<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="0.92">
<channel>
	<title>Muslim-Science.Com</title>
	<link>http://www.muslim-science.com</link>
	<description>Dedicated to Science &#124; Technology &#124; Innovation &#124; Entrepreneurship &#124; Public Policy in the Islamic World</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:47:27 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<docs>http://backend.userland.com/rss092</docs>
	<language>en</language>
	<!-- generator="WordPress/3.1.3" -->

	<item>
		<title>Egypt: from revolutionary spirit to scientific progress</title>
		<description><![CDATA[By: David Dickson and Bothina Osama

Published in SciDev.Net on 27 January 2012

One year after Egypt&#8217;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 &#8220;vegetative state&#8221;. [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 promises and the challenges in achieving economic prosperity and  social development.
The promises lie in the fervour for democratic control that  continues to sweep the country, combined with growing public enthusiasm  for science. They point to a widely-held desire to modernise Egypt&#8217;s  social and economic institutions in ways that directly address the needs  of its people.
But turning fervour into an achievable political programme —  one that ...]]></description>
		<link>http://www.muslim-science.com/egypt-from-revolutionary-spirit-to-scientific-progress/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>SciDev.Net: Egypt&#8217;s Scientists Savour Post Revolution Year</title>
		<description><![CDATA[﻿﻿﻿﻿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&#8217;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.
&#8220;Change has begun on both financial and administrative levels,&#8221; Maged  El-Sherbiny, president of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (the  government body responsible for funding research in Egypt), told  SciDev.Net.
All the research centres affiliated to different ministries will  be gathered under the Supreme Council of Research Centers, and the  scientific research budget, which jumped 35 per cent in 2011−12, is likely to  increase in 2012−13, said El-Sherbiny, with a government target of one per cent  of gross domestic product to be spent on science.
The sharp increase in funding ...]]></description>
		<link>http://www.muslim-science.com/scidev-net-egypts-scientists-savour-post-revolution-year/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Islam Analysis (15): Money can&#8217;t buy quality research</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
By: Athar Osama
Published on SciDev.Net on 12 January 2012
&#160;


Some Muslim countries&#8217; 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 these countries. It was popular to say, &#8216;let&#8217;s build a critical mass  (quantity) first and worry about raising the standard (quality)  later&#8217;.
But there was clearly something amiss: some policies seemed  either deficient or simply wrong-minded. And evidence of this is  beginning to pile up.
Evidence of misguided priorities 
The picture emerging is one of a mindless race to secure  international publications and increase university rankings using  &#8216;shopping sprees&#8217; for highly cited academics, plagiarism and ...]]></description>
		<link>http://www.muslim-science.com/islam-analysis-15-money-cant-buy-quality-research/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>SciDev.Net: Princess Sumaya on Science after the Arab Spring</title>
		<description><![CDATA[By: Mićo Tatalović
Published on 25 January 2012


Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan of Jordan talks to SciDev.Net about hopes for science in the Middle East, science diplomacy and the role of women scientists.
&#160;
Members of royal families around the world often express  support for science, but Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan of Jordan stands  out for taking a particularly close and active interest.
She is a founder and president of the El Hassan Science City,  president of Jordan&#8217;s Royal Scientific Society and chair of the board of  trustees of the Princess Sumaya University for Technology. She has also  recently helped set up a science and technology collaboration centre for the Middle East, in Jordan.
This month is the anniversary of two Arab uprisings, in Egypt  and Tunisia. We asked Princess Sumaya about the impact the Arab Spring  has had on science in the region, her views on science diplomacy, and her hopes and fears for science, education and innovation.
How has the Arab Spring provided opportunities for science and technology?

A large part of it is people starting to ...]]></description>
		<link>http://www.muslim-science.com/scidev-net-princess-sumaya-on-science-after-the-arab-spring/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Islam Analysis (14): Planting seeds for a scientific revolution</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
By: Athar Osama
Published on SciDev.Net on 15 December 2011


&#160;
Arab Spring revolutionaries turning to governance must adopt knowledge and innovation as barometers for progress, says Athar Osama. 
As revolutions swept countries and shook governments across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region this year, they created opportunities for greater public voice in governance.  Tunisia, for example, recently went through an election, and the  Egyptian people are in the process of electing an assembly whose job is  to write a new constitution.
And as revolutionaries turn to governance, they will have to  address the socioeconomic and cultural challenges facing tens of  millions of people: poverty with no prospect of prosperity, a burgeoning  young population, poor employment opportunities, a culture of  entitlement, and growing radicalism. These will be the real test of  their leadership.
Science and innovation must feature high on their agendas. There are promising signs, such as Tunisia&#8217;s $16.5 million science and technology boost, and the pronouncements of Egypt&#8217;s caretaker government that it will open Zewail City of Science and Technology, a new science ...]]></description>
		<link>http://www.muslim-science.com/islam-analysis-14-planting-seeds-for-a-scientific-revolution/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Making Malaysia&#8217;s Third Science Policy Work</title>
		<description><![CDATA[By: Tan Sri Omar Abdul Rahman
The government’s science and technology (S&#38;T) apparatus is now in active consultations to formulate the third national S&#38;T policy (NSTP3) and I have been involved in some and benefitted from them.
In an earlier article (NST 9/7/11), I had briefly described the two previous policies and given some thoughts on what the essentials of the NSTP3 should be.  I am now offering further thoughts on the subject.
However, let us first briefly revisit the evolution of science policies in general.  Initially it was just a “science policy” emphasizing the need to do “good science”.  Then it was an “S&#38;T policy”, linking knowledge (science) do its application (technology).  Much later there was a move for a policy for “science for technology for development” focusing on harnessing S&#38;T for national development.  This gave rise to the concept of science for development (role of S&#38;T in implementing development) and development for science (measures to strengthen S&#38;T capacity).   Currently it is “science, technology and innovation (STI)” policy, implying that doing good science is not good enough.  Science must translate into innovative ...]]></description>
		<link>http://www.muslim-science.com/making-malaysias-third-science-policy-work/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Islam Analysis (13): Academies must evolve to face the future</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
By: Athar Osama
Published on SciDev.Net on 10 November 2011

