritizing support of scientific research and development.
The Technology and Innovation Policy Research Centre will recruit scientists and economists who will provide training courses for students, government officials and policymakers from OIC member-states.
The center will also conduct science and innovation policy reviews for OIC member-states and produce relevant papers for their policymakers and advisors.
Atta-ur-Rahman, Pakistan's minister for higher education and coordinator-general of COMSTECH, said that scientific capacity building and enhancement in the Islamic world should be driven by different policy instruments depending on the specific needs of individual countries and regions
He noted that only three OIC member-states – Egypt, Iran, Malaysia and Turkey — have national centers that can advise their governments on scientific research.
Next month, COSMTECH plans to launch its Frontier Technologies Research Center, which will organize scientific summits and workshops.
Atta-ur-Rahman said the new center aims at “providing Muslim biotechnologists with a platform where they can share and enhance their bio-knowledge together and develop collaborative research programs.”
Saudi-based OIC, an inter-governmental organization with a Permanent Delegation to the United Nations, is the world's biggest Muslim body, gathering 57 countries with majority Muslim populations around the world. The organisation is dedicated to serving the interests of the Muslim Ummah; nation.
AlJazeera
The U.S. $8 million project is part of a program launched by COMSTECH, the Organization of the Islamic Conference's (OIC) committee for scientific cooperation, to help Muslim states develop their science policy; the art of justifying, managing or prioritizing support of scientific research and development.
The Technology and Innovation Policy Research Centre will recruit scientists and economists who will provide training courses for students, government officials and policymakers from OIC member-states.
The center will also conduct science and innovation policy reviews for OIC member-states and produce relevant papers for their policymakers and advisors.
Atta-ur-Rahman, Pakistan's minister for higher education and coordinator-general of COMSTECH, said that scientific capacity building and enhancement in the Islamic world should be driven by different policy instruments depending on the specific needs of individual countries and regions
He noted that only three OIC member-states – Egypt, Iran, Malaysia and Turkey — have national centers that can advise their governments on scientific research.
Next month, COSMTECH plans to launch its Frontier Technologies Research Center, which will organize scientific summits and workshops.
Atta-ur-Rahman said the new center aims at “providing Muslim biotechnologists with a platform where they can share and enhance their bio-knowledge together and develop collaborative research programs.”
Saudi-based OIC, an inter-governmental organization with a Permanent Delegation to the United Nations, is the world's biggest Muslim body, gathering 57 countries with majority Muslim populations around the world. The organisation is dedicated to serving the interests of the Muslim Ummah; nation.
AlJazeera
