Opportunities, Challenges and Good Practices in International Research Cooperation between Developed and Developing Countries.

Abstract

This report of the OECD Global Science Forum describes issues and options that deserve the attention of scientists and administrators in industrialised countries and in developing countries, as they seek to design, initiate and manage collaborative research programmes and projects that include both scientifi c and development goals. The report identifi es good practices and new ideas, and presents options for concrete actions, compiled during the course of the Global Science Forum project, which included a data-gathering and analysis phase, and culminated in a workshop held in Pretoria, South Africa, in September 2010. Links between science policy and the mechanisms of development aid already exist in some countries. Offi cial Development Assistance (ODA) has traditionally been used mainly to provide technical assistance, but there are now new motivations and opportunities to support scientifi c collaboration for developmental goals, and to strengthen research capacity, especially in the developing countries. In recent years, a number of countries and private organisations have assigned a higher priority to global issues, have put more emphasis on collaborative research, and have moved beyond traditional technology transfer. In the industrialised countries, scientists and policy makers increasingly turn to countries in the developing world as desirable and even crucial partners who can provide a wide range of expertise, resources, and other benefi ts, from natural research sites to future commercial markets for high-technology products. Meanwhile, a growing number of developing countries are building and enhancing research capacity to create and utilize new knowledge that is essential for their economic growth, and for dealing with the local effects of global-scale problems in domains such as health, food production, or environmental protection. This OECD report is meant to facilitate international cooperation, to build confi dence and trust between scientists and administrators, and to enhance ownership of research results by all participants.