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Nanotechnology for a knowledge society in emerging economies and developing countries

Development Policy,Peace & Security12 Jul 2010Ineke Malsch

How to build up a knowledge society is a major issue on the agenda of politicians, policy makers and scholars in science, technology and innovation. Or, put in a more down-to-earth way: how to improve the economic validation of scientific research results?

During the last decade or so, many countries – including the Netherlands but also emerging economies and developing countries – have invested heavily in human resources and research infrastructure for nanotechnology. This has resulted in hundreds of thousands of peer-reviewed publications and tens of thousands of patents, according to ObservatoryNano: http://www.observatorynano.eu/project/document/3163/.

The next questions are: how and when can we reap the benefits for our society from this investment? There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but comparing proposals and best practices from different parts of the world may bring mutual benefits. Earlier this year, TERI (India) organized a conference on ‘Issues of capability and governance in Nanotechnology Developments‘. In Latin America, the ReLANS network on nanotechnology and society is a forum for debate on what nanotechnology could mean for people in that continent.

The Nano Rights and Peace project, in cooperation with ICPC-NanoNet and supported by Nanopodium, is bringing together Dr Malini Balakrishnan from India, Prof Dr Julian Kinderlerer from South Africa and the Netherlands, Prof Dr Noela Invernizzi from Brazil, and Prof Dr Arie Rip and Prof Dr Peter Nijkamp from the Netherlands in a series of online webinars to discuss what nanotechnology may contribute to a knowledge society in emerging economies and developing countries, and under which circumstances. The outcome of the workshop will be reported to the Dutch Commission for the Societal Dialogue on Nanotechnology, which is currently organizing a public dialogue on nanotechnology in the Netherlands.

Dates: 2 September 2010, 13.00-15.00 GMT (15.00-17.00 European continental summer time/UTC + 1:00) and 7 September 2010, 8.45-10.45 GMT (10.45-12.45 European continental summer time/UTC + 1:00).

Language: English.

Requirements: PC/laptop with broadband internet connection and headset or speakers.

Info: Ineke Malsch postbus@malsch.demon.nl

Register online at http://www.icpc-nanonet.org/

Maximum 40 participants per session, so register early.