1 INTRODUCTIONEven-handed level of human development for citizens in any country is an endeavour that is the product of initiative, determination and the utilisation of tools such as science, technology and innovation for socioeconomic development.
Today’s advanced economies are also based on the availability of knowledge. Comparative advantage is increasingly determined by the competitive use of knowledge and of technological innovations. This centrality makes knowledge a pillar of the wealth and power of nations.
As arbiters of science and technology, academies of sciences can help in promoting science and scientific activities, at the national, regional, and international levels. They can help in creating knowledge societies partly through the effective utilisation of S&T.
The Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS) is one such organisation. It is actively trying to reach out to other academies of sciences, and to the science community worldwide. It has a “catchment” area that comprises the 57 member countries of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC). This is an area that spans from Indonesia in the East to Mauritania in the West.
Launched in 1986, the IAS is an autonomous international non-governmental organisation that acts as the ‘science advisor’ of OIC-countries on science and technology matters.
The IAS partly fulfils its long-term objectives through organising international conferences that address major contemporary topics of importance to the Islamic world, and humanity. Such conferences aim to bring important scientific issues to the attention of politicians and decision-makers in OIC-countries and the rank-and-file of the international 'development' community.
Since 1987, the Academy has been to many parts of the world, and organised sixteen such conferences. They are:
1. Food Security in the Muslim World, Amman, Jordan 1987;
2. Science and Technology Policy for Self-reliance in the Muslim World, Islamabad, Pakistan, 1988;
3. New Technologies and the Development of the Muslim World, Kuwait City, Kuwait, 1989;
4. Technology Transfer for Development in the Muslim World, Antalya, Turkey, 1990;
5. Science and Technology Manpower Development in the Islamic World, Amman, Jordan, 1991;
6. Environment and Development in the Islamic World, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1992;
7. Health, Nutrition and Development in the Islamic World, Dakar, Senegal, 1993;
8. Water in the Islamic World: An Imminent Crisis, Khartoum, Sudan, 1994;
9. Science and Technology Education for Development in the Islamic World, Tehran, Iran, 1999;
10. Information Technology for Development in the Islamic World, Tunis, Tunisia, 2000;
11. Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering for Development in the Islamic World, Rabat, Morocco, 2001;
12. Materials Science and Technology and Culture of Science, Islamabad, Pakistan, 2002;
13. Energy for Sustainable Development and Science for the Future of the Islamic World and Humanity, Kuching/Sarawak, Malaysia, 2003;
14. Science, Technology, and Innovation for Socioeconomic Development of OIC–Member Countries: Towards Vision 1441, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2005.
15. Higher Education Excellence for Development in the Islamic World, Ankara, Turkey, 2006.
16. Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development in the Islamic World: The Policies and Politics Rapprochement, Kazan/Tatarstan, Russian Federation, 2008.
THEME OF SEVENTEENTH CONFERENCE
The 17th IAS Conference of 2009 will address the theme of:
Towards the Knowledge Society in the Islamic World:
Knowledge Production, Application and Dissemination
3 PATRONAGE, DATE AND VENUEThe conference will be under the patronage of HH the Sultan of the Malaysian State of Selangor. It will take place in Shah Alam, Selangor/Malaysia, during the period 14-17 December 2009. The lead local agencies are the International Islamic Academy of Life Sciences and Biotechnology (IIALSB), and the University of Industry of Selangor (UNISEL).
Participants will be accommodated at the Concorde Hotel in Shah Alam. For the convenience of participants, all working meetings and conference sessions will also be held at the hotel.
AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE CONFERENCE
5.1 Preamble
Today, knowledge is a major component in production processes. A new economic and productive paradigm is emerging in which the most important factor is not the availability of capital, labour, raw materials or energy, but the intensive use of knowledge and information. Comparative advantage is increasingly determined by the competitive use of knowledge and of technological innovations. This centrality makes knowledge a pillar of the wealth and power of nations.
In 2003, the European Commission defined the knowledge society as a society that is characterised by a number of interrelated trends, including major advances in diffusing and using information and communications technologies (ICTs), increased emphasis on innovation in the corporate and national context, the development of knowledge-intensive business service economies and knowledge management.
