Arab Knowledge Report 2009: Towards Productive

More documents

Recommendations

Info

knowledge and from the consequences ofa technologically determinist viewpoint.Equally, it tries to highlight the breadthof the concepts of both the knowledgesociety and innovation. In these choices,the Report is always conscious of theneed–at times openly, at others implicitly,expressed–to seek a knowledge societythat is in harmonious interaction withthe Arab social environment, for thefundamental goal of knowledge is theservice of humanity, its revitalisation, andthe transcendence of the problems thatlimit its potential for self-liberation.Knowledge and the pen are far stronger than anyother force.Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al MaktoumOne of the chief points of contentionthat the Report strives to make apparentis that of knowledge’s relationship tofreedom, modernisation and the fosteringof human dignity. When some of theReport’s chapters defend the importance offreedom, institutions, and legislation, theyhave the aforesaid principles in mind as keysto the creation of a climate of rationalityand proportionality. Such a climate shouldopen the door to accountability, oversight,auditing, transparency, and all the othervalues needed to lay the foundations for amodern knowledge society.The Report also reviews contentiousissues linked to identity, such as languagereform. In so doing, it seeks to highlightthe pressing nature of this issue in the hopethat the Arabic language will survive toprovide an effective and responsive vehiclefor the gains made by the new knowledgetechnologies. The Report also defendsthe principle of intercommunication withthe world while not neglecting its originalstarting point of intercommunication withthe self. This can only be achieved throughthe correction of the shortcomings ofthe self in such a way as to provide it withthe capability for productive and effectiveintercommunication with the world.This argument falls under the heading ofopening up to the gains accrued by thecontemporary revolutions in knowledge.THE TOPICS OF THE REPORTThe Report comprises a preamble andsix chapters. The preamble examines thecontextualisation of the Report, placing itamong developments lately witnessed inthe state of human development in theArab region. It reviews the main challengesthat have succeeded one another on theregional political and economic scene andhighlights their pressures and impactson Arab knowledge performance. Italso deals with the global financial crisisthat intensified at the end of 2008 andbeginning of 2009 and its effects on theknowledge society and repercussions forthe Arab situation. The preamble alsooffers a perspective on the outcomeof reform in the region following theinception in Arab thinking, at the onset ofthe third millennium, of third-generation 1concepts of reform.Because the task of the preamble goesno further than an indication of the mostsignificant challenges in the Arab realityand their link to fields of knowledge,attention is given to the continuing USintervention in Iraq and the resultingsituation within Iraqi society. The Reportalso examines the continuing Israelioccupation of the Palestinian Territories,shedding light on its negative implicationsfor the establishment of the knowledgesociety.Nor does the Report neglect to deal withthe problems raised by extremist trendswithin Arab society and their relationshipto knowledge, trends that are inclined notto recognise the Other and that give theirstamp of approval to a one-dimensionaland closed logic. These trends of thoughthave considerable impact on the climate offreedom, which is considered a reinforcingelement necessary for the construction ofthe knowledge society.The preamble also devotes a summarysection to a rapid overview of the state ofknowledge over recent years and presentsThe Report freesitself from thepurely economicperspective onknowledge and fromthe consequencesof a technologicallydeterministviewpointThe Report defendsthe principle ofintercommunicationwith the worldwhile not neglectingits originalstarting point ofintercommunicationwith the selfPREAMBLE3
