TECHNOPOLICY BRIEF 6

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF SCIENCE IN A
GLOBALIZING WORLD?
WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FORAFRICA?

Awele Maduemezia

AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY POLICY STUDIES NETWORKTable of Contents
1.0Introduction
What is Globalization
Science in a Globalizing World: Implications for Africa

113

2.0

What is the Main Thrust of World Science Today
What are the Implications for Africa?
Leapfrogging

557

3.0Conclusion81.0Introduction
What is globalization?
Globalization is the growing view of the world as a single coherent entity with respect
to socio-economic planning, coupled with its enforced development as a single
coherent entity, under the pressure of international market forces, engineered
primarily by the perspectives, national interests and current values of the Westernworld.
Globalization is a term that is loathed by most developing countries because of theactivities of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB). Recently
articles in some Nigerian newspapers suggested, in effect, that Globalization is animperialist plot to keep Africa and the rest of the developing world down. While thismight be an over-reaction there are aspects of globalization that are contentious
and those that are appealing.
For many cultures, globalization is West over the rest. Ideas, politics, and technology
are perceived as following in the footsteps of explorers, missionaries, and soldiers.
From a certain standpoint, the trend is in America’s face. Globalization is seen as
the increasing extent, intensity, velocity and impact of world-wide interconnectedness.
Such interconnectedness has existed for some hundreds of years. Tracing its
increase, it can be argued that there is now an ongoing transformation, fromeconomics, politics and migration to culture and law, which is creating a new kindof world order. It is essential to examine the various forms that globalization can take.
These are political, economic or financial and market, social, technological, andscientific globalization. These have different characteristics:•

Political globalization is a beneficial structure and is represented by theUnited Nations Organisation.

1

ATPS Technopolicy Brief 6••••

Economic or financial and market globalization is represented by theIMF and its kindred organisations. This type of globalization seems to becreating problems throughout the developing world.
Social globalization is one in which weaker cultures are subsumed bystronger ones. An example is the phenomenon of the English Language
slowly but surely becoming the universal language of science andtechnology, at the expense of even relatively strong European languages,
not to mention African languages. This is a good thing for science, as it
simplifies publication, but not for the humanities, as it suppresses othercultures.
Technological globalization leads to the creation of uniform technicalspecifications and standards in industry. It is driven by the need to create
wider markets especially for hi-tech goods. It leads to operational
compatibility of equipment from different manufacturers. It also simplifies
engineering design. This is a good thing for industry, especially for thecomputer industry.
Scientific globalization is the medium through which the science
research front is now universally accessible, so that the practice of science
now has hardly any geographical boundaries. This is undoubtedly a goodthing.

It is the last of these species of globalization that concerns us today.
Delivering the second Dag Hammarskjöld Lecture at Uppsala University in February
2000, Sir Brian Urquhart pointed out that the concept of globalization, popular with
the Western media, was encountering some opposition from a variety of groups andinterests worldwide. This is because there are so many unresolved apparent
contradictions for example:• Does the Internet bring people together or isolate them?
• Is global consumerism destroying diversity and identity or is it reviving nationaland ethnic feelings?
• Is it not true that globalization in its present form deepens already existing
inequalities?
• How can the benefits of globalization be distributed more evenly?

2

Science in a Globalizing World: Implications for Africa•Is the surging phenomenon of globalization shrinking the decision making
powers of the young and politically fragile nation states of the developing world?

The Western nations cannot be blamed for trying to protect, advance and sell theirown national interests as long as this does not stop others from doing likewise.
Given the human and material resources that many African countries have, theassumption should be that the playing field is level. Unfortunately, Africa is yet tomaster the art of creatively managing her resources.
The apparent contradictions outlined above derive from the fact that enlightened
self-interest is the primary driving force behind this world phenomenon. And there is
no way in which this can be wished or talked away. It is deeply entrenched in theinstinct for self-preservation that is internalized everywhere in varying degrees.
Science in a Globalizing World: Implications for Africa.
Science in a globalizing world has benefits that Africa can and should take advantage
of. It is a fact that,“computers, telecommunications and the Internet are the embryonicstages of a single global nervous system.”
Despite the fact that 90% of the people worldwide, have no access to computers, thecommunications revolution has made economic globalization possible. Thisrevolution has also provided, through the Internet, a new, quick and inexpensive way
for scientists in developing countries to make contact with the research front in thevarious disciplines, something that we could never have dreamt of some decadesago. Information is now available, if scientists are prepared to use it. The trend ofglobalization has caught on, and cannot be halted because some African intellectuals
are raising objections, however cogent these might be. The question of whether or
not to develop/globalize is in Africa’s hand.
The computer is globalizing science in so many ways. Most serious scientists
anywhere in the world today have the kind of working access to a personal computerthat they could not have dreamt of a few decades ago. They may not own one, butthere is likely to be one in the neighbourhood. This is true even in Africa. Thisdevelopment has broadened the range of problems that can be tackled not only by
the individual scientists but also by collaborating groups. The easy exchange of3

