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TECHNOLOGICAL
RESPONSIBILITY
Guidelines for a shared governance of the processes
of socialisation of scientific research and innovation,
within an interconnected world

An overview


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i Are the result of dialogue and cooperation between
representatives of three major scientific cultures of the
contemporary world: European, Indian and African.

i Therefore can provide some indications about the

development of scientific and technological research
(STR) on our planet.

i Are intended to be a practical contribution on how we

can promote effective collective responsibility in
science and technology.

i In doing so, this text will offer some recommendations

on how science, technology and innovation can better
integrate into society and be more relevant to societyǯs
needs.
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It refers to the integration

between science,
technology, innovation
and society (see later....)
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i Raising awareness of the importance of
socialisation of STR for the progress of local
research systems

i Strengthening a collective responsibility for

STR
i Increasing the capacities of the actors
involved in STR policies
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i Providing a practical guide on how to

increase the socialisation of STR
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i The Guidelines are the fruit of a tri-lateral dialogue
Africa-India-Europe, and keep the coexistence of different
sensibilities and viewpoints

i They have no intention of proposing an exhaustive vision

of relationship between science, technology and society,
always and everywhere

i The contribution of Guidelines is to provide a Dzcataloguedz

of problems and possible solutions, on the basis of the
specific SET-DEV experience

i The reader is invited to take from this document what is

useful for him/her to better understand the relationship
among science, technology, innovation and society,
within his/her specific geographical, political,
institutional, cultural, social, economic, organisational
context.

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The main source of the Guidelines was the
documentation produced by SET-DEV partners
during the course of their activities, and which
was made available to the editorial staff (reports,
papers, preparatory notes, etc.) about:
D preliminary research in India and Kenya
DManifestos (India and Africa)
DPilot programmes ß


     




Dother seminars and networking activities.

Another source was academic and professional

literature on the subject.

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i Setting up by LSC a facility to collect information and
documents (May 2009)
i Collecting information, comments and suggestions
from SET-DEV partners
i Several internal notes on Guidelines structure, and
feedbacks
i Building an editorial board (LSC+ some SET-DEV partners
from India, Kenya and Europe)
i First draft of Guidelines
i Feedbacks from SET-DEV partners and some
reviewers (from Africa, India and Europe)
i Final draft (within May 2011)
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 The Guidelines adopt
a ˜
˜

 ˜
about the relationship / integration between
science/technology/innovation/society:

this means that  ˜  ˜ 

 (or
can play) ˜˜   in exercising a
 ˜ 

 about science, technology
and innovation.

The 
 would like to provide

specific   
 ˜  .
 There are at least 8 inter-related areas
in which actors involved in STR
Dzconstructdz relationships
between science, technology, innovation
and society.

One may call them

Dzareas of socialisation of STRdz
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 For each area of socialisation of STR

some frames of responsibility (FR),

related practical options (PO),
and
lessons learnt (LL)

at national level (India and Kenya)

are identified
P FR 1 PO1, PO2, PO3 ǥ

Area 1 LESSONS LEARNT INDIA

Scientific FR2 LESSONS LEARNT KENYA
practice
FR ǥx

idem
Area 2
Evaluation

Area ǥx idem
 
 
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By frame of responsibility we mean a set

of risks and problems for STR and its
relationship to society, for which it is
essential to take a stand,
make a commitment
(at a personal ethical level and as regards
the choices of the community),
and especially to act in terms of strategy,
policies and concrete actions.
For instance, for the Area 1 (scientific
practice) 4 frames of responsibilities are
identified:

i Contextualisation of research
i Quality of the research
i Researcherǯs identity
i Generational change
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Area 1 Ȃ Scientific practice

FR DzContextualisation of researchdz
RATIONALE: There is a risk of a dangerous split between
science/technology and the needs of society:
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The need to "embed" the research in a given social and

cultural context. This can lead to effective dialogue,
"learning from people", between researchers and
stakeholders at local level.
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For each of the frames of responsibility

a set of
  

was also identified.

A practical option is
a ˜
˜ ˜
that can be taken
to strengthen science and technology
in its relationship with society.
For instance, for the FR
DzContextualisation of researchdz,
6 practical options are identified:

i PO1: Sensitizing researchers towards dialogue with

stakeholders
i PO2:Promoting meetings and exchanges with civil society
organisations
i PO3: Joint defining of research objectives with stakeholders
i PO4:Disseminating participatory methodologies
i PO5:Sensitizing researchers towards dialogue with
disadvantaged social groups
i PO6:Mapping and enhancing local expertise
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Area 1 Ȃ Scientific practice / FR DzContextualisation of researchdz
PO DzPromoting meetings and exchanges with civil
society organisationsdz ß


 


To overcome the climate of mutual mistrust that sometimes exists

between researchers and civil society organisations, meetings and
exchanges of views should be promoted, such as workshops and working
groups on specific issues. Some such initiatives were studied and partially
tested under SET-DEV both in India and Kenya.