The 2003 Arab Human Development Report stated that the knowledge society is one in which knowledge diffusion; production and application become the organizing forces of people’s activities: culture, society, the economy, politics…
OIC countries have been striving to achieve steady socioeconomic development. With the diffusion of ICTs as a prerequisite, actions are needed to invigorate; (a) knowledge production,
(b) knowledge application and (c) knowledge dissemination; to help OIC countries build knowledge societies and achieve rapid socioeconomic development.
The 17th IAS Conference of 2009 will be organised around these three themes, engaging those with expertise and resources (human and material) to contribute.
5.2 Objectives
(a) To engender public awareness of the concept of knowledge society in general, and in decision-making circles in particular;
(b) To assess the role of women as knowledge producers in science and scientific enterprise in OIC and developing countries;
(c) To highlight the hurdles facing R&D in OIC countries (knowledge workers’ views);
(d) To strengthen private sector science linkages (knowledge application);
(e) To strengthen the linkages between science and scientific community and the media (knowledge dissemination);
(f) To engage the youth of OIC countries in science, technology and innovation (STI) (knowledge for the future).
5.3 Conference format
The conference will be divided into a number of plenary and roundtable sessions.
6 CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS
The conference will bring together Malaysian, OIC and international experts who are committed to helping OIC countries to develop into knowledge societies.
Around 250 participants are expected to attend this international activity including around 100 IAS Fellows and invited speakers from outside Malaysia, as well as academics, decision-makers, scientists, researchers, presidents/representatives of academies of sciences. It is expected that around 150 scientists and academicians from Selangor and Malaysia will participate.
7 CONFERENCE PAPERS
7.1 GeneralAround thirty papers are expected to be presented at the conference.
Free-Submission (general science articles/papers not necessarily related to the theme of the conference) and poster presentations by participants are welcome. These may be distributed at the conference and depending on the availability of time; some presenters of papers under this category may be allocated presentation time (10 minutes each). Arrangements for posters can be made upon prior request.
7.2 Format
Invited papers are normally around 8,000 words (25 A4 pages) in size. Authors should adopt the format approved by the IAS (Appendix A). Papers must be submitted to the IAS Secretariat by e-mail, CD and typeset in any recent MS Word format.
7.3 Presentation time
Presentations will be 25 minutes long on average, followed by 10 minutes for discussion. It will up to the discretion of the designated chairperson of each session to divide up the time to ensure maximum interaction. The preferred method of presentation is by MS PowerPoint. Facilities will be provided for the same.
8 CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS BOOK
The papers and proceedings of the conference will be reviewed, edited, and published by the IAS in due course in a quality volume conforming to international standards.
Authors of papers are therefore requested to use most up-to-date information where available. Adopting the Academy-approved format will help the editors in their task immensely.
9 DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS AND PAPERS
(a) Abstracts of conference papers in English should be sent to the IAS Secretariat e-mail, post or fax no later than 21 May 2009. If the abstract is sent by fax, then the original has to be sent by post. This duplication is necessary in order to have a clear copy suitable for reproduction. Abstracts should be sent in as a MS Word document.
Abstracts should be typed in a Times Roman font of 12 point and must not exceed one A4 page (including any illustrations). The title should be typed in bold typeface and UPPER CASE. The authors' name(s), organisation(s), city, and country should be typed on the second line after the title in lower case, again in bold typeface.
(b) Completed papers, and PowerPoint presentations, should be sent to IAS Secretariat no later than 20 August 2009. For the actual conference, speakers can bring their presentations on personal (virus-free) USB flash drives.
10 DEADLINES FOR CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
10.1 IAS Fellows/ Invited Speakers
IAS Fellows and invited speakers must send in their completed Conference Registration Forms (as well as the relevant pages of their passports for visa purposes) to the IAS Secretariat in Amman, no later than 21 May 2009.
10.2 Non-local participants
The Conference Registration Form (as well as the relevant passport pages) should be completed and sent back to the IAS Secretariat in Amman, no later than 21May 2009.
10.3 Local participants
Local participants are required to register with the local committee (Prof. A. Latif