Conference Report

Under the patronage of the Chief Minister of Sarawak Hon. FIAS, Dr Abdul Taib Mahmud, the Islamic Academy of Sciences convened its thirteenth international conference in Kuching, the capital of the Malaysian state of Sarawak, during 29 September-02 October 2003. The conference addressed the themes of Energy for Sustainable Development and Science for the Future of the Islamic World and Humanity.
The conference, which was held at the Kuching Hilton Hotel, was an open scientific activity in which over 250 participants representing over 25 countries participated. It was organised and sponsored by the following organisations

• Islamic Academy of Sciences, Amman, Jordan;

• Sarawak Islamic Council, Kuching, Sarawak;

• OIC Ministerial Committee on Scientific and Technological Co-operation (COMSTECH), Islamabad, Pakistan;

• Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia;

• Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Tokyo, Japan;

• Arab Potash Company, Amman, Jordan;

• Higher Council of Science and Technology, Amman, Jordan; and

• National Centre for Human Resources Development, Amman, Jordan; and

• Royal Jordanian Airlines, Amman, Jordan.

The main objectives of the conference were:

1. The conference, as with most IAS activities, was primarily an S&T platform. It appraised a number of facets of the OIC member countries’ energy scene, attempted to define energy priorities for OIC member countries, projected energy success stories in the various parts of the world, and studied some energy research activities currently undertaken in the various OIC countries.

2. The conference attempted to interlink development in the energy sector to developments in the broader S&T sectors in the various countries.

3. The 13th IAS Conference was designed to be an open forum that brought together those working in energy policy development, academia, environmental policy, or involved in the political decision-making level, as well as academics in the various pure science disciplines. It was a platform designed to facilitate the free exchange of views among experts on energy.

4. The conference, through encompassing lectures by eminent world scientists including Nobel Laureates, evolved into a lively intellectual exercise and provided a unique opportunity for much needed, genuine debate and lasting interaction among the scientists attending.

In addition to a memorable invited lecture by Prof. Ferid Murad Hon. FIAS, 1998 Nobel Laureate in Medicine, which was entitled The Nitric Oxide/Cyclic GMP Pathway: Targets for Drug Development, two other keynotes were presented; Wind Energy for the Future, by Prof. Preben Maegaard, President, World Wind Energy Association, Germany, Science and the Future of Humanity, which was presented by Dr Michael Clegg, Foreign Secretary, US National Academy of Sciences.

A conference session was dedicated to Nuclear Energy for the Future and included country papers on the subject from Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey. Energy Policy was discussed in a special session that included presentations from Turkey, Pakistan and Qatar.
Some Energy R&D Aspects were discussed in a lively session that included an outstanding paper on Contemporary Problems and Achievements in Desulphurisation of Oil, Gas, Petroleum Products and Waste Waters, which was presented by Prof. Akhmet Mazgarov FIAS, of the Russian Research Institute of Hydrocarbon Raw-Material (VNIIUS), Tatarstan, Russia. That was followed by a visio-conference presentation on Hydrogen energy entitled, Towards New Energy for Sustainability: The Strategy in Iceland, presented by Prof. Bragi Arnason and Prof. Thorstein I Sigfusson, of the University of Iceland and Icelandic New Energy, Iceland, which evoked a lively discussion.

Other specialised papers, including many that addressed the relationship between Islam and Science as well as Science for the Future, were presented in two specialised sessions. Two papers from Malaysia were also presented, the first by Omar Abdul Rahman, former science advisor the Malaysian Prime Minster, which was entitled Harnessing Technology for Development; the second by one of Sarawak’s eminent scientists/politicians, Dr James D Mamit, on the Science and Technology Scene in Sarawak, Malaysia.
At the conclusion of the four-day conference in which 30 papers were presented, the Academy adopted the IAS Kuching Declaration on Energy for Sustainable Development and Science for the Future of the Islamic World and Humanity.

