Kathmandu, Nov. 10
Nepal should devise a strategy for science diplomacy and
implement it to achieve technological excellence and economic prosperity through
innovation and technology transfer, said scientists and experts.
Speaking at a programme on 'Science Diplomacy for Nepal:
Advancing Science and Technology Promotion' organised by Science Diplomacy and
Science Technology Promotion Committee under the Nepal Academy of Science and
Technology (NAST) in Lalitpur on Sunday, they stressed medium-term and
long-term strategies to promote science diplomacy.
After World War II, the application of 'science diplomacy'
has helped various countries including the United States of America, Japan,
South Korea, the former USSR, Germany and France to forge bilateral and
multilateral collaborations to achieve scientific excellence that ultimately
resulted in national and regional prosperity.
Dr. Sunil Babu Shrestha, former Vice-Chancellor of the NAST,
said, "Science diplomacy has improved and strengthened the bilateral
relationship of the United States of America with Japan and Korea. Likewise,
there were instances of strong collaborations between the USA and the former USSR
during the Cold War period."
According to him, science diplomacy can help Nepal innovate
ways to foster new collaborations in critical areas of human development,
research and technology transfer.
But to achieve this goal, capacity development of
organisations like the NAST and individuals including scientists, innovators
and academicians should be made, he added.
He said that the NAST had signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with the Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA), forged
collaborations with the Policy Research Institute (PRI) and held discussions
with the diplomats in the past.
"Development of nanosatellite and sending it to space
successfully in 2019 was also the result of effective science diplomacy,"
stated Dr. Shrestha.
Scientists said that the country should form a national
science diplomacy forum to conduct advocacy for it. "There are no science
advisors with the government. The NAST should act as the national advisor for
the development of science and technology," they said.
Dr. Hemu Kafle, a Scientist at Kathmandu Institute of
Applied Sciences, said that since Nepal desperately needs technology transfer
in almost every field, there should be strong collaborations among the
stakeholders in the sector.
"Multiple stakeholders should forge effective
collaboration to conduct effective science diplomacy," she said.
Prof. Dr. Mahesh Kumar Maskey, Member of Science and
Technology Promotion Committee at the NAST, stated that political leaders and
lawmakers should understand the dimensions of science, diplomacy and their
collaboration.
"In Nepal, all 16 goals of SDGs require cooperation in
science, technology and innovation particularly cross-border cooperation with
our two neighbours. The latter should be accorded priority," he said.
All major international organisations and partnership forums
like the United Nations and World Health Organisation engage in science
diplomacy.
"Likewise, cooperation in BRICS in science, technology
and innovation has, of late, grown significantly," said Maskey.
The speakers at the programme said that Nepal should focus
on young scientists, promote cross-border collaborations, enhance the power and
authority of the NAST and increase investment in research and development.
They also suggested developing a mechanism for NAST's
regular engagement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education,
Science and Technology. "Collaborations should also be promoted with the
institutions like the Nepal Bureau of Standards and Meteorology," said Dr.
Madan Lal Shrestha, an academician at the NAST.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 11 November 2024.
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