Arab Knowledge Report 2009: Towards Productive

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knowledge society must be considered tobe one of the greatest incentives to closingthe knowledge gap. Currently available ICT,for example, provides the opportunity todiffuse forms of knowledge that will helpto build an economy based on knowledge,an education for all linked to the differentstages of life, and technologies in manyfields such as medicine, treatment, andagriculture. All of the latter are knowledgemechanisms that cannot be divorcedfrom the prospects for comprehensivedevelopment, with all the latter’s promisesof well-being for humanity.A PROPOSED VISION FORBUILDING THE KNOWLEDGESOCIETYConfronting the complex knowledge gapin the Arab world requires a vision thatcomprises key features for work and action.This proposed vision should build onexisting achievements in order to narrowthis gap, since some Arab societies haveindeed taken steps towards joining theknowledge society.This proposed plan, whose generalfeatures we shall attempt to formulate,should be in harmony with theunderstanding of the knowledge society aswe envision it, going beyond technologicaldeterminism to bring to the forefront theoverall human dimension, and othersassociated with aspiration, will, criticism,and history; in this way, we shall avoidreductionist, positivist perceptions thatseek to standardise human knowledge.Before sketching the major featuresof this plan, let us stress that it is bothbased on defined principles and also is aform of long-term action and initiativewhose central aim is in harmony with theReport’s conception of the aims of theknowledge society to build overall humandevelopment.This vision is a structure identifiedthrough doing and translated throughaction. Before any of this, however, it isan aspiration. It is an initiative intendedto observe the reality of knowledge in theArab region and aimed at the formulationof strategies that will help to indigenisethat knowledge and equip the Arabs toreach the threshold at which innovationand creation begin. At its deepest level, thisvision falls under the rubric of efforts aimedat intercommunication and indigenisation,and subsequently of production andinnovation. These efforts form theaxes of the vision, for its goal is afurther expansion of Arab knowledgeperformance in pursuit of the desiredaim of a knowledge development thatwill place us at the threshold of social andeconomic development. The desire forsuch development formed the cornerstonefor our initial deliberations on the topic ofthe knowledge society.The general spirit of this proposedplan resides in a set of pre-requisites andprinciples. It also includes major fronts andaxes for action. It explains priorities for theaction and movement needed to preparefor the steps which, we assume, willtranslate its features, and which, we hope,will help to sketch out the landmarksmarking the route to the knowledgesociety.PRINCIPLES ANDFOUNDATIONS FORMOVEMENT TOWARDSTHE CONSTRUCTION OF THEKNOWLEDGE SOCIETY INTHE ARAB WORLDThe proposed vision is based on threemajor foundations, to be understood asforming an interrelated whole, as follows:BROADENING THE SCOPE OFFREEDOMThe Report has highlighted the fact thatfreedom and knowledge are inseparable, asare knowledge and development, in spite ofthe many forms that this linkage takes. As aconsequence, when we make the principleof freedom a requirement for action,we aim also to defend another duality,namely the inseparability of freedom andConfronting thecomplex knowledgegap in the Arab worldrequires a visionthat comprises keyfeatures for work andaction. The proposedvision should build onexisting achievementsin order to narrowthis gap, since someArab societies haveindeed taken stepstowards joining theknowledge societyFreedom andknowledge areinseparable, as areknowledge anddevelopment, in spiteof the many formsthat this linkage takesBUILDING THE KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY IN THE ARAB WORLD: A VISION AND A PLAN225
One of the keyfoundations of thevision necessitatespermanent positiveinteraction betweenthe strategiesand mechanismsof the drive fordevelopment andaction to establish theknowledge societyin the Arab regioncreativity and innovation. Accordingly,freedom in all its manifestations is aprinciple central to knowledge and a pillarthat must be in place if we are to reachthe threshold for the realisation of humanwelfare. Hence to call for an expansion ofthe scope of freedoms and a reduction ofthe restrictions and limits upon them isto call for Arab society to equip itself toengage with the knowledge society.‘Freedom’ here has a meaning far widerthan that of its political or economicsignifications. Freedom, in the context ofbeing one of the foundations for the buildingof the knowledge society, is a horizon thatequips society to participate collectivelyin building the path to knowledge andengaging in the production, deployment,and expansion of the Arab individual’sgains in overall human development.POSITIVE INTERACTION WITHTHE GROWING NEEDS OFSOCIETYStarting with the organic connectionbetween knowledge and the developmentalneeds of Arab societies–whether in theeconomic, social, or cultural developmentspheres–one of the key foundationsof our vision decrees the necessity ofpermanent positive interaction betweenthe strategies and mechanisms of the drivefor development and action to establishthe knowledge society in the Arab region.This permanent interaction built on theaccurate identification of developmentalneeds places the efforts to establish theknowledge society within their correctframework. That framework consists ofwhich is that of support and agitation forhuman development and of expansion ofFIGURE 6-1Mechanism for movement towards the Arab knowledge societyProposed axes of actionDeployment inthe service ofhumandevelopmentProvisionofenablingenvironmentsTransferandindigenisationof knowledgeEstablishment of a close relationship betweentransfer, development, and production of knowledgeon the one hand and the production of goods andservices and cultural production on the other.Partnering with youth in building the knowledgesociety (as contributors and beneficiaries). On-goingacademic and vocational training.Freedoms and the rule of law; legislation andregulations; nurturing and supportive institutions;developmental policies; encouragementand celebration of innovation;material requirements.Revitalisation of the Arabic Language (includingtranslation); education and vocational training systems;curricularisation and institutionalisation of knowledgeand technology transfer; establishment and supportof the role of scientific research and investigation;reward for and recognition of indigenouslyproduced knowledge.TheKnowledgeSocietyComplementarity tothe developmentneeds of societyFreedomOpenness andintercommunicationFoundations and Pillars226 ARAB KNOWLEDGE REPORT 2009
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United Nations Development Programm
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This Report has been produced throu
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This year’s report may perhapsbes
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ICT in the Arab countries and reinf
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CONTENTSPREAMBLEIntroductionPrelimi
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Quantitative indicatorsTertiary edu
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LIST OF BOXESBox 1 The Effect of th
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Figure 5-7 Published scientific art
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Table 21 Time devoted to secondary
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The knowledgefield and revolutionto
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The literature onhuman rights place
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Arabic istechnologicallypoor in com
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Intercommunicationwith the self mea
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Table 2CountryGroupGroup 1: Oilecon
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Figure 2504540353025201510508070605
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In the period2003-2007, morethan 83
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eversion, in many cases, is not ass
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Thus the Arab region in general, an
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knowledge over recent years. This w
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However, this progress remains limi
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CHAPTER ONETHE THEORETICAL FRAMEWOR
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The successfuldeployment ofthe know