The declaration re-iterated the fact that the teachings of Islam emphasize the importance of prudently using all resources for Man’s lasting well-being, and explicitly emphasize that human-beings’ relation to nature should be one of stewardship and not of unrestricted mastery, and that Islam promotes a balance between all living creatures and their life-sustaining environment. It further called for the implementation of an R&D policy that addresses the complex interconnections among technological advance and societal responses and needs including sustainability.

Through the declaration, the IAS re-iterated that science is a major asset of humanity, an asset that in the 21st century offers new opportunities and faces new challenges as well as old ones, challenges related to the prevalence of sustainable development, justice, tolerance, dialogue between civilisations and peace. It promulgated that the international science/academic community must lead the way in bridging prevailing civilisational, social, economic, even political divides between the peoples of the world.

The declaration emphasised the need to promote the various renewable energy resources, in terms of both the related R&D effort as well as the downstream application. It supported the call to launch an OIC energy forum, as well an international renewable energy agency.

The declaration recognised the pressing need to encourage investment to support education in science and mathematics, and that these efforts should take advantage of the enormous advances in Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), but emphasising the great value of ‘hands-on’ approach to introduce young children to science. It elaborated that such initiatives should include school-based education as well as informal science education through science museums and centres, the media, organising and participating in science olympiads, to encourage greater public awareness of science.

Moreover, the IAS, through the declaration, called on developed countries to extend all possible help to developing countries in the area of technology transfer, R&D human resource development, as well as debt relief, to enable them to channel more resources to mapping an environmentally sustainable future. It called on advanced countries to continue to support research projects of importance in the developing countries, especially in the field of renewable energies, and related emerging technologies in general.

The Academy called for an increase in institutional and national North-South and South-South academic and scientific collaboration to help developing countries build up their S&T capacity. It also urged advanced countries to facilitate the opportunities for scientists of the countries of the South in terms of under-graduate, post-graduate and post-doctorate studies in the North as a means of building up the critical mass of scientists and technologists in poorer countries.

As part of the follow-up action to the conference, the Academy will circulate the IAS Kuching Declaration to concerned individuals and relevant agencies throughout OIC and developing countries, so that measures are taken to implement the ideas proposed at the conference.

The Academy will also publish the complete proceedings of the conference in two quality volumes that will be distributed internationally. Such books, like all other published IAS proceedings, will become valuable references for experts that are involved in Energy for Sustainable Development or undertake research in the field of science education and science-society interaction.

Through IAS Fellows, personal contact and correspondence, the IAS will promote the concepts promulgated at the conference among the decision making circles of the Islamic world, and will provide whatever help it can to get the various recommendations implemented.
 

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Preamble

Whereas Allah (God) Subhanahu Wata’ala has endowed Man with reason, and made the pursuit of knowledge an (absolute) obligation, and as the teachings of Islam emphasize the importance of prudently using all resources for Man’s lasting well-being;

Whereas the doctrines of Islam explicitly emphasize that human-beings’ relation to nature should be one of stewardship and not of unrestricted mastery, and as Islam promotes a balance between all living creatures and their life-sustaining environment;

Whereas concepts such as sustainability, and analytical tools such as human development indicators, provide conceptual frameworks for linking Research and Development (R&D) to societal outcomes, thus invariably leading towards the implementation of an R&D policy that addresses the complex interconnections among technological advance and societal responses and needs including sustainability;

Whereas sustainable development provides the only practicable way forward if our world’s peoples are to live in harmony with each other, and as access to affordable and reliable energy, drawn from environmentally acceptable sources of supply, is an important feature of sustainable development;

Whereas renewable energy sources and technologies provide a virtually infinite supply and environmental compatibility with sustainable development;

Whereas Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and developing countries vary in their energy and sustainability outlook, as some have developed a vision that interlinks their energy future to their sustainable development outlook, and others due, among other considerations, to the abundance of their natural energy resources, have not given due priority to this issue;