ATPS Technopolicy Brief 6
information through the Internet has virtually eliminated the isolation of scientists inthe developing world.
Electronic publishing has relieved us of the burden of relying on inefficient postalsystems. Once the work is done, it can be dispatched to the editor of a journal in amoment, anywhere in the world. Wireless telecommunication protocols haveliberated scientists from the yoke of inefficient fixed-line telephone networks. Verysoon, hand-held wireless telephones will be able to carry sufficient data for fullInternet interaction, and the world of science will indeed become one monolithic
family.
Africa should take advantage of such new opportunities by taking an active role inthe creation of a new computer culture to fully appreciate the benefits derived fromthem. The result is that the West has embraced the computer while Africa is preoccupied with other things, thus the widening technological gap between them. It is
the responsibility of good governance to inspire people in directions that would
highlight the need for Africa to move forward. Intellectuals who blame foreign powers
for the continent’s continuing backwardness are doing a great disservice. The
searchlight should be turned on Africa.
Development is something that one does by, and for, oneself. It is not something thatsomeone else does for you, or fails to do for you. If the gap between Africa and therest of the world is widening, it is because the developed world is moving forward
while Africa is sliding backwards due to a variety of factors.

42.0
What is the Main Thrust of World Science
Today?
The overriding concern of man today is that science should function as a tool forsustainable development, a means of improving the quality of life of man on earth.
This is why attention has been focussed on four principal concerns, namely, energy,
the environment, food, and communication.
Science is expected to find solutions to problems that beset these sectors throughresearch and development in four principal areas, namely;• agriculture-inspired gene technology• information and communication technology• environmental science and technology for sustainable development• energy research that is directed at reducing world dependence on fossil fuels
and nuclear technology, the former of which have a finite life time, and the latter,unresolved environmental hazards.
What are the Implications for Africa?
Today in the USA, there is active research and development going on in the area ofhydrogen fuels obtained from water. When the commercialization of this device
succeeds, it will reduce or eliminate the importance of petroleum in world politics.
It will also place nations that have not developed the capability to produce this new
kind of fuel at a disadvantage. This will include most of the African continent, with theprobable exception of South Africa.
USA has also built a prototype power station that it is hoped “will turn in a performancethat any conventional generating plant would be hard pressed to match. It will deriveenergy from fuel without burning it, turning it into many kilowatts of electricity, usable
heat, and water of a purity that no mountain spring could match. At the same time, itwill produce only a modest amount of carbon dioxide.” Eventually, its performance5

ATPS Technopolicy Brief 6
will be more reliable than that of the conventional power plant with a lower cost ofoperation. Energy consumption is a reliable measure of modern civilization.
The bottom line is that, there really is a need for Africa to join in such research ashydrogen fuels and other forms of alternative energy? Africa must not wait for theAmericans to produce it then later complain about being enslaved.
The January/February 2002 issue of the Journal Technology Review, published by
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), some new energy technologies thatmight propel Americans to the post-petroleum age are discussed in sufficient detail.
When they succeed, the five or six discussed methods will send countries Nigeria
into panic. African governments should now be laying out blueprints for the postpetroleum age that is in the offing, whether they have petroleum reserves or not.
Two or three decades ago, African scientists gave lecturers on strategies that various
African nations should adopt for development. The main paradigm at that time wasthat one had to learn to walk before one could run. At the urging of European countries,
African scientists held on to the concept of appropriate technology for Africans, andargued endlessly about what was known as transfer of technology. Appropriatetechnology is technology packaged to match the state of development or underdevelopment of a developing country. It is based on the assumption that such a
country does not have what it takes to grapple with the intricacies of modern
technology, and therefore must be assisted. There were those who insisted that
there was no such thing as transfer of technology. Others argued that it was there allover the place. That was decades ago. However, it is important to note that many
scientists of the older generation consider and appreciate the need for a shift ofparadigm that is what is suggested by science in a globalizing world. We must reject
the paradigm of appropriate technology because it does not fit into what is now theglobal village.
An aspect of science in a globalizing world that impacts on Africa is the “Tokunbosyndrome”. “Tokunbo” is Nigerian colloquialism for second hand European goods.
The rapid development of technology in the West has given rise to an equally rapid
rate of obsolescence, especially in the automobile sector. Equipment that does notsatisfy the stringent standards operative in a hi-tech oriented society find a ready6

Science in a Globalizing World: Implications for Africa
market in Africa. This has both a positive and a negative impact. The positive is thatit temporarily takes care of the short-term needs of cash-strapped consumers inAfrica. The long-term effect is, however, harmful, as the easy availability of such
equipment impedes all efforts at local development of technology, and removes any
initiatives that might have been lying dormant in the local folk.
The Internet has opened up a vast array of possibilities worldwide. Wirelesscommunication has topped it up. There are areas in which Africans can compete
quite effectively with the West. One such area is software development, without
which computers cannot function. To make scientific progress that would benefit
the masses in Africa, it is not necessary for the entire population to engage in scientificresearch. However, three things are needed:•••an environment to conduct serious development-oriented research likethe Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO) in Abuja, Nigeria
a few dedicated people supported to the hilt by a government that is not justpaying lip service to science and technology, and most importantly,
a shift to a new paradigm, namely, leapfrog.

