
Science and Development Network
News, views and information about science, technology and the developing world
Scientific information is crucial for a variety of stakeholders, but communicating science poses a challenge for all.
Displaying 1-20 of 20 links
The Center for Science Diplomacy, housed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), advocates the use of science and scientific cooperation to promote international understanding and prosperity. It publishes and links to articles and reports about science diplomacy and possible best practices. It hosts related events and conferences to put science diplomacy into action.
The Center on Public Diplomacy, at the University of Southern California, is a research and professional training organisation dedicated to advancing the study and practice of global public diplomacy. It runs several projects, including one examining the role of science in resolving foreign policy challenges. The centre publishes books, reports and commentary articles on public and science diplomacy and organises relevant events.
This website publishes information on how advances in science and new technologies challenge citizenship and invites debate about issues such as the nature of expertise and processes of public participation. It provides links to working papers and other documents, including original research.
The research programme is part of the Development Research Centre on Citizenship, Participation and Accountability (Citizenship DRC), which is based at the Institute of Development Studies in the UK. Citizenship DRC is made up of a network of researchers, policymakers, practitioners and institutional partners from more than 25 countries.
Distance Learning for Development, coordinated by the London International Development Centre, provides distance learning postgraduate courses at the University of London in international development. Subject areas include health, food production, environment, education, water and sanitation.
The site is searchable by keywords and covers over 140 courses ranging from single modules to higher-level qualifications. Courses can contribute towards the completion of other qualifications such as postgraduate certificates, diplomas and masters degrees.
This group, part of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School, United States, conducts research into effective policies for developing and deploying clean, efficient energy technologies. It focuses on energy-technology innovation systems and policies, and how cleaner power can alleviate poverty, based on research in three countries — China, India and the United States — who are the world's biggest energy consumers. The website publishes discussion papers and research into nuclear power, and provides information about ongoing projects, fellowships and events related to energy policy.
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility is an international, government-funded initiative focused on providing free and open access to biodiversity data online for scientific research, conservation and sustainable development.
The website provides an Internet-based index of primary biodiversity data, such as museum specimens and field observations of plants and animals in nature; community-developed tools for formatting and sharing data; and capacity building through training, including access to international experts and mentoring programmes. The website links to relevant reports and news, and publishes information in different languages including English, Chinese and Korean.
The IAS was established in 1986 on the recommendation of the OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH). IAS's stated mission is to "provide an institutional set up for the utilisation of Science and Technology for the development of Islamic countries and humanity at large".
Headquartered in Amman, Jordan, the IAS attempts to serve as a consultative organisation of OIC member countries on matters relating to science and technology; initiate cooperative scientific and technological programmes and activities in science and technology; encourage and promote research on major problems facing OIC member countries; formulate standards of scientific performance and attainment, and to award prizes and honours for outstanding scientific achievements to centres of excellence in all science and technology disciplines.
This organisation provides policy analysis, critical information, decision-making tools, and policy advice to governments, civil society organisations and international funders, aiming to stimulate social and economic progress in low- and middle-income countries. It focuses on long-term projects, combining programme implementation with research and analysis. Its website gives an overview of focus areas and current projects in health, good governance, transparency and education. Links to publications are provided, as well as latest news and events.
The Scholarly Communication in Africa Programme (SCAP), funded by the International Development Research Centre in Canada works with African universities to increase the visibility of African academic research published in print and online. Based at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, the initiative explores ways of increasing the quality and output of scholarly communication through information-sharing technologies. The website hosts a blog that discusses issues surrounding the communication of research for development. It also provides information about relevant conferences, news, research and business models for publishing.
The Scholarly Communication in Africa Programme (SCAP), funded by the International Development Research Centre in Canada works with African universities to increase the visibility of African academic research published in print and online. Based at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, the initiative explores ways of increasing the quality and output of scholarly communication through information-sharing technologies. The website hosts a blog that discusses issues surrounding the communication of research for development. It also provides information about relevant conferences, news, research and business models for publishing.
The Royal Society's Science Policy Centre promotes the role that science and innovation can play in boosting economic development and environmental sustainability. It publishes statements, reports, briefings and blogs about key topics such as science diplomacy, and hosts seminars and meetings on emerging policy issues. The centre also provides advice to UK ministers and decision-makers, and participates in national, regional and international networks.
A commission of the 4 Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences, KFPE's aim is to contribute to sustainable development at the global level through research partnerships. Its primary activities are: to convince scientists, politicians, and the public of the importance of research collaborations with the South; to elaborate research-strategic concepts, and publishing criteria and basic principles for the implementation of projects in partnership, to organise events promoting collaborations; evaluate on-going partnerships; and to establish links between the North and South as well as between researchers and development workers.
AARSE is a nongovernmental network of African scientists and professionals working in remote sensing and geographic information systems. It holds a biannual conference and runs regional and local seminars and workshops on how to use remote sensing for environmental studies.
The AARSE website publishes contact details of council members, news about developments in remote sensing that are relevant to Africa and a list of events among other information.
Over the years, the Internet has become an increasingly popular medium for scientific discourse and publication, fuelled by the advancement of e-publishing and the push for 'open access' to information. Scientometric indicators of web based publications and their impact are, however, few and far between.
The Webometric Rankings of World Universities — compiled by the National Research Council in Spain — are designed to show worldwide institutions' commitment to web publication. Set up in 2004, they list the top 3000 universities in the world, based on both the volume of web content (productivity) as well as their visibility and impact in terms of the number of external links (citations) they receive. The rankings also assess research institutions and scientific academies by country and region.