_ ˜˜ 
ánder SET-DEV, a number of initiatives were examined involving interactive meeting between
researchers and civil society organisations, for example: collaboration between researchers and
NGOs to disseminate Methods of Non-Pesticidal Pest Management (NPM) in India; the joint
submission of projects for sustainable post-tsunami reconstruction in Tamil Nadu (India);
cooperation between research institutions and local NGOs in the fight against food plant pests in
Kenya; cooperation between a Kenyan university and grassroots organisations in local sanitation
projects in urban areas.
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Area DzGovernancedz

FR DzDialogue and participation in policy

makingdz
RATIONALE: The risk is that research is governed by technocratic
criteria unrelated to the needs of society and dependent on choices
made by foreign political and economic actors without or little
consideration of the interests of local communities.

The central role of STR in social and economic life

increasingly requires the adoption of responsible and
shared policies, involving stakeholders such as:
politicians, researchers, interest groups, civil society
organisations, business organisations, international
bodies.
Area DzGovernancedz - FR DzDialogue and participation in policy makingdz

7 practical options are identified

i PO138: Encouraging broader participation in STR in sectors not yet
sufficiently open to the public
i PO139: Promoting and disseminating national and local maps of STR
actors
i PO140: Involving scientific communities in setting policies at local
level
i PO141: Promoting the involvement of private actors in S&T
i PO142: Involving new generations of young researchers in S&T
decision making
i PO143: Enhancing the role of young civil servants who are interested in
S&T issues
i PO144: Involving civil society organizations in decision making
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Area DzGovernancedz - FR DzDialogue and participation in policy makingdz

PO DzEncouraging broader participation in STR in

sectors not yet sufficiently open to the public Dz

As SET-DEV initiatives in India and Kenya have demonstrated, it is

important to encourage broad participation of stakeholders in the debate
about the purposes, risks and opportunities of technology in some key
areas of research (nuclear energy, biotechnologyǥ).

Various tools can be used including information campaigns; seminars to

increase awareness of specific targets; creation of networks; portals and
web sites; roundtables between policy makers, researchers and
stakeholders, etc.
"  


0hile frames of responsibility

and practical options
(even if formulated in reference to
SET-DEV experiences in India and Africa)
may have a general significance
outside these contexts,
some specific lessons learnt
were also formulated
for the Indian and Kenyan readers.
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INDIA
i Need for an increased interaction (through meetings, forums)
between the researchers, stakeholders and the CSOs
i Improving the quality of the research (by evolving guidelines,
regulatory systems, reducing bureaucratic burdens on
researchers, etc.)
i Improving the social and economic status of researchers (by
attractive pay, perks, subsidised housing, health care, childrenǯs
schooling, etc.)
KENYA
i Fostering a multidisciplinary and participatory approach to
scientific practice
i Greater equality between local researchers and their
international counterparts
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INDIA
i Enhancing and democratizing the public debate on science
and technology
i Need for communication on the part of the academia and
policy makers to interact with CSOs
i Sensitizing young people to the science and technological
responsibility
i Propagating working tools and meetings for science
journalists in newspapers and magazines
KENYA
i Need for both scientists and non-scientists to build skills
necessary for better understanding between the two groups
i Applying innovative and interactive approaches to scientific
communication
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INDIA
i Better linkages between the world of research and the world of
production in specific sectors at any level
i Enhancing research and experimentation on sustainable
technologies
i Supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in promoting
innovation
KENYA
i Popularising the economic benefits of new technologies
i Building partnership between STR community and the informal
business sector
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INDIA
i Enhancing the dialogue and democracy in policy setting
(above all for strategic issues: drugs, genetic manipulation,
etc.), adopting the principles of plurality of expertises,
justice, equity (see Manifesto)
i Involving the scientific communities in the policy making
through dialogue
KENYA
i Mainstreaming principles of good governance into STR
processes (effectiveness, sustainability, transparency and
accountability, participation and inclusion)
i Transparency at the international level (e.g. about research,
experimentation and drug testing)
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INDIA
i Supporting women researchers (by services,
mentoring, flexible work timings, etc.)
i Raising awareness on importance of increasing role
of women scientists

KENYA
i Interaction between gender-sensitised scientists and
secondary school students
i Adopting a gender-sensitive approach in science,
technology, innovation programmes
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INDIA
i Need for Indian scientists to focus on problems that
are specific to India

KENYA
i Promoting research which facilitates the emergence
and formalisation of indigenous knowledge
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i The sense and the perspectives of the trilateral
dialogue Europe-India-Africa around the relationship
science, technology, innovation and society

i The importance of two Manifestos for Europe

i The trans-cultural approach to the impact of new

technologies

i The theme of science, technology, innovation in a

plural world

i The idea of a European Manifesto to be developed

( 
 
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i Introduction
i General summary
i For each of 8 areas of socialisation of
STR:
D frames of responsibility and related
practical options
D lessons learnt for India and Kenya
i Appendix: lessons learnt Ȃ Europe
i Bibliography
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i Elaborating and adapting Guidelines
themes at the national and regional level,
together with Manifestos and other SET-
DEV outputs
i Putting the socialisation of STR at the core
of scientific communication and policy-
making
i Strenghtening the SET-DEV political,
scientific and cultural network
i ... And all what the afternoon
discussion groups will suggest...
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