Leapfrogging is used figuratively to denote the process of vaulting over theintermediate steps in technological development. It means jumping from where weare to where we ought to be as an active part of the global village that the world istending to be. It should be the new paradigm for African countries, taking into accountthe enormous possibilities provided by the Internet. In practice, this would involve aselection of a few areas, at a time, and the concentration of effort and resources inthis area.
Serious work is currently going on in the area of biotechnology directed at improving
the yield of Africa’s agricultural products. Frontline research should also be carriedout in theoretical/mathematical physics, aspects of material science, natural products
chemistry, pharmacology of herbs, and in the applications of solar energy, to mentiona few areas.

73.0
Conclusion
Globalization of science can have a positive impact on the development of Africancountries if its possibilities are fully grasped. One effective way in which progress
can be made in this regard is through the establishment of advanced researchlaboratories like SHESTCO, Abuja, Nigeria in all African countries.
In these laboratories highly motivated scientists should be given the tools and theenvironment needed to leapfrog into the world stage using the assistance provided
by the Internet. “A little at a time” should be the slogan at the beginning. The spirit
would spread to the universities and other government research institutes. Ultimately,
the end users in the street will feel the impact of such ground-breaking innovations.
All this requires proper planning and basic commitment at the relevant levels.

8

ATPS Technopolicy Briefs Series
Who Benefits from the New International Intellectual Property Rights Regime? And
What Should Africa Do? by Ha-Joon Chang(ATPS Technopolicy Brief 1)
How Can We Constitutionalize Innovation, Technology and Intellectual Property inKenya ? by Bernard Sihanya(ATPS Technopolicy Brief 2)What Can Biotechnology Do For Africa? How Can The Associated Risks And
Uncertainties Be Managed? by Norman Clark(ATPS Technopolicy Brief 3)
Who Needs Technology Policy? by Ha-Joon Chang(ATPS Technopolicy Brief 4)
Keeping Hunger at Bay: Genetic Engineering and Food Security in sub-SaharanAfrica by John Mugabe(ATPS Technopolicy Brief 5)

The author is a Professor of Physics at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The paper
was a speech given at the Workshop on “Science and Technology and Africa’s GlobalInclusion” sponsored jointly by the ATPS and the Federal Ministry of Science andTechnology of Nigeria in November 2002.

ABOUT THE AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY POLICY STUDIES NETWORKThe African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is a multi-disciplinary networkof researchers, policy makers, actors in the private sector and other end-users
interested in generating, promoting and strengthening innovative science andtechnology policies in Africa. With a regional secretariat in Nairobi, the network
operates through national chapters in 17 African countries, with an expansion plan
to cover the entire sub-Saharan Africa.
One of the objectives of the network is to disseminate research results to policy
makers, legislators, the organized private sector, civil society, mass media andfarmers’ groups through publications, dialogue and advocacy. Among its range ofpublications are the Working Paper Series (WPS), Research Paper Series (RPS),
Special Paper Series (SPS) and the Technopolicy Briefs.
Technopolicy Briefs Series are commissioned short papers written byexperts from all over the world specifically to address current science andtechnology policy concerns and questions in Africa. The briefs are also
summaries of technical papers published under our WPS, SPS and RPS
written to highlight significant policy recommendations. These briefs are
writen with the busy policymakers and non-specialists in mind. The materials
are designed for general readership and help advance the advocacy andknwoledge brokerage roles of the ATPS.
ATPS is supported by a growing number of donors including the International
Development Research Centre (IDRC), the Carnegie Corporation of New York, theRockefeller Foundation, the World Bank, the OPEC Fund, Ford Foundation, CocaCola Eastern Africa, the African Development Bank, and the Royal Dutch Government.

Published by
The African Technology
Policy Studies Network,P.O. Box 10081, 00100 General Post Office,Nairobi, Kenya.
© 2003 African Technology
Policy Studies Network (ATPS)
Printed by

ISBN: 9966-916-66-0

For more information this series and ATPS Contact:

The Executive Director
The African Technology Policy Studies Network
3rd Floor, The Chancery, Valley Road
P.O. Box 10081 00100 General Post Office
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254-20-2714092/168/498
Fax: +254-20-2714028
Email: info@atpsnet.org
Website: http://www.atpsnet.org