Address by the President of the General Conference Dr Davidson L. HEPBURN

Transcription

1 Address by the President of the General Conference Dr Davidson L. HEPBURN on the occasion of the Prize Distribution Ceremony -Science Olympiad winners of 2010 Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi, 14 November 2010 Hon ble Vice Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University Prof. Pillai My colleague Mr. A Parsuramen, Director of UNESCO office in Delhi and UNESCO Representative to India, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka Distinguish Raman Chair Prof. Manoharan, Convener of IGNOU-UNESCO Science Olympiad 2010 Excellencies Winners of IGNOU- UNESCO Science Olympiad 2010 Ladies and Gentlemen It gives me great pleasure to be here this evening to participate in this momentous occasion the conclusion on the IGNOU-UNESCO Science Olympiad that saw about 8000 students from various parts of south Asia and from over 5000 educational institutions participated. I am very happy to see that the seed of cooperation that the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and UNESCO had sown exactly a year ago to improve their cooperation now has matured and started to bear fruit. And what better fruit can it bear than that inspires children. I recall Madam Bokova s statements and I quote UNESCO is proud to be associated with the university in a number of fields, including journalism and media literacy, and hosting the Raman chair for Science education. It is a

2 relationship that we look forward to enhancing in light of our mutual commitment to harnessing technology for lifelong learning. It is indeed true both in its essence and spirit of implementation. I pay my personal tribute to Prof. Pillai and Mr. Parsuramen for being so strategic about how this cooperation must grow. No doubt IGNOU s accomplishments are recognized worldwide but how much better it is - if the same gets recognized by students at their formative years and use the inspiration drawn from this Olympiad to pursue science as the key discipline both as a career and as a way of life. I congratulate you for the fact that it is this cooperation between IGNOU and UNESCO that has achieved this very feat. UNESCO views this Science Olympiad as an added milestone in its effort to popularize science and technology among children. The task of achieving a faster rate of sustainable economic growth for South Asia is considerable and science and technology must play a critical role in dealing with this task. South Asia is one of the regions of the world that is considered to have made some significant strides in science and technology development. However, as a competitor on the global stage, except for India, other countries cannot even be considered to be a "fast follower" but fall just short of that as "dynamic adopters". This rating, expressed in the latest United Nations development report, should galvanize us all, government, private sector and South Asian countries in general, to become innovative and committed to excellence in everything we do. The development of Science & Technology in India since Independence has been essentially based on visionary support by political leadership at the highest level, namely, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. India stands out as the regional leader in the area of S&T. With visionary policies of its

3 leaders and resulting change over the past decades, India is already a Global leader in the area of S&T. For South Asia to be globally competitive, it needs more than the infrastructure you already have. As the recent UNESCO World Science Report launched this month has concluded - you need a strong core of highly skilled professionals in science, engineering and technology. The first step in building this base is to remove all the cultural barriers that still block the majority of the people of South Asia from taking part in science, engineering and technology, especially previously marginalized people who still perceive these fields as taboo. There is need to demystify science and take it into the cultural mainstream so that everyone can participate in it on an equal basis. The UNESCO Report has also argued that the recent cheap and easy access to new digital technologies such as broadband, Internet and mobile phones have accelerated the diffusion of best-practice technologies, revolutionized the internal and external organization of research and facilitated the implantation abroad of companies research and development centres. The problem is that access to internet still needs to be further developed and taken to the masses. It is internationally recognized that interactive teaching and learning through science discovery - such as this science Olympiad - is one of the most effective ways of strengthening the science and technology culture of a country. I believe that we can improve entry into the hard subjects of science and technology by introducing them to young people through the medium of art and culture, especially the performing arts and music. In many ways we have become the products of science and technology, from medical advances, breakthroughs in communication services, discoveries in food technologies and nutrition, advances in exercise science, and our

4 changed perceptions of quality of life and progress. Many see science as a blessing, while others, as a curse that threatens our very survival. Challenging ethical issues face us in the fields of bio-engineering, alternative energy sources, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the exploitation of natural resources. The important point is that science and technology needs to be part of an open and informed debate in which everyone can participate. This debate is essential not only for an improved quality of life but also for regional and global safety and security. In South Asia, as the recent World Science Report illustrates, the level of public understanding of science and technology is low, but the willingness to understand, and the optimism that science and technology is there and represents a meaningful way to move forward and use S&T to improve our lives and livelihood. As the Recent World Science Report has argued, South Asia has enjoyed reasonably good growth rates in the past few years and not suffered unduly from the global recession. Yet, it has been found that the region suffers from a lack of investment in STI. There is also a lack of linkages between public and private actors with no university industry collaboration to speak of. It is noted that, overall, the region seem better situated at producing basic knowledge than commercializing it. In addition to the lack of innovation, South Asia suffers from low levels of literacy and education. Once again, with an exception of India, governments in South Asia face the dual challenges of widening access while simultaneously making the education system relevant to the national economy.

5 Ladies and gentleman The value of events such as this science Olympiad is tremendous. They not only help you excel in academia, but also create a condition for all of you to forget the rat-race and initiate a healthy condition of learning and interactions. Let me conclude by reiterating that it is the growing interdependence between science, technology, society, industry, business, government and the environment that seems to me to be the hallmark of the 21st Century. Let us pledge to nurture an atmosphere of innovation, adventure, high ambition, creativity and high achievements in every area of South Asian science and technology. Let us hope that the science Olympiad really inspires many students to not only take up science as the field of study but also to excel in it. Thank you