The Islamic World Academy of Sciences has been challenged to build bridges. The hardest may be between disciplines, says Athar Osama.
The Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS) was established in  1986 as the Academy of Sciences for 57 Islamic member countries of the  Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The academy has three important functions: to promote the  values of modern science by recognising scientists and disseminating  scientific findings; to be a forum for debating science and scientific  issues; and to be a repository of the history of science in Islamic  civilisation. Over the years, it has addressed these functions with  varying degrees of success. Now, it must meet a new set of challenges.

Forum for change
In its role as a &#8216;forum&#8217;, the IAS organised  a conference last month in Doha, Qatar, on the topic &#8216;The Islamic World  and the West: Rebuilding Bridges through Science and Technology&#8217;.

The event provided an excellent opportunity for the scientific  elite of the Muslim World — the elected fellows of ...]]></description>
		<link>http://www.muslim-science.com/islam-analysis-13-academies-must-evolve-to-face-the-future/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Misguided priorities of academics &#8211; The case of Pakistan.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[By Murtaza Haider, Published at Dawn.Com on November 2, 2011
A recent public opinion poll revealed that the top-most research priority areas identified by Pakistanis included Chemistry, Urdu literature, Islamic studies, Arabic, Botany and Zoology. Those who responded to the survey asked of Pakistani academics to devote their energies on the above-mentioned research areas and requested the governments to fund additional research in Chemistry and other basic sciences.
You are not alone in wondering how you missed seeing the results of this critical opinion poll in which Pakistanis identified research priority areas for the nation. In fact, no such poll exists. But what exists is a list of  7,151 Ph.D. dissertations completed since independence in Pakistan, which shows that most frequent research subjects included Chemistry, Urdu literature, Islamic studies, Arabic, Botany and Zoology.
The following graph is a pictorial representation of the subject areas used to categorise the 7,151 doctoral dissertations. The size of each subject area is in proportion to how frequently it appeared in the list thus revealing Chemistry and other basic sciences along with Islamic studies and Urdu being the ...]]></description>
		<link>http://www.muslim-science.com/misguided-priorities-of-academics-the-case-of-pakistan/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Muslim-Science.Com Founder Wins World Technology Network Award at United Nations in NYC</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
PRESS RELEASE: IMMEDIATE


(October 28, 2011; Woking, United Kingdom):  Wednesday night, in a gala &#8220;black tie&#8221; ceremony at the United Nations, Science Policy scholar and practitioner and the founder and editor of Muslim-Science.Com won the 2011 World Technology Award for Science and Innovation Media and Journalism category.
The Awards were announced from the stage by James P. Clark, Founder and Chairman of the World Technology Network (&#8220;The WTN&#8221;) and Poppy Harlow, Anchor, CNNMoney.com. At the same time, Clark officially inducted those who were selected as Award finalists into the WTN membership as newly elected fellows. Dr. Osama joins the ranks of over 1000 fellows across 60 different countries that include individuals such as Tim Berners-Lee (inventor of the internet), Mark Zuckerberg (Founder of Facebook), Larry Page and Sergei Brin (Founders of Google), Vice President Al Gore, and Prime Minister Tony Blair.
World Technology Network is a curated community of some of the most creative and leading scholars and practitioners as well as corporates in various disciplines of science and technology and related fields (such as media, ethics, finance, and public policy) selected by ...]]></description>
		<link>http://www.muslim-science.com/muslim-science-com-founder-wins-world-technology-network-award-at-united-nations-in-nyc/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Islam Analysis (12): MENA Solar energy project must be more open</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
By: Athar Osama
Published in SciDev.Net on 13 October 2011


&#160;
Desertec, an ambitious solar power project in the Middle East and Africa, should be more transparent and participatory, argues Athar Osama.
Desertec is the largest solar power project ever conceived. It is designed to provide a significant portion  of the electricity needs of participating countries in the Middle East  and North Africa (MENA) region, and up to 15 per cent of Europe&#8217;s electricity needs by 2050.
The US$500-billion scheme promises power from a network of  concentrating solar power (CSP) stations across MENA, connected to each  other through a high-voltage direct current transmission grid, and to  the European Grid through undersea cables.
It&#8217;s a &#8216;dream&#8217; project. But it could follow the fate of an earlier ambitious energy initiative.
In 1994, Pakistan&#8217;s then government signed contracts with 19  private independent power plants (IPPs) and quickly attracted more than  $5 billion in investment to develop a capacity of generating 4,500  megawatts of power.
The policy was hailed by the international community, and  described by the US Energy Secretary as &#8220;the best ...]]></description>
		<link>http://www.muslim-science.com/islam-analysis-12-mena-solar-energy-project-must-be-more-open/</link>
			</item>
</channel>
</rss>

