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Islam Analysis (18): Discover what drives efficient innovation
By: Athar Osama
Published on SciDev.Net on 11 April 2012
Several Muslim countries rank among the world‘s most efficient innovators. They must build on this success, says Athar Osama.
Ever since the global business school INSEAD (Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires) started producing the Global Innovation Index reports in 2007, Islamic countries have performed rather unremarkably.
In the last three years, for instance, the top-3 performers have been the United Arab Emirates (ranked 24th for 2009-10), Qatar (24th in 2008-9) and Malaysia (31st in 2011).
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the top ten among Islamic countries are predominantly oil-r...
By: Athar Osama
Published on SciDev.Net on 11 April 2012
Several Muslim countries rank among the world‘s most efficient innovators. They must build on this success, says Athar Osama.
Ever since the global business school INSEAD (Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires) started producing the Global Innovation Index reports in 2007, Islamic countries have performed rather unremarkably.
In the last three years, for instance, the top-3 performers have been the United Arab Emirates (ranked 24th for 2009-10), Qatar (24th in 2008-9) and Malaysia (31st in 2011).
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the top ten among Islamic countries are predominantly oil-r...
Islam Analysis (17): Reviving a culture of entrepreneurship
By:Athar Osama
15 March 2012 | EN
The Muslim world and donors should use nongovernmental networks to nurture the dormant seeds of entrepreneurship, says Athar Osama.
Entrepreneurship and innovation may look like inherently Western ideas in the twenty-first century. Yet they have been part and parcel of Muslim societies even before the heyday of the earliest Islamic Empire.
Mecca, the birthplace of Islam, was long known as being on a major trade route in ancient Arabia. In later years, frontier cities of the rapidly expanding Islamic Empire became centres of commerce and learning, and it was at these meeting points of civilisations that scientific knowledge flo...
By:Athar Osama
15 March 2012 | EN
The Muslim world and donors should use nongovernmental networks to nurture the dormant seeds of entrepreneurship, says Athar Osama.
Entrepreneurship and innovation may look like inherently Western ideas in the twenty-first century. Yet they have been part and parcel of Muslim societies even before the heyday of the earliest Islamic Empire.
Mecca, the birthplace of Islam, was long known as being on a major trade route in ancient Arabia. In later years, frontier cities of the rapidly expanding Islamic Empire became centres of commerce and learning, and it was at these meeting points of civilisations that scientific knowledge flo...
Islam Analysis (16): Specialist R&D funds need rethink
By:Athar Osama
10 February 2012 | EN
Specialist R&D funds levied on business must build organisations that offer short-term benefits through a clear strategy, says Athar Osama.
Just under a decade ago countries in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) signed a science vision 1441 (which coincides with year 2020). Collective spending on research and development (R&D) in the Islamic World was a mere tenth of what the developed world spent. Since then, some progress has been made to increase investment.
But the strong political will needed to undo science under-funding in the Muslim world has been extremely hard to find.
Most OIC members suffer res...
By:Athar Osama
10 February 2012 | EN
Specialist R&D funds levied on business must build organisations that offer short-term benefits through a clear strategy, says Athar Osama.
Just under a decade ago countries in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) signed a science vision 1441 (which coincides with year 2020). Collective spending on research and development (R&D) in the Islamic World was a mere tenth of what the developed world spent. Since then, some progress has been made to increase investment.
But the strong political will needed to undo science under-funding in the Muslim world has been extremely hard to find.
Most OIC members suffer res...
Egypt: from revolutionary spirit to scientific progress
By: David Dickson and Bothina Osama
Published in SciDev.Net on 27 January 2012
One year after Egypt’s revolution, enthusiasm and prospects for science are high — but still need translation into a fully functioning system.
It is difficult to believe, given the optimism and vitality of current debates about science in Egypt, that less than two years ago a UNESCO report described science in the Arab world as being in a “vegetative state”. [1]
This week Egypt celebrates the first anniversary of the momentous events in Tahrir Square, and elsewhere, that brought down the autocratic regime of President Hosni Mubarak. These events showed both the pr...
By: David Dickson and Bothina Osama
Published in SciDev.Net on 27 January 2012
One year after Egypt’s revolution, enthusiasm and prospects for science are high — but still need translation into a fully functioning system.
It is difficult to believe, given the optimism and vitality of current debates about science in Egypt, that less than two years ago a UNESCO report described science in the Arab world as being in a “vegetative state”. [1]
This week Egypt celebrates the first anniversary of the momentous events in Tahrir Square, and elsewhere, that brought down the autocratic regime of President Hosni Mubarak. These events showed both the pr...
SciDev.Net: Egypt’s Scientists Savour Post Revolution Year
By: Hazem Badr
Published on SciDev.Net on 18 January 2012
There has been a surge in public interest in science as the route to recovery
[CAIRO] Scientists have been reflecting on the astonishing gains that the Egyptian revolution has delivered them, as the first anniversary of Egypt’s Tahrir Square uprising approaches next week (25 January).
Over the past year, the science budget has increased by more than a third, salaries have risen and plans have been made for a science and technology city.
“Change has begun on both financial and administrative levels,” Maged El-Sherbiny, president of the Academy of Scientific Research and Techn...
By: Hazem Badr
Published on SciDev.Net on 18 January 2012
There has been a surge in public interest in science as the route to recovery
[CAIRO] Scientists have been reflecting on the astonishing gains that the Egyptian revolution has delivered them, as the first anniversary of Egypt’s Tahrir Square uprising approaches next week (25 January).
Over the past year, the science budget has increased by more than a third, salaries have risen and plans have been made for a science and technology city.
“Change has begun on both financial and administrative levels,” Maged El-Sherbiny, president of the Academy of Scientific Research and Techn...
Islam Analysis (15): Money can’t buy quality research
By: Athar Osama
Published on SciDev.Net on 12 January 2012
Some Muslim countries’ powerful financial incentives to make quick progress in research could backfire, cautions Athar Osama.
Over a decade ago, several governments in the Islamic world woke up from decades of slumber to begin investing heavily in science and innovation. A funding boost helped set up new universities, enhance research grants, and send thousands of students to do PhDs in the developed world.
The regulators and ministries that rolled out these ambitious efforts cautioned against judging their effectiveness and viability too soon, pointing to the limited scientific capacity in...
By: Athar Osama
Published on SciDev.Net on 12 January 2012
Some Muslim countries’ powerful financial incentives to make quick progress in research could backfire, cautions Athar Osama.
Over a decade ago, several governments in the Islamic world woke up from decades of slumber to begin investing heavily in science and innovation. A funding boost helped set up new universities, enhance research grants, and send thousands of students to do PhDs in the developed world.
The regulators and ministries that rolled out these ambitious efforts cautioned against judging their effectiveness and viability too soon, pointing to the limited scientific capacity in...
