RESEARCH AREAS
Task Force on Science, Technology and Innovation
The United Nations Millennium Project Task Force on Science, Technology and Innovation aims to develop sound strategies for using science and technology to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. A draft of the Task Force's final report, Forging Ahead: Technological Innovation and the Millennium Development Goals, is available on-line.
Biotechnology and Globalization
The objective of the Biotechnology and Globalization subproject is to undertake research, promote policy consultations, and disseminate information on the implications of biotechnology for development. An overview of current projects, which are supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, is available on-line.
An international seminar took place at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, in January 2005 on institutional and policy choices for adoption and diffusion of genetically-modified crops. The papers presented have been published in a special issue of the International Journal of Technology and Globalisation, Vol. 2, Issue 1/2, 2006. (The articles are available on-line).
A research project on a comparative analysis of institutional challenges and policy choices for developing countries is under way involving researchers from Argentina, Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the United States, and West African network of agricultural research (CORAF). A book is planned for publication in 2006. (Case studies presented at the June 2005 Bellagio workshop are available on-line.)
Development Universities in Africa
The first generation of post-independent universities in Africa focused on nation building. Today these countries are faced with new challenges related to participation in the global economy, meeting basic needs, and making the transition towards sustainability. These challenges require increased investment in the generation and use and diffusion of scientific and technological knowledge. In response, a number of African countries are exploring how universities could contribute directly to economic transformation. This activity focuses on research on new generation of universities and research institutions that emphasize the development of technical expertise, create entrepreneurial capabilities, and strengthen community service in Eastern Africa.
