Science and Technology (including Environment, Health and Higher Education)

Science, Technology, Higher Education

The transnational nature of the contemporary challenges of poverty, disease, environmental degradation, climate change, water and food security necessitate collective responses at the global level. All these problems have scientific dimensions and provide for a new role of science in international policy-making and diplomacy. 

Accordingly, Science and Technology, Higher Education, Health and Environment constitute crucial domains for the OIC and its specialized and affiliated institutions.  The two landmark documents i.e. the OIC Ten Year Programme of Action (3rd Extraordinary Islamic Summit, Makkah - 2005) and the Vision 1441 H for Science and Technology (Tenth Islamic Summit, Putrajaya - 2003) provide a framework for pursuing the OIC agenda for science, technology and innovation.

Scientific and technological collaboration between the OIC Member States offers an immense scope for direct socio-economic benefits to its people in terms of sharing of expertise and pooling of resources. The OIC activities and programmes in the domain of Science and Technology focus on strengthening of R&D as part of institutional framework for science, technology and innovation, national strategies for science and technology, conducting STI Foresight Studies, encouraging private sector participation in R&D, and promoting emerging technologies such as nanotechnology and biotechnology.

A snapshot of recent progress

• In 2005, OIC Member States were on an average spending 0.2% of the GDP on R&D. This figure has now quadrupled to 0.81%.
• Heavy investments in Higher Education, R&D and innovation by Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Tunisia, Pakistan, Iran Nigeria and Malaysia all point towards a reawakening in the Muslim world. Overall eighteen universities from the OIC Member States are now included in the top 400 World University Rankings Supplement of the QS for 2012.
• The OIC Member States have also made encouraging progress in terms of research publications. In the year 2000 scientific publications in international journals by scientists and engineers from 57 OIC Member States numbered 20, 224. This number increased more than four folds to 92, 503.  
• In 2003, the number of researchers, scientists and engineers in the OIC countries engaged in R&D was around 250 per million i.e. one-tenth of the world average of 2532 per million. This number has now nearly doubled to 457 i.e. one-fifth of the world average. Despite the often negative headlines about the status of women in OIC Member States, women in the OIC represent around 33% of the total researchers. This is higher than the world average of 30.2% and slightly above the EU average of 32.8%.
• According to the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2012, published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), 9 OIC countries, Malaysia, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Brunei, Kuwait and Jordan have GII above world average. Malaysia (32nd), Qatar (33rd) and UAE (37th) are the three best performing OIC countries. 
• Atlas of Islamic World Science and Innovation project: Under this project, implemented by the OIC in partnership with the Royal Society of UK and other international partners, key trends and trajectories in science and technology-based innovation in selected OIC Member States were mapped. Country reports on Egypt, Jordan, Malaysia and Kazakhstan have been launched while report on Indonesia is nearing finalization. Similar studies in the future for other OIC Member States would be useful in terms of determining the opportunities and challenges and defining the right approaches for advancing S&T. 
• Peaceful applications of nuclear energy: In collaboration with the IDB and IAEA, the OIC General Secretariat is pursuing projects for the strengthening and establishment of cancer radiotherapy facilities in the OIC member States from Africa, where cancer has become one of the major causes of death. Similar projects are being considered for Asia.
• Likewise, projects on isotope hydrology and mosquito sterilization are being pursued in earnest in collaboration with the IDB and IAEA. These projects highlight the potential of regional cooperation in tackling the challenges of disease, access to safe drinking water and other developmental issues.  
• OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) COMSTECH is the OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation. Its mission is to help strengthen the individual and collective capacity of OIC member states in science and technology through mutual cooperation, collaboration, and networking of resources. It is entrusted with the follow up actions on science and technology related decisions of the Summit and creating successful implementation strategies.
• Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy Research Center : COMSTECH Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy Research and Training Centre was established in 2006 as a think-tank specializing in providing high-quality advisory services on STI to member states of OIC, to build capacity in STI by offering training for public policy makers, academic researchers and entrepreneurs and managers hailing from the business community in the OIC member states for the socio-economic development of this region.
• Inter-Islamic Networks: The science and technology plan of action prepared by COMSTECH proposed the progressive establishment of high technology institutions in the OIC region in selected areas of science and technology. This led to the concept of networking of resources and establishment of Centers of Excellence in key disciplines to enable the OIC member states to develop a respectable level of research. The 13 established networks include Networks on Space Science and Technology, Water Resources Development and Management, Tropical Medicine, Information Technology, Nanotechnology, Environment and Renewable Energy Resources etc.

