Science Technology And Global Governance

Science, technology and innovation have long been key factors in the competitive advantage of nations. Today, however, the new international political economy is being increasingly driven by science and technology in new ways. Integration, globalization and internationalization have all become watchwords for a series of dynamic processes in which science and technology are deeply implicated. As a result, not only are the policies of national governments being exposed in terms of the limits of their sovereignty, but science and technology are being increasingly implicated in a wide array of public issues - ranging from security, privacy, development and economic growth to employment, environment, foreign policy and geopolitics. Clearly, in today's emerging world, the ways in which governments organize their science and technology policy, their science and technology intelligence, and their research advisory structures and resources matter more today than ever before. In turn, the contract between science and democracy is being rapidly redefined. This book is the first to comprehensively discuss these critical issues.

This book analyzes the possibilities for effective global governance of science in Europe, India and China. Authors from the three regions join forces to explore how ethical concerns over new technologies can be incorporated into global science and technology policies. The first chapter introduces the topic, offering a global perspective on embedding ethics in science and technology policy. Chapter Two compares the institutionalization of ethical debates in science, technology and innovation policy in three important regions: Europe, India and China. The third chapter explores public perceptions of science and technology in these same three regions. Chapter Four discusses public engagement in the governance of science and technology, and Chapter Five reviews science and technology governance and European values. The sixth chapter describes and analyzes values demonstrated in the constitution of the People’s Republic of China. Chapter Seven describes emerging evidence from India on the uses of science and technology for socio-economic development, and the quest for inclusive growth. In Chapter Eight, the authors propose a comparative framework for studying global ethics in science and technology. The following three chapters offer case studies and analysis of three emerging industries in India, China and Europe: new food technologies, nanotechnology and synthetic biology. Chapter 12 gathers all these threads for a comprehensive discussion on incorporating ethics into science and technology policy. The analysis is undertaken against the backdrop of different value systems and varying levels of public perception of risks and benefits. The book introduces a common analytical framework for the comparative discussion of ethics at the international level. The authors offer policy recommendations for effective collaboration among the three regions, to promote responsible governance in science and technology and a common analytical perspective in ethics.

An increasing number of scholars have begun to see science and technology as relevant issues in International Relations (IR), acknowledging the impact of material elements, technical instruments, and scientific practices on international security, statehood, and global governance. This two-volume collection brings the debate about science and technology to the center of International Relations. It shows how integrating science and technology translates into novel analytical frameworks, conceptual approaches and empirical puzzles, and thereby offers a state-of-the-art review of various methodological and theoretical ways in which sciences and technologies matter for the study of international affairs and world politics. The authors not only offer a set of practical examples of research frameworks for experts and students alike, but also propose a conceptual space for interdisciplinary learning in order to improve our understanding of the global politics of science and technology. This first volume summarizes various time-tested approaches for studying the global politics of science and technology from an IR perspective. It also provides empirical, theoretical, and conceptual interventions from geography, history, innovation studies, and science and technology studies that indicate ways to enhance and rearticulate IR approaches. In addition, several interviews advance possibilities of multi-disciplinary collaboration.

Based on case studies, this book presents lessons and good practices on a range of governance mechanisms used for international co-operation in STI to address global challenges.

This book deals with a range of topics related to global governance. It begins with an introduction to the theoretical literature in order to provide a framework for the individual chapters written by the authors contributing to this book. There are many global challenges that the global community, which includes state and non-state actors, has to deal with. International institutions like the United Nations are trying to meet some of these challenges, for example, in the field of sustainable development. One of the chapters in the book discusses the United Nations assessment of the Millennium Development Goals. Another chapter discusses the post-2015 sustainable development agenda and highlights the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations member states in December 2015. A related topic is climate change, which led to the Paris Agreement that states were encouraged to sign up for. Rising sea levels are threatening the existence of some low-lying atoll states of the Pacific region. The challenges they face are discussed by Roy Smith in his chapter, Maintaining Sovereign Identity among States Facing Existential Threats. There are other threats to our security and well-being posed by terrorism, for example, that require the adoption of appropriate counterterrorism measures. This issue is discussed by Natasha Underhill in her chapter Counterterrorism in a Globalized World: Threats and Ways Forward. Kunal Mukherjees chapter, The Rise of Islamism in the Contemporary World: A South Asian Perspective, discusses a related issue. The book argues that international co-operation is essential to solve problems and make progress in different areas, ranging from international security to international trade. But progress may be slow when states feel that it is not a positive sum game, which is what Chris Farrands argues in his chapter, Global Governance, Multilateralism and the Management of International Trade. Finally, the book addresses the issue of global governance and world order. One way forward is by reforming the United Nations and giving more recognition to regional organisations, as is discussed by Spyros Blavoukos and Dimitris Bourantonis in their chapter, Principled Multilateralism and the United Nations. But as the concluding chapter, Global Governance and World Order: Perspectives, Challenges and Outlook argues, ultimately, global governance has to be conceived as self-governance and not act as an imposition from above based on an international hierarchy; it requires a political commitment from all stakeholders if it is to be successful in maintaining world order.

An increasing number of scholars have begun to see science and technology as relevant issues in International Relations (IR), acknowledging the impact of material elements, technical instruments, and scientific practices on international security, statehood, and global governance. This two-volume collection brings the debate about science and technology to the center of International Relations. It shows how integrating science and technology translates into novel analytical frameworks, conceptual approaches and empirical puzzles, and thereby offers a state-of-the-art review of various methodological and theoretical ways in which sciences and technologies matter for the study of international affairs and world politics. The authors not only offer a set of practical examples of research frameworks for experts and students alike, but also propose a conceptual space for interdisciplinary learning in order to improve our understanding of the global politics of science and technology.

An increasing number of scholars have begun to see science and technology as relevant issues in International Relations (IR), acknowledging the impact of material elements, technical instruments, and scientific practices on international security, statehood, and global governance. This two-volume collection brings the debate about science and technology to the center of International Relations. It shows how integrating science and technology translates into novel analytical frameworks, conceptual approaches and empirical puzzles, and thereby offers a state-of-the-art review of various methodological and theoretical ways in which sciences and technologies matter for the study of international affairs and world politics. The authors not only offer a set of practical examples of research frameworks for experts and students alike, but also propose a conceptual space for interdisciplinary learning in order to improve our understanding of the global politics of science and technology. The second volume raises a plethora of issue areas, actors, and cases under the umbrella notion techno-politics. Distinguishing between interactional and co-productive perspectives, it outlines a toolbox of analytical frameworks that transcend technological determinism and social constructivism.