AND WHEREAS,

1. The Islamic Academy of Sciences has long realised that science is a major asset of humanity, an asset that in the 21st century offers new opportunities and faces new challenges as well as old ones; challenges related to the prevalence of sustainable development, justice, tolerance, dialogue between civilisations and peace;

2. The Islamic Academy of Sciences firmly believes that the international science/academic community must lead the way in bridging prevailing civilisational, social, economic, even political divides between the peoples of the world;

3. Science education forms the starting point for genuine capacity building in Science and Technology (S&T) in developing countries;

MOREOVER,

1. Being Concerned about the prevailing and growing gaps – including knowledge gap – between the North and the South, which are marginalizing many developing countries and isolating the science communities therein;

2. Nothing with Concern that millions of people in rural areas of developing countries live without access to modern energy services, and that many in urban areas suffer the same deprivation and a third of our world’s population has unreliable access to modern energy services;

3. Observing With Concern the lack of a long-term energy policy at the national level in most member countries of the OIC;

4. Nothing With Concern the limited number of centres of excellence and the general deficiency of S&T institutions in many OIC member countries, especially those centres that are involved in renewable energy R&D;

5. Nothing With Concern the lack of specialized energy and sustainability-focused educational programmes at all levels of education in most OIC countries and the inadequacy of educational institutions;

AND,

1. Recognising the pressing need to encourage investment to support education in science and mathematics, fields where Muslim scientists have made highly significant contributions in earlier times, and noting that these efforts should take advantage of the enormous advances in Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), but emphasising the great value of ‘hands-on’ approach to introduce young children to science, and further realizing that such initiatives should include school-based education as well as informal science education through science museums and centres, the media, organising and participating in science olympiads, to encourage greater public awareness of science;

2. Observing With Concern the difficulties faced by some OIC member countries in combating alphabetical adult illiteracy and in promoting computer awareness and utilization among the adult population;

3. Nothing With Concern the absence of co-ordination between the various institutions involved in science and mathematics education within the educational process;

4. NOTING the apparent slow adoption of advanced educational and ICT tools such as personal computers, access to the Internet, etc. and the general inadequacy of educational infrastructure;

NOW, THEREFORE, the Islamic Academy of Sciences:

1. Realizing that some OIC member countries face critical energy shortages and rely heavily on imported non-renewable resources;

2. Acknowledging that renewable energy resources, appropriate to local conditions, usually offer an attractive energy resource to rural populations and can make an increasing contribution in urban areas, and that – for economic, strategic and environmental reasons – renewable energy resources are expected to become the supply of choice;

3. Acknowledging that nuclear energy which does not release greenhouse gases at the generation stage as well as the clean renewable wind, hydro, biomass, geothermal, and solar energies, appear to be attractive for the generation of electricity and that their contribution in the global energy mix will significantly increase in future;

MOREOVER,

1. Appreciating the activities being carried out by many UN, OIC, governments, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations in the area of sustainable energy research and related technological applications;

2. Realising that no single nation-state can survive in the management of resources in total isolation from a regional and international context and that we all are interdependent;

3. Understanding that at the dawn of the 21st century, the world of science and higher education is marked by a complex struggle, between continuity and change, and the rise of new challenges, opportunities and new modes of ‘learning to learn, ’ and that the idea of reforms, innovations, transformations and evolution rather than revolution tells us that higher education and science are in ferment in creating and constructing knowledge;

4. Nothing that in responding to the growing demands of the market-forces of the Knowledge-based or K-economy, a fresh-look is needed to re-examine the delivery of higher education in OIC and Developing countries in terms of quality and relevance, and also to re-examine the scientific development and acquisition capacity as well as technology application into the productive sectors of the economy;

THE ISLAMIC ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND THE SCIENTISTS, TECHNOLOGISTS AND POLICY-MAKERS Meeting at KUCHING, SARAWAK, MALAYSIA, During 29 September - 02 October 2003 call upon the international community to:

1. Extend, in the spirit of co-operation, all possible help to developing countries in the area of technology transfer, R&D human resource development, as well as debt relief, to enable them to channel more resources to mapping an environmentally sustainable future;

2. Continue to support research projects of importance in the developing countries, especially in the field of renewable energies, and related emerging technologies in general;

3. Continue to support research projects of importance in the developing countries in science and mathematics education;

4. Increase institutional and national North-South and South-South academic and scientific collaboration to help developing countries build up their S&T capacity;

5. Facilitate the opportunities for scientists of the countries of the South in terms of under-graduate, post-graduate and post-doctorate studies in the North and other parts of the South as a means of building up the critical mass of scientists and technologists in poorer countries;

AND CALL UPON the leaders and decision-makers of Islamic countries to:

1. Establish national academies of sciences in their countries, or where such independent entities exist strengthen them, so that they may act as independent advisory bodies to their respective governments;

2. Evaluate their energy policies and where possible incorporate them into national S&T policies;

3. Strengthen specialized R&D institutions, the output of which can eventually be smoothly transformed into marketable technological products;

4. Introduce environmental awareness programmes at the various stages of the educational process;

5. Strengthen sustainable energy research centres, especially solar and hydrogen energy research centres, and provide them with all possible incentives to bolster their research and market their technological output;

6. Introduce appropriate legislation and incentives, including tax relief and customs exemptions, to promote the use of sustainable energy resources;

7. Allocate/Divert available resources to science education, with a view to building up a scientific and technological manpower base capable of adapting and developing new technologies;

8. Emphasize the key role played by contemporary applied and basic sciences education for gaining mastery in the transformational technologies of information technology, biotechnology, and nanotechnology;

9. Adopt a holistic approach to scientific research and development and technology utilisation and establish the necessary technology management processes for the purpose;

AND FURTHER CALL UPON the relevant OIC and other organisations to:

1. Promote a realization among educationists from all disciplines of the need to produce an appropriate base for socio-economic development in OIC countries through the use of a combination of ideological and utilitarian approaches;

2. Encourage inter-agency collaboration in the area of sustainable energy adoption and assimilation;

3. Collaborate with more advanced countries in building the scientific capacity required for the development of hydro and nuclear power, as well as wind, hydrogen, geothermal and solar energies;

4. Encourage and support OIC-based sustainable-energy industrial ventures;

5. Develop databases of human resources involved in sustainable energy research and application in OIC countries to facilitate appraising national strengths and weaknesses;

6. Promote interest in science education at all levels, in a manner compatible with local culture and needs, but without excluding international experience gained in this domain including that of many European and American academies of sciences;

7. Continue to address developments in basic sciences and mathematics, and not to marginalize this backbone of S&T development;

8. Upgrade primary education through the introduction of illustrated and interactive educational resources and textbooks, and encourage scientists and educationists of repute to participate in the production of such materials and textbooks;

9. Encourage and promote the publication of quality research material of OIC scientists on the Internet;

10. Encourage the participation in the annual “Nobel Laureates Meeting in Lindau,” which is a unique scientific event, at which Nobel Laureates give lectures to and interact with young researchers from a variety of countries;

11. Identify and Interact with champions of Science at the institutional, national, regional, OIC and international levels, to promote the cause of science for development;

12. Strengthen academic and scientific links with international science academies, and other scientific bodies worldwide;

MOREOVER, THE ISLAMIC ACADEMY OF SCIENCES:

1. Supports the setting up of an OIC energy forum to critically examine future energy strategies of OIC member countries;

2. Supports the setting up of the proposed International Renewable Energy Agency, as a new international body mandated to promote all aspects of renewable energies, at the international level;

3. Urges all OIC member countries to contribute generously to the newly established OIC Science and Technology Fund, and commends highly the efforts of Pakistan and the OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Co-operation (COMSTECH) in launching this timely initiative.