The literature onhuman rights placesthe discourse of theknowledge societyat the heart of thecalls for politicalmodernisationThe oil boomhas not boostedeconomic freedomsin the Arab regionsome of the knowledge indicators to betreated in detail in the following chapters.The Report’s analyses and conclusions arebased on events and available data andinformation up to the end of the firstquarter of 2009.The six topics of the Report arearranged as follows:THE THEORETICALFRAMEWORK: CONCEPTSAND PROBLEMATICS OF THEKNOWLEDGE SOCIETY(CHAPTER 1)This chapter contains four main axes. Thefirst treats the foundations and originsdirecting the mechanisms of understandingand imagination. The second axis treats theformulation of the concepts, scrutinisingthe concept of the knowledge society andattempting to delineate the boundaries thathave been drawn up to delimit its varioussignifications. This section also attempts toconstruct an operational definition basedon the results of the various chapters ofthe Report. This should be seen as a firstattempt to view the foundations of theconcept from the perspective of the actualneeds and ambitions of Arab society in thefield of knowledge. The chapter examinesthe different significations of the conceptin contemporary knowledge discourse,with special attention paid to those currentin international reports. This process ofconstructing a specific definition aims toavoid a complacent acceptance of currentwisdom. This is particularly necessarygiven the complex nature and the depth ofthe Arab knowledge gap, which requiresus to draw upon the state of knowledgein the world and in the Arab region toformulate a definition that correspondsto, and harmonises with, Arab specificitiesand ambitions.The third axis of the chapter examinesthe theoretical norms and frames ofreference which form the startingpoint for the construction of conceptssynonymous with the knowledge society,such as information and communicationstechnology (ICT), the knowledgeeconomy, and the networked society,with the object of highlighting thephilosophical perspectives that standbehind these designations. Two primaryframes of reference emerge as a result ofthese processes of investigation andconstruction. The first takes aspectsof positivism, particularly in its moststrident manifestation of technologicaldeterminism, as its reference. The secondframe of reference is laid bare by the rightsconcepts that find their backing in thediverse literature on human rights, whichplaces the discourse of the knowledgesociety at the heart of the calls for politicalmodernisation.The chapter concludes with a fourth axiswhich treats the chief problematics of theknowledge society, whether in its universaldimensions or in aspects specificallylinked to the knowledge transformationsunderway in Arab society. This sectiondevelops a dialectic that alludes both toaspects of these problematics and at thesame time to their potential horizons, inthe context of the developments takingplace in the knowledge society.ARAB KNOWLEDGEPERFORMANCEENVIRONMENTS:EXPANDING FREEDOMSAND BUILDING INSTITUTIONS(CHAPTER 2)While Chapter 1 is concerned with thegeneral theoretical framework of theknowledge society, this chapter dealswith the conditions needed to enablethe development of knowledge in theArab world. Thus the two chapters arecomplementary in more ways than one.Chapter 2, using a set of lines of inquiry oraxes, and using examples from the politicaland economic, as well as the social, cultural,and media environments, highlights thepressures and restrictions that preventthe formation of a nurturing and holisticenvironment for the requirements of theknowledge society.4 ARAB KNOWLEDGE REPORT 2009
Page 1 and 2: United Nations Development Programm
Page 3 and 4: This Report has been produced throu
Page 5 and 6: This year’s report may perhapsbes
Page 7 and 8: ICT in the Arab countries and reinf
Page 9 and 10: CONTENTSPREAMBLEIntroductionPrelimi
Page 11 and 12: Quantitative indicatorsTertiary edu
