Challenges of Equity and Engagement in International Scientific Collaboration
Caroline S. Wagner, Professor, The Ohio State University
International collaboration in scientific research and technological development has grown spectacularly since 1980. The rapid rise of international collaborations in science, technology, and innovation has been one of the most dramatic social changes of the 21st century. How do we address the governance challenges posed by the shifting global landscape? The growth to scientific maturity of many developing countries, especially China, has reshaped the global knowledge system. The global knowledge system operates beyond political borders, but, linkages respond to national policy. The extra-national nature of collaboration, and the network it creates, presents a new dynamic for policymakers, educators, and businesspeople who fund, manage, and rely upon this system for a long list of social, economic, and knowledge benefits.
To a great extent, international cooperation emerges from within the community of scholars; the needs of the knowledge community and the social connections and obligations of participants determine the dynamics of the organization. Adjustments around norms are needed to address knowledge dissemination and containment. Policy is meant to fix inequities, yet, at the global level, the network has no administrators or governing entity. Actors can make some adjustments to address this asymmetry. The dynamics of the knowledge system challenge policy, the demands for openness, and the constraints of the political system. Let’s discuss how we can address the equity challenges tied to global scientific engagement.
Speaker's bio:
Caroline S. Wagner is a Professor at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University since 2011, where she is an affiliate of Battelle Center for Science in the Public Interest, and the East Asian Studies Center. During her 30-year career in science policy, she has held a number of analytic and policy positions. At The RAND Corporation, she was deputy to the Director of the Science & Technology Policy Institute, a research center serving the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Prior to joining RAND, Dr. Wagner was a Professional Staff Member for the United States Congress Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and before that, in the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment. She has served as an analyst for the United States federal government analyzing global developments in science and technology. She holds a doctorate from the University of Amsterdam in Science & Technology Dynamics; an M.A. from GWU in Science, Technology and Public Policy; and a B.A. in Philosophy from Trinity University. Dr. Wagner is the author of two books on governance of science and technology, author of more than 25 monographs that can be found on RAND’s website and a number of journal articles.