OIC Educational Exchange Programme: Solidarity through Academia in the Muslim World

The OIC Educational Exchange Programme aims at promoting solidarity through academia and cooperation among Member states in the crucial field of higher education. The Programme is receiving increasing attention at the international level. Total number of scholarships offered under the Programme at the graduate, masters, doctoral and post-doctoral levels is approaching 300. Scholarships have been announced in a wide range of fields including physical sciences, social sciences, engineering, humanities, ICT etc. by several public and private sector universities in the OIC Member States. The Programme also provides for exchange of students, meeting faculty deficit in the universities, distance learning, joint research projects, training facilities, vocational and specialized courses to cater to the specific requirements of the interested Member States.

Health

The domain of health is an important sector amongst the various areas identified for joint Islamic action in the Ten Year Programme of Action (TYPOA). The TYPOA, Islamic Summit Conferences, Islamic Conferences of Health Ministers and the Council of Foreign Ministers, place special emphasis on programmes and activities, with the involvement of WHO and relevant international organizations, for combating diseases and epidemics, strengthening child health and eradication of polio. 

OIC Strategic Health Programme of Action: 2014-2023: The 4th Islamic Conference of Health Ministers (ICHM), held in Jakarta on 22-24 October 2014, adopted the OIC Strategic Health Programme of Action (SHPA) 2014-2023. The SHPA provides a framework for focused action and international collaboration for the next ten years to deal with the most pressing challenges and needs of the OIC Member States. The adoption of the SHPOA and its Implementation Plan is expected to impart a new impetus to the OIC health agenda and the programmes and activities of the OIC and its institutions in this field.

Several international partners, including WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, have expressed their readiness to cooperate with the General Secretariat for the implementation of the SHPOA.

Self-Reliance in vaccines and drugs: The OIC General Secretariat and relevant OIC institutions have been carrying out efforts for the promotion of self-reliance in vaccines and drugs in the OIC Member States. These include:

cooperation among the OIC Member States in the development and harmonization of standards on pharmaceuticals and vaccines. 
promotion of cooperation and partnerships with a view to pooling of resources, expertise and experience between private and public sector manufacturers across OIC Member States thus leading to the  enhancement of the collective capacity in the production of vaccines. 
training and capacity-building activities on pre-qualification, validation and certification procedures for OIC vaccine producers. 
International partnerships for preventing and combating diseases: The OIC General Secretariat continues to work in cooperation with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). It has been instrumental in obtaining religious injunctions (Fatwa) and mobilizing political support and funds in favour of polio eradication campaigns in the Member States.

The General Secretariat has been pursuing close cooperation with the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and has also agreed on a Joint Work Plan with the Stop TB Partnership.

Mother and Child Health projects in Mali and Bangladesh: Mother and child health is among the priority areas in the OIC Health agenda. The OIC and the US Government signed a Cooperation Framework in 2009 to implement projects on Mother and Child Health. Currently Mother and Child health projects are being implemented in Bangladesh and Mali based on collaboration between OIC, USAID, other international partners and the governments of the two countries. The OIC is exploring the possibilities of initiating similar projects in other OIC Member States in collaboration with international partners across various regions.

Environment and Climate Change

The challenges of environmental degradation and climate change are assuming increasing significance for OIC countries. The OIC General Secretariat and the OIC institutions have accordingly stepped up their activities and programmes in these areas. 

OIC Water Vision: The OIC Water Vision was adopted by the Conference of Ministers Responsible for Water held in Istanbul in March 2012. The OIC Water Vision gives a brief overview of the diverse water environments across the OIC countries and the different dimensions of water related challenges being faced by them. It recognizes the critical role of the OIC in promoting cooperation among Member States on water-related issues and its ability to bring together expertise from diverse countries with unique water characteristics. 

OIC Green technology Blue Print: The OIC General Secretariat is coordinating closely with COMSTECH for the preparation of the OIC Blue Print on Green Technologies.