16 June 2011 | EN The Islamic world needs new mechanisms that
enable leaders to interact informally and share scientific
knowledge, argues Athar Osama. One of the most important factors
that distinguish developed and developing countries is their
ability to benefit from science and technology. And there is
little doubt that science will be more important for development
in the future. Yet many members of the Organization of the
Islamic Conference (OIC) have failed to make science the
foundation of their development paradigms. But there are
exceptions. Egypt and Pakistan have made significant headway in
agricultural research during their respective green revolutions
in the 1960s and 1970s. Iran and Pakistan boast well-developed
defence industries and nuclear research programmes. In the Gulf
states, petro-dollars fund petrochemical and water research
programmes. This diversity, set within a common sociocultural
background and a shared set of constraints and challenges,
creates opportunities for knowledge sharin