Where are the new patrons of science?

摘要

Muslim nations must take a big leap forward in developing science and technology to catch up with the rest of the world, argues Herwig Schopper, or they risk falling behind in the global economy. Spending on research and development in the Islamic world is an order of magnitude below the global average. According to a series of highly self-critical reports assembled by Arab scholars, and released by the United Nations', countries in the Arab world are finding it hard to improve the situation. As commentators from that region have noted2'3, they continue to fall behind not only the developed countries in the West but also emerging nations in east Asia. In the past decade, Taiwan and South Korea have shown a breathtaking expansion of science and technology coupled with rapid economic growth. Can a similar leap forward occur in the Muslim world? Lack of funding is a major obstacle but not the only reason for the appalling status of science in the wider Muslim world. Certainly for poorer nations, lackof resources is a problem, and they may view science as a luxury they cannot afford. Governments mostly exacerbate the problems of low investment because they lack the strategies to foster science and to prioritize research projects.