Until the discovery of the new world in the fifteenth century, the world witnessed the rise of successive civilizations each of which gave rise to the other. Starting from the beginnings of science and civilization in Mesopotamia, Egypt and China, Greek, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Arab-Islamic, and West European, none could claim to be isolated from its predecessors. In fact the history of science and civilization in the western old world should be considered part of one continuous history. The general public is unaware of important contributions from these civilizations or to the fact that science is a common heritage.
It is within the objective of building a lasting culture of peace that UNESCO with other international and regional organizations has decided to organize a series of exhibitions, symposia and conferences on the history of Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation, beginning with the history of Islamic Science.
Science, technology and innovation (STI) play a central role in the well-being of a country. They are critical in enabling a country to respond to a global economy, which is becoming increasingly knowledge-intensive. Success in the new economy will go to countries that are able to transform knowledge into new and improved products, processes, services and solutions. Muslim world is hampered in facing the challenges of the new economy because of its deficiency in S&T. This deficiency in Muslim countries is particularly intriguing given that Muslims were once world leaders in S&T a millennium ago. Overcoming it will not be easy given the explosive pace in scientific and technological developments. However, given political will and sustained commitment towards strengthening human development, the Muslim world can move forward towards reclaiming its former pre-eminence in S&T. |
