[LCM Articles] Lebanon announces US$33 million science plan

[Marc Haddad]

a good discussion topic for TechLeb|06...

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Lebanon announces US$33 million science plan
Wagdy Sawahel
2 May 2006

Lebanon plans to spend 50 billion Lebanese pounds (US$33 million) over
the next five years to develop science, technology and innovation in
areas relevant to the country's needs.

Under a national plan unveiled on 27 April, Lebanon will increase the
number of graduate and postgraduate training opportunities, set up new
research centres, and promote scientific partnerships between public
institutions and industry.

Lebanon developed the plan in collaboration with the UN Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Arab League
Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization, and the UN Economic
and Social Commission for Western Asia.

Peter Tindemans, a UNESCO consultant who contributed to the plan, says
it should provide the funds, direction and environment needed to
re-orient Lebanon's economy and society, and create "more skilled jobs,
and solve social challenges by embracing science and technology".

Research areas identified as priorities include biotechnology for health
and agriculture, information and communication technologies, software
that uses Arabic script, coastal and marine resource management, and
water and energy.

The plan also calls for a 'science, technology and innovation
observatory' to be set up to monitor Lebanon's scientific progress.

"The plan will boost efforts to link research to Lebanon's basic
economic needs and will establish partnerships between the private and
the public sectors," says Ahmad Nasri, professor of computer science at
the American University of Beirut.

"It also aims to strengthen Lebanon's participation in regional and
international networks in science, technology and innovation," he says.

Fouad Mrad, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the
same university told SciDev.Net: "We are very excited about the
attention that the government has displayed towards the sciences and the
scientific community, even if it is late."

The plan will give a major boost to science funding in Lebanon. Speaking
at its launch, Mouin Hamze, secretary general of the National Council
for Scientific Research, pointed out that under a 1962 law the centre
should receive one per cent of Lebanon's GDP for funding research.
This would represent US$200 million a year but according to Hamze, the
centre gets just a fraction of this amount because of Lebanon's economic
problems.