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The knowledgerevolution atthe end o
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Technology, theeconomy, andsociety,
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No one pursuesknowledge forits own
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The Report adoptsa concept ofknowle
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The goal of thiscritical review isn
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In our bidfor economicand humandeve
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The political reformproject remains
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Globalisation isdependent oninforma
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The battle overknowledge in oursoci
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The most obviousexample of the gapb
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BOX 1-9The Virtual as an Interrogat
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The upsurge intechnologicalprowess
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Collective humaneffort must bedirec
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End Notes1Epistemic saturation refe
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CHAPTER TWOARAB KNOWLEDGE PERFORMAN
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current economic crisis in the autu
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FIGURE 2-3Perceptions of corruption
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technology infrastructure, blogs ar
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nations continue to occupy their pr
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to the third oil boom, which reache
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have realised a degree of progress
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FIGURE 2-8Index of global competiti
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FIGURE 2-10Net exports of manufactu
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namely the spread of poverty, socia
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TABLE 2-2Arab Countries according t
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while some of these nine countries
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and political participation. All of
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first INTEL computer club; INTELis
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from the ages of thirteen to twenty
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solutions that allow use of the ava
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to this trajectory, a consumer, not
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specific cases.These flexibilities
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CHAPTER THREEEDUCATION AND THE FORM
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FIGURE 3-1Education and human resou
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of the qualitative knowledge capita
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TABLE 3-1CountryOpportunities for b
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Virtually the only area in which Ar
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must possess if they aspire to part
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TABLE 3-2Opportunities for the form
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General secondary education andthe
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elatively high enrolment rates of b
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Available data shows large discrepa
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TABLE 3-3Comparison of overall resu
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females. According to this data, to
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show educational accomplishments am
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inroads well beyond their current f
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FIGURE 3-6aMaths performance of eig
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BOX 3-8The Contribution of Non-Publ
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Kuwait, and the worst performers su
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emained encumbered by the prevailin
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eveal the breadth of the gap that c
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countries and providing a picture o
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information systems. The available
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89Finland, for example, whose stude
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CHAPTER FOURINFORMATION AND COMMUNI
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FIGURE 4-1ICT index values for Arab
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countries and the Arab countries. T
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Arab countries-Egypt, Algeria, Leba
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of Arabic content and its low rate
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exchange of future technology servi
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of national partnerships aimed at s
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TABLE 4-2Readiness of Arab countrie
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as the implementation of programmes
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BOX 4-2Evaluating the Performance o
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of common principles that guarantee
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data from various sources and then
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FIGURE 4-11Paper consumption and in
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processing and the methods and tool
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TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEAND FUTURE INI
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within bounds that do not hinder bu
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Page 196: CHAPTER FIVEARAB PERFORMANCE IN RES
Page 199 and 200: FIGURE 5-1Innovation system index f
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Page 209 and 210: Average expenditureon scientific re
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Page 213 and 214: BOX 5-8For the last three decades,
Page 215 and 216: FIGURE 5-7Published scientific arti
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Page 227 and 228: TABLE 5-12Trade in technological pr
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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: The positiveachievements inthe Arab
Page 245 and 246: Freedom andinstitutionalisationare
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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
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KNOWLEDGE PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENTST
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Table 7: Press Freedom Index in the
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EDUCATIONTable 9: Adult literacy ra
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Table 11: Gross enrolment ratios in
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Table 13: Adult illiterate populati
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Table 16: Net and gross enrolment i
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Table 18: Lessons in basic educatio
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Table 20: Literacy rates among youn
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Table 22: Evolution of enrolment ra
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Table 24: Student enrolment rates i
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Table 26: Distribution of graduates
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Table 28: Estimated educational lev
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Table 30: Enrolment rates in non-go
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RESEARCH AND INNOVATIONTable 32: Nu
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Table 34: Indicators on research an
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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHN
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FIGURE b-2Growth in average number
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competition between the internet se
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Table c-4: Ranking of a group of Ar
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United Nations Development Programm
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