Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs - Science, technology, and globalization

Science and Technology for Sustainable Well-Being

John P. Holdren — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 21:29:19 -0600

"I would urge every scientist and engineer with an interest in the intersection of S&T with sustainable well-being...to 'tithe' 10% of your professional time and effort to working in these and other ways to increase the benefits of S&T for the human condition and to decrease the liabilities. If so much as a substantial fraction of the world's scientists and engineers resolved to do this much, the acceleration of progress toward sustainable well-being for all of Earth's inhabitants would surprise us all."

Calestous Juma Appointed as Special Adviser to International Whaling Commission

Calestous Juma — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:43:14 -0600

Calestous Juma, director of the Science, Technology, and Globalization Project at the Belfer Center, has been appointed special adviser to the International Whaling Commission. He is to help advise on the future of the commission and is assisting with the preparation of a special meeting to be held in London in March 2007. His appointment was prompted by the Commission members' differences regarding the resumption of commercial whaling.

Patterns of Political Support and Pathways to Final Impact

Calestous Juma, Robert Paarlberg, Carl Pray and Laurian Unnevehr — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 20:46:48 -0600

"To summarize and conclude this special issue of AgBioForum it will be useful first to present the lessons learned so far in the form of a scheme for predicting which biofortified food technologies will enjoy the greatest political support or opposition, and from which actors on the political landscape. The approach here is necessarily hypothetical, given that most of the biofortified food technologies currently under scientific development have yet to be released into any commercial marketplace. After offering this summary projection of likely political responses, this final section then examines the likely consequences in terms of actual nutritional impact."

Political Actors on the Landscape

Robert Paarlberg and Carl Pray — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 20:33:32 -0600

"Efforts to introduce novel agricultural crops or foods are welcomed and supported by some politically important groups in the developing world, ignored by others, and at times opposed by a significant few. When considering the political actors on the landscape most likely to take active positions either for or against novel foods, there is little or no evidence of political resistance to any of the biofortified foods developed thus far using conventional crop-breeding techniques, yet resistance to GMO crops has been widespread for much of the past decade. Which actors on the landscape are opposing GMOs, how powerful are they, and will their opposition weaken if the current generation of GMO crops carrying improved agronomic traits is followed by a second generation of GMOs carrying improved nutrient traits?"

Addressing Micronutrient Deficiencies: Alternative Interventions and Technologies

Laurian Unnevehr, Carl Pray and Robert Paarlberg — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:48:01 -0600

"Improving the nutritional value of staple food crops has usually been a secondary concern for high-income consumers, who have access to improved nutrition through dietary diversification. As a consequence, the scientific improvement of staple food crops has focused on improving yield and productivity (Morris & Sands, 2006). Market forces have tended to reward higher yield far more than higher nutrient content, and crop breeders have often felt they must sacrifice the latter to get the former."

Improving China's Image in Africa

Calestous Juma — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

"China’s ability to respond rapidly to requests for investment in new areas such as infrastructure has emboldened many African leaders who are under pressure to meet their electoral promises....Many of the transactions between China and Africa are kept confidential and little is known about their terms. Promoting greater transparency and mutual learning from those arrangements will help to improve the image of Chinese businesses in Africa."

Putting Biotechnology to Economic Use in Africa

Calestous Juma and Ismail Serageldin — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

African leaders are determined to forge a new economic outlook based on science and innovation. This is reflected in their decision to seek advice from African experts on the role of biotechnology in Africa’s development.

The results of the work of the High-level African Panel on Modern Biotechnology are contained in Freedom to Innovate: Biotechnology in Africa’s Development....Freedom to Innovate outlines specific and practical measures to advance development, quality of life and environmental sustainability using biotechnology. It is a bold statement on the need for Africa to build the capacity needed to manage emerging technologies.

Africa's 'Text Generation' is Here

Calestous Juma — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

"Kenyans will elect a new president in December. But unlike in previous elections, the president will preside over a country dominated by the youth who have a new outlook on life....Performance standards will soon take centre stage and will start to directly challenge patronage as a management style....The "text generation" will be more interested in a functioning economy and less in ethnic politics that has dominated Kenya and most of post-colonial Africa."

Smart Power and the U.S. Strategy for Security in a Post-9/11 World

Joseph S. Nye and Richard Armitage — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Joseph S. Nye and Richard Armitage testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Hearing on Smart Power and the U.S. Strategy for Security in the Post-9/11 World

Universities as Agents of Prosperity

José A Zaglul and Calestous Juma — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"Costa Rica, which shares commonalities with many African nations in terms of climate and resources, has been privileged to have visionary leaders who have understood the importance of education and, since 1949, has had a free and mandatory educational system through elementary school.

In this same era, the army was abolished, arms were exchanged for books and canons for school desks and state universities offering a world-class education were established. Costa Ricans are very proud of this and stable."

Africa in the Age of Rapid Technological Change

Calestous Juma — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

As part of International Relations Week at Harvard, Calestous Juma, director of the Belfer Center's Science, Technology, and Globalization Project, delivered the keynote address on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at the Center for Government and International Studies.

