Research, ideas, and leadership for a more secure, peaceful world
Andrew Solow, The Role of Science in Fisheries Management
Development "is built not merely through the accumulation of physical capital and human skill, but on a foundation of information, learning and adaptation" (World Development Report, 1999). But if multiple forms of knowledge are clearly core resources for development, these are resources that are often in short supply and unevenly accessible around the world. How to more fully and equitably exploit the potential contributions of knowledge to development is the theme for this seminar series.
We have planned a comparative look at "knowledge systems": organized efforts to harness science and technology in support of social goals. We will review the rich history of experience with such systems -- ranging from the international agricultural research system to health research systems for the control of infectious diseases to military R&D systems -- in an attempt to understand whether there are common features to their successes and failures that can be used in improving the performance of other knowledge systems around the world.
Each specific knowledge system will be addressed through a pair of successive seminar sessions, organized by a member of the Harvard faculty or senior research staff. For each pair, the first session will review relevant scholarship about the system; the second will assess the effectiveness of the system from the perspective of practitioners. The seminar will make use of both visitors and participant-led discussions.
Lunch is provided.
