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Arab Knowledge Report 2009: Towards Productive

Arab Knowledge Report 2009: Towards Productive

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FIGURE 5-5<strong>Arab</strong> participation in the European Union’s Sixth Framework Programme (2002-2006) 14600500400300Number ofprojectsNumber ofcontracts2001000AlgeriaEgyptOccupiedPalestinian TerritoriesJordan Lebanon Morocco Syria TunisiaSource: European Union, Sixth Framework Programme, 2007, www.ec.europa.eu/research/fp6the countries involved. Foreign fundingmay lead to distancing researchers andtheir teams from research that is tiedto national policies and priorities. Thisoften affects the most competent ofresearchers because these are best ableto attract foreign support. Thus theability of the <strong>Arab</strong> world to benefit fromthe experience and efforts of its mostcompetent scientists is decreasing. Opencompetitionprogrammes of internationalsupport prioritise limited social,developmental, and scientific goals, leadingsome <strong>Arab</strong> researchers to avoid them,particularly when they address sensitiveissues such as the manifestations of religiousBOX 5-7In early 2008, Europe decided that the greatestchallenge facing its twenty-seven states lay in itsability to transform itself into the most competitiveand dynamic knowledge economy in the worldby 2010. Following a technology setback at thebeginning of the new millennium as a result ofthe gap imposed by the development of internetsystems and the economic ramifications of theUSD exchange rate, the European Union bouncedback and drew up strategies for competitive growthbased on innovation and supported by competenthuman resources. For two decades, Europe hadstriven for economic, environmental, and socialachievement, while goals accumulated, interestsclashed, and the necessary financial resourcesremained unsecured. Since early 2005, policies havefocussed on growth and employment opportunities,and each state has committed to socially acceptablereform programmes. Intense efforts have beenexerted in scientific research and higher education.The European Growth StrategyThe most significant outcomes of thisapproach are represented in the European Union’sSeventh Framework Programme for Research andTechnological Development (for 2007-2013, with abudget of 53.2 billion euro), the European ResearchCouncil (2006), and the establishment of theEuropean Institute of Innovation and Technology.Investment in research and higher education is oneof the primary entrance points for growth in theknowledge economy, and is fundamental to theunified European budget planned for 2012. Amongother approved initiatives is the facilitation of themovement of researchers between Europeanstates (the ERA-NETS Programme), the fundingof transnational research projects, the establishmentof major centres of excellence, and a focus onresearch that directly reflects social needs, such ascontaining climate change, population ageing, andincurable diseases.Source: European Commission, Sixth and Seventh Framework Programmes, http://cordis.europa.eu/fp6/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.FP6HomePage, http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/cooperation/home_en.htmlThe ability of the<strong>Arab</strong> world to benefitfrom the experienceand efforts of its mostcompetent scientistsis decreasingARAB PERFORMANCE IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION195

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