Protect Africa from Technological Vandalism

Calestous Juma — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"Predicting technological doom is not new. Early critics of the microelectronics revolution claimed that labour-saving technologies would create unemployment and lead to economic decline. African countries caved in to the scaremongering and imposed restriction on key fields such as industrial automation. Such decisions contributed to the so-called “digital divide” that separate Africa from the rest the world."

Give African Universities Free Internet Access

Calestous Juma — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"Africa (other than South Africa) is currently linked to the developed world by a single fiber-optic cable down the West Africa coast. It is the most digitally-isolated region on the globe."

Reaping Benefits of Technology Revolution

Calestous Juma — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"The market release of the iconic $100 laptop (XO) later this year promises to do for education what the cell phone did for telecommunications....Like the cellphone, new educational technologies such as the XO will demand greater flexibility in educational systems....Existing curricula are like landlines; fixed in place and dependent for their functioning on centralized bureaucracies."

China Should Import Africa's Finished Goods

Calestous Juma — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"China needs to complement its raw material imports with serious efforts that help African countries become exporters of finished goods to the Chinese market....There is a strategic starting point for China. The country has set up the US$5 billion China-Africa Development Fund that aims to eliminate tariffs on over 440 African export items and build several economic and trade cooperation zones across the continent."

What African Enterprises Can Learn from Nokia

Calestous Juma — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"...African countries can play a key role in the mobile broadband revolution and associated technologies. But they will only do so if they cultivate a culture of innovation and creativity. Their public and private enterprises, however, are the locus of such technological learning.

They must put them to good use otherwise they will continue to remain marginal players in the global economy."

Professor Calestous Juma Hosts Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

During his visit to Harvard University, President Leonel Fernandez had the opportunity to address a select group of Kennedy School students that applauded the Head of State's vision regarding the construction of a Metro Subway system in the Capital city Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, currently taking place. The visit was organized by Professor Calestous Juma, Director of the Science, Technology, and Globalization Project.

Africa Losing Faith in Conference Diplomacy

Calestous Juma — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"Time has come for Africa to rethink its investment in multilateral diplomacy and redirect its efforts to new activities such as technology cooperation through bilateral partnerships.

Part of the resources used to maintain UN missions could be used to support new science and innovation consulates."

Africa Needs More Technical Universities

Calestous Juma — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"Meeting safety requirements in international markets will involve the use of sophisticated information systems that allow regulators to effectively trace the movement of products through the entire food chain.

Having technical capacity to manage safety information will help African countries to add value to their produce."

The Day After: Action Following a Nuclear Blast in a U.S. City

Dr. Ashton B. Carter, Dr. William J. Perry and Dr. Michael M. May — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Failure to develop a comprehensive contingency plan, such as the one proposed here, and inform the American public, where appropriate, about its particulars will only serve to amplify the devastating impact of any nuclear attack on a U.S. city

Putting Remittances to Good Use

Calestous Juma — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

August 30, 2007

"For decades India bemoaned the migration of its skilled expertise to industrialised countries. Today it is benefiting from their knowledge and connections, largely because it has over the years built a strong intellectual and commercial infrastructure through which émigrés are operating."

Fuelling a Sustainable Economy

Calestous Juma — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"In response to long periods of neglect, African countries are starting to invest in new energy production facilities...."

Freedom to Innovate: Biotechnology in Africa's Development

Calestous Juma and Ismail Serageldin — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"This report is about biotechnology and the role it can play for development in Africa. The report suggests specific and practical measures to advance development, quality of life and environmental sustainability using biotechnology."

Managing Technological Risks

Calestous Juma — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

July 27, 2007

Recent comments by former United nations secretary General Kofi Annan over the role of genetically modified seed in African agriculture have reopened debate over the risks posed by new technologies....

Biotech Critics are Playing God

Calestous Juma — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

July 20, 2007

Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan always said he would become a farmer after leaving office. But one of his first acts as chairman of the Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has been to respond to whether the alliance would promote the use of genetically-modified (GM) seed in African agriculture....

Food Security, Agriculture, and Economic Growth: Opportunities for Cooperation between the United States and Sub-Saharan Africa

Calestous Juma — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Testimony of Calestous Juma before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, Hearing on Food Security in Africa: The Impact of Agricultural Development

Ensuring Privacy in the Broadband Era

Nolan Bowie — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

July 9, 2007

Build Africa's Economic Foundations First

Calestous Juma — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"African presidents have now returned home from Accra, Ghana, after discussing a critical issue for the future of Africa: the creation of a United States of Africa at the urging of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi....Col Gaddafi has the right vision, but can correct his faulty strategy by helping to support the effective functioning of regional integration bodies, starting with northern and western Africa."

Harvard Launches Major Initiative to Help Design an International Climate Agreement

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.— Harvard University announced a two-year project to help identify key design elements of a future international agreement on climate change, drawing upon the ideas of leading thinkers from academia, private industry, government, and advocacy organizations, both in the industrialized world and in developing countries.

A Joint Workshop on IGCC & Co-Production and CO2 Capture & Storage

Lifeng Zhao — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Report on a workshop jointly organized by the Energy Technology Innovation Policy research group of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and Chinese Academy of Sciences.