Untapped Potential: US Science and Technology Cooperation with the Islamic World

Executive Summary

America's relationship with the Islamic world, marred by widespread hostility that is manifested most devastatingly by terrorism, is a liability that cannot be ignored. In confronting it, efforts to destroy terrorist groups must be matched by initiatives that undermine radicalism, raise the standing of the United States and sap societal support for terrorists. These must remove reasons for terrorism and the context within which new recruits are drawn towards radicalism and violence. Economic and social development are important to realizing those visions—and science and technology can make critical contributions to such development. Nowhere is this sort of progress more urgently needed than in the Muslim states and communities that make up the wider Islamic world. Across a broad swathe from North Africa to East Asia, the Islamic world—with some important exceptions—not only lags behind global standards in economic, human, and political development, but is even farther behind in developing the science and technology capacity that can support sustainable future growth.

Despite widespread and growing public hostility to the United States in the Islamic world, American science and technology are widely admired there. This provides a valuable channel for productive cooperation. By working wisely with scientists and engineers from the Islamic world, the United States could bolster economic and human development and aid in tackling important regional problems like natural resource management, all while strengthening American public diplomacy in the Islamic world. To be certain, some science and technology cooperation, involving certain sensitive subjects, would be unwise, but a prudent balance is well within reach.

Only a strategic approach will yield the full potential benefits of science and technology cooperation, and the first foundation of that approach is a solid understanding of the state of science and technology in the Islamic world. There is no doubt that, even compared to other states at similar stages of economic development, states in the Islamic world lag in science and technology performance. Beyond that, no short summary can capture the immense diversity of the Islamic world, as no one country stands out overall. Malaysia is by far the strongest in applying science and technology to industry, while the Middle East dominates in academic publishing, and Central Asia stands out with its sheer number of scientists and engineers. At the opposite end of the spectrum, sub-Saharan Africa trails consistently. Moreover, strong institutions do exist even within weak states or regions, making cooperation possible.

Many would be surprised to learn that the United States already engages this scientific capacity over a wide range of fields. The US government has taken a strong lead in this area, working with scientists and engineers in nearly every state in the Islamic world, either through collaboration with US government scientists and engineers or by funding cooperative work outside the government. Prominent participants include the Department of Defense, Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, the Department of Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Agriculture. Private-sector efforts (by corporations and non-governmental organizations) have played a role, too, most prominently through donations and loans (from the World Bank, for example) for technological, agricultural, and educational development, through foreign direct investment in research and development, through corporate training programs (promoted by, for example, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development), and through the efforts of groups like the US National Academy of Sciences to build bridges with civil society. Furthermore, American universities host thousands of visiting Islamic world scientists every year. Indeed, perhaps without knowing it, the United States has built a broad and impressive program of science and technology cooperation with the Islamic world.

Despite these various initiatives, there is no coherent strategy, and with a deliberate effort the United States could do better.While it must be developed in collaboration with the scientific community, a strategy will require strong political guidance if it is to be an integral part of America's approach to the Islamic world. The United States should learn a number of lessons from past attempts at science and technology cooperation in the Islamic world and elsewhere:

* Focus on applying technology, not just on scientific research and development.

With technological advancement the goal, research and development are often not the best focus. In many states education will be paramount; in others, the top priority should be to strengthen technologyintensive industry.Where research and development are possible, they should form a component of scientific collaboration. Technology, which leads to economic and societal development, should come first, though; research will follow in due course.

* The political structure of scientific interactions matters.

Take care in structuring interactions, whether bilateral, regional, or spanning the Islamic world. Initiatives that cover broader areas may seem simpler and perhaps more cost-effective than bilateral approaches, but can be crippled by internal disagreement. They have met with success in some regions, such as Africa, but have faced greater difficulties in the Middle East.

* Take advantage of Islamic world diasporas.

Many states have strengthened their science and technology capacity by drawing on their diasporas—not just their recent emigrants. Many areas in the Islamic world have substantial scientific diasporas in the United States, which could act as a bridge between the United States and their ancestral homes, and could therefore be profitably involved.

* Develop a coordinated public diplomacy strategy.

With such a wide spectrum of activities already underway, and with broad respect across the Islamic world for American science and technology, it is simply negligent for the United States not to promote its cooperative accomplishments. A public diplomacy strategy will become even more valuable as cooperation is intensified.

* Be modest in expectations of using science and technology cooperation to achieve policy changes.

Some have argued that science and technology cooperation might promote broad reform in Islamic world societies, through its emphasis on openness and by building links with the West. This objective cannot, however, be met by science and technology alone. The forces that prevent reform are strong, and will probably be overcome only with similarly strong tools. Nevertheless, while science and technology cooperation may not provoke major changes, it can aid in removing roadblocks to progress and is an underused tool in broader US policy.

* Create an integrated arms control and nonproliferation strategy.

For cooperative science and technology to benefit American security, it must be approached in a way that does not spread the capacity to make weapons of mass destruction. During the Cold War, some major efforts in nuclear technology cooperation did the opposite. Such a result is not inevitable, but careful and vigilant strategy and planning, which address proliferation of both equipment and skills, are necessary to avoid it.

Within the context of a broader strategy, an expansion of American efforts will be beneficial. Individual programs ranging from a government-wide clearinghouse of science and technology cooperation to the execution of region-wide science and technology surveys would also be invaluable, serving as common foundations of a comprehensive strategy.

Though dollar figures are impossible to propose without far deeper exploration, there is no doubt that many opportunities await. In education, in industry, in research, in diplomacy, and in solving some of the immediate problems faced in the Islamic world, the potential of science and technology cooperation is immense. Fully exploiting it requires political leadership and must be made an urgent priority.