5 Priorities to create Innovation Opportunities in the 3rd World
Developing countries cannot forever rely on the aide of developed nations. To empower their own citizens, developing countries' governments must encourage their own scientific advancements and promote the citizens to help themselves.
An article from this past January details 5 priorities that Professor of International Development at Imperial College London, UK, Gordon Conway and, Director of the London International Development Centre and Professor at University of London, UK, Jeff Waage felt were critical to creating opportunities for innovation in developing countries.
1. Empowerment - Encourage scientists everywhere to work on innovations for developing countries through better and longer term funding projects. Fund and help to develop better educational institutions and programs in the developing countries to encourage the citizens to work on innovative solutions.
2. Systems - Improve current science innovations systems and forums in developing countries. Bringing together entrepreneurs, innovators, and funding agencies within the country to discuss ideas and policies is critical to generating the traction to start new projects and fund innovative ideas. Global Innovation forums must also work to include developing countries' scientists and students to encourage careers and catalyze collaborations.
3. Accessibility - Developing countries and scientists need to encourage those working on international public goods (IPGs) and making sure these products and technologies are available to those in the developing world. The private sector especially needs to make contacts with research institutions to allow for developments of technologies.
4. Results-based - (This is the most GRAIN idea I saw)
Scientists must make sure that the results of their work have direct impact that will enable the betterment of the current citizens in the developing countries, especially the poorest citizens. " It also means asking stakeholders to help frame research questions, so that they are prepared to get involved in executing, applying and scaling up research
outputs and outcomes."
5. Profile-raising - Talking and informing policy makers of the importance of science education to improve the the economic production and poverty reduction of the whole society is critical. The onus remains on scientists to demonstrate this with policy makers and help them understand to make policies friendly to sharing science knowledge and encourage working on innovations to help developing nations.
Overall, I thought this article was clear and direct. GRAIN is working toward all of these 5 priorities. Each GRAINiac works to empower the scientists around them and encourage them to work on developing countries' issues. We are developing a new network for social entrepreneurs to connect. We are working on ideas and projects that will provide free tools for anyone in the world. Our co-innovation model teaches working with the stakeholders to develop questions and iterative processes to find a good solution. Finally, GRAIN is getting the the stories and successes of several projects that work in developing countries out to the general public and other scientists.
I hope this gives you some inspiration and direction!
Just another GRAIN-y day. Have a good one.
-Sujata
posted by Suji @ 11:34 AM
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