Page 13 and 14: LIST OF BOXESBox 1 The Effect of th
Page 15 and 16: Figure 5-7 Published scientific art
Page 17 and 18: Table 21 Time devoted to secondary
Page 19: The knowledgefield and revolutionto
Page 23 and 24: Arabic istechnologicallypoor in com
Page 25 and 26: Intercommunicationwith the self mea
Page 27 and 28: Table 2CountryGroupGroup 1: Oilecon
Page 29 and 30: Figure 2504540353025201510508070605
Page 31 and 32: In the period2003-2007, morethan 83
Page 34 and 35: eversion, in many cases, is not ass
Page 36 and 37: Thus the Arab region in general, an
Page 38 and 39: knowledge over recent years. This w
Page 40 and 41: However, this progress remains limi
Page 42: CHAPTER ONETHE THEORETICAL FRAMEWOR
Page 45 and 46: The successfuldeployment ofthe know
Page 47 and 48: The knowledgerevolution atthe end o
Page 49 and 50: Technology, theeconomy, andsociety,
Page 51 and 52: No one pursuesknowledge forits own
Page 53 and 54: The Report adoptsa concept ofknowle
Page 55 and 56: The goal of thiscritical review isn
Page 57 and 58: In our bidfor economicand humandeve
Page 59 and 60: The political reformproject remains
Page 61 and 62: Globalisation isdependent oninforma
Page 63 and 64: The battle overknowledge in oursoci
Page 65 and 66: The most obviousexample of the gapb
Page 67 and 68: BOX 1-9The Virtual as an Interrogat
Page 69 and 70: The upsurge intechnologicalprowess
Page 71 and 72:
Collective humaneffort must bedirec
Page 73 and 74:
End Notes1Epistemic saturation refe
Page 76 and 77:
CHAPTER TWOARAB KNOWLEDGE PERFORMAN
Page 78 and 79:
current economic crisis in the autu
Page 80 and 81:
FIGURE 2-3Perceptions of corruption
Page 82 and 83:
technology infrastructure, blogs ar
Page 84 and 85:
nations continue to occupy their pr
Page 86 and 87:
to the third oil boom, which reache
Page 88 and 89:
have realised a degree of progress
Page 90 and 91:
FIGURE 2-8Index of global competiti
Page 92 and 93:
FIGURE 2-10Net exports of manufactu
Page 94 and 95:
namely the spread of poverty, socia
Page 96 and 97:
TABLE 2-2Arab Countries according t
Page 98 and 99:
while some of these nine countries
Page 100 and 101:
and political participation. All of
Page 102 and 103:
first INTEL computer club; INTELis
Page 104 and 105:
from the ages of thirteen to twenty
Page 106 and 107:
solutions that allow use of the ava
Page 108 and 109:
to this trajectory, a consumer, not
Page 110:
specific cases.These flexibilities
Page 114 and 115:
CHAPTER THREEEDUCATION AND THE FORM
Page 116 and 117:
FIGURE 3-1Education and human resou
Page 118 and 119:
of the qualitative knowledge capita
Page 120 and 121:
TABLE 3-1CountryOpportunities for b
Page 122 and 123:
Virtually the only area in which Ar
Page 124 and 125:
must possess if they aspire to part
Page 126 and 127:
TABLE 3-2Opportunities for the form
Page 128 and 129:
General secondary education andthe
Page 130 and 131:
elatively high enrolment rates of b
Page 132 and 133:
Available data shows large discrepa
Page 134 and 135:
TABLE 3-3Comparison of overall resu
Page 136 and 137:
females. According to this data, to
Page 138 and 139:
show educational accomplishments am
Page 140 and 141:
inroads well beyond their current f
Page 142 and 143:
FIGURE 3-6aMaths performance of eig
Page 144 and 145:
BOX 3-8The Contribution of Non-Publ
Page 146 and 147:
Kuwait, and the worst performers su
Page 148 and 149:
emained encumbered by the prevailin
Page 150 and 151:
eveal the breadth of the gap that c
Page 152 and 153:
countries and providing a picture o
Page 154 and 155:
information systems. The available
Page 156:
89Finland, for example, whose stude
Page 160 and 161:
CHAPTER FOURINFORMATION AND COMMUNI
Page 162 and 163:
FIGURE 4-1ICT index values for Arab
Page 164 and 165:
countries and the Arab countries. T
Page 166 and 167:
Arab countries-Egypt, Algeria, Leba
Page 168 and 169:
of Arabic content and its low rate
Page 170 and 171:
exchange of future technology servi
Page 172 and 173:
of national partnerships aimed at s
Page 174 and 175:
TABLE 4-2Readiness of Arab countrie
Page 176 and 177:
as the implementation of programmes
