An
International Workshop
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[ DRAFT Workshop Proceedings ] |
Keynote Abstract:
Transforming eScience to inclusive science: Open access is the key
Subbiah Arunachalam
Fellow, MS Swaminathan Research Foundation
Inaugurating a microcredit programme in a village in southern India, Prof. Bruce Alberts told the villagers that he had come all the way from Washington DC to support such a programme because he would like his grandchildren back home to live happily and in peace when they grew up. The point is if there are great disparities in the world, no one can hope to live in peace. If we turn a blind eye to persistent poverty, hunger and malnutrition, we will have to collectively pay a price through mass unrest and even worldwide terrorism.
Recent experience has shown that SARS and avian flu take just three or four days to reach North America from East Asia and probably less than that to reach Europe. It must be clear, if ever there were any doubts, all of us humans live in an interdependent global village. If people, wherever they are, cannot respond quickly to epidemics and natural disasters, the chances are any of us can be affected.
The best way to address most of these problems is through the application of science, and science performed not just in a few advanced countries but everywhere. Without free and unhindered flow of information, it will be difficult to maximize the efficiency (and the benefits) of science performed. The power of access to information was amply in evidence during the recent tsunami tragedy, when wherever people were exposed to a culture of information they were able to cope with the tsunami better.
Researchers in most developing countries are working under very difficult conditions, especially in regard to information access. It is here that the new Internet and Web technologies come in handy. They have the potential to democratize access to information (and facilitate collaboration) be it for scientific research or for rural development.
Both China and South
Korea have shown that it is possible for a country to lift itself up from
a scientific nobody to a world-class performer in a decade or two. Most
developing countries can follow their footsteps, but they need favourable
conditions -- such as the creation of a worldwide information commons
through the establishment of interoperable open access repositories for
research papers and scientific data. Fortunately, these are
inexpensive; the software (EPrints, DSpace, etc.) is free and the help,
if needed, to set up such repositories is readily available. Such repositories
will facilitate eScience to transform into inclusive science from an activity,
at present, of an elitist club of rich nations. They can also help transform
the current 'safari' kind of research performed by advanced countries
into true collaboration with poor countries, especially in areas such
as drug development for combating diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.
It is not enough if the rich nations stop with debt relief; the best way to help the poor nations is to help them become self-supporting through strengthening science in those countries and there is no better means to do that than through adopting the public commons approach to information sharing.