Higher education, research and innovation ... - unesdoc - Unesco

Mary-Louise Kearney 21
Moreover, research has an intrinsic monitoring and regulatory function, which can help
prevent catastrophic situations involving loss of human life and destruction of communities
through its anticipatory dimension. Examples here include research on climate change in the Pacific,
which has helped build an early warning system to prepare for natural disasters, and research
in economics and business such as that by Nouriel Roubini of New York University, who
reported to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2006 on the approaching crisis in the
housing and financial markets. The foresight function of research renders essential service to
social development, as Forum debates have often emphasized.
4.3. Benefits of Research Cooperation
This critical area should be given priority attention at all levels. Global research cooperation facilitates
interaction and the sharing of benefits, and this includes work undertaken at regional and
national levels. These perspectives gained from specific situations permit wide and varied analysis,
thus supporting conclusions that are based on a broad base of evidence.
But participation in global research requires sound foundations. This is a sine qua non, and
cannot be substituted for research support for isolated or vertical programmes which, though
seemingly vital, cannot be resolved without a much wider repository of knowledge. Regional,
national and even local research strategies form the cornerstone for this repository because they
can guide the organization of research and available resources as well as assuring the interface
with external research partners – including the donor community. Benefits from this interaction
include support for a clearly-defined research base, a logical choice of projects and coherent reporting.
In this way research capacity gradually but surely builds into a solid national or regional
asset, with an institutional base and with credibility for international partners.
The benefits of research cooperation have led to the emergence of universities whose missions
focus on promoting regional, and even local, excellence. Examples include the Universidade
Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, which has received government funding for sectorspecific
research often related to energy and advanced technologies; John Moores University, in
Liverpool, UK, which is aiming to be a knowledge hub for the North-East of the country; and
Waikato University in Hamilton, New Zealand, whose Law School specializes in Maori culture
and institutions.
Given these trends, the plight of the poorest countries becomes even more critical as they
risk losing all connection to the research process around them. These states must plan for, and receive
support for, at least one research-based university which has the capacity for research training;
other institutions of higher learning may deal with the needs for professional training. Three countries
currently in dialogue with UNESCO for this purpose are Guinea Bissau, Haiti and Madagascar.
5. Conclusion: Equitable and Dynamic Knowledge Systems
Since 2001, the UNESCO Forum has pursued its mandate to help understand, build and maintain
knowledge systems in both global and local settings. Central to these systems is research, a
key function of academic higher education and a cornerstone of scientific innovation at national,
regional and international levels.