Page 178 and 179:
BOX 4-2Evaluating the Performance o
Page 180 and 181:
of common principles that guarantee
Page 182 and 183:
data from various sources and then
Page 184 and 185:
FIGURE 4-11Paper consumption and in
Page 186 and 187:
processing and the methods and tool
Page 188 and 189:
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEAND FUTURE INI
Page 190 and 191:
within bounds that do not hinder bu
Page 192 and 193:
preservation and the consolidation
Page 194 and 195:
21As a result of the nature of comp
Page 196:
CHAPTER FIVEARAB PERFORMANCE IN RES
Page 199 and 200:
FIGURE 5-1Innovation system index f
Page 201 and 202:
The extremely lowamounts spentby Ar
Page 203 and 204:
It has become clearthat the wager o
Page 205 and 206:
Joint researchprojects among Arabsc
Page 207 and 208:
Theoretically, themore researcherst
Page 209 and 210:
Average expenditureon scientific re
Page 211 and 212:
BOX 5-6Jordan’s “A Professor in
Page 213 and 214:
BOX 5-8For the last three decades,
Page 215 and 216:
FIGURE 5-7Published scientific arti
Page 217 and 218:
A review of theperiod from 2002to 2
Page 219 and 220:
Social scienceresearch holds aspeci
Page 221 and 222:
Most Arabic-languageperiodicals in
Page 223 and 224:
Arab societies arefilled with examp
Page 225 and 226:
Human capitalis among Arabcountries
Page 227 and 228:
TABLE 5-12Trade in technological pr
Page 229 and 230:
It is ironic thatalthough the Arabw
Page 231 and 232:
End Notes1UNESCO Institute for Stat
Page 234:
CHAPTER SIXBUILDING THE KNOWLEDGE S
Page 237 and 238:
The most conspicuousfeature of thek
Page 239 and 240:
A review of nationalplans in the Ar
Page 241 and 242:
The positiveachievements inthe Arab
Page 243 and 244:
One of the keyfoundations of thevis
Page 245 and 246:
Freedom andinstitutionalisationare
Page 247 and 248:
Priorities are subjectto a great de
Page 249 and 250:
If we admit thatlanguage is avehicl
Page 251 and 252:
The major challengelies in changing
Page 253 and 254:
Deployment is linkedto the creation
Page 255 and 256:
The variousproposals includedin thi
Page 258 and 259:
ReferencesReferences in Arabic‘Ab
Page 260 and 261:
the President of the ICRC Expresses
Page 262 and 263:
al-Duwal al-‘Arabiyya, UNESCO’s
Page 264 and 265:
Sen, Amartya. 1999. Development asF
Page 266:
Castells, Manuel. (1998/2001). LaSo
Page 269 and 270:
the Age of Technology).• Binsa‘
Page 271 and 272:
egional and international levels an
Page 274 and 275:
ANNEX 3. MEASUREMENT OF THE ARABCOU
Page 276 and 277:
indicators that make up the pillar.
Page 278 and 279:
countries’ rankings among the cou
Page 280 and 281:
of the Arab countries and suffer fr
Page 282 and 283:
Freedom House and Heritage Institut
Page 284:
Endnotes* This annex was prepared b
Page 288 and 289:
STATISTICAL ANNEXGENERAL INDICATORS
Page 290 and 291:
Table 3: Economic IndicatorsCountry
Page 292 and 293:
KNOWLEDGE PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENTST
Page 294 and 295:
Table 7: Press Freedom Index in the
Page 296 and 297:
EDUCATIONTable 9: Adult literacy ra
Page 298 and 299:
Table 11: Gross enrolment ratios in
Page 300 and 301:
Table 13: Adult illiterate populati
Page 302 and 303:
Table 16: Net and gross enrolment i
Page 304 and 305:
Table 18: Lessons in basic educatio
Page 306 and 307:
Table 20: Literacy rates among youn
Page 308 and 309:
Table 22: Evolution of enrolment ra
Page 310 and 311:
Table 24: Student enrolment rates i
Page 312 and 313:
Table 26: Distribution of graduates
Page 314 and 315:
Table 28: Estimated educational lev
Page 316 and 317:
Table 30: Enrolment rates in non-go
Page 318 and 319:
RESEARCH AND INNOVATIONTable 32: Nu
Page 320 and 321:
Table 34: Indicators on research an
Page 322 and 323:
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHN
Page 324 and 325:
FIGURE b-2Growth in average number
Page 326 and 327:
competition between the internet se
Page 328 and 329:
Table c-4: Ranking of a group of Ar
Page 332:
United Nations Development Programm
show all

Arab Knowledge Report 2009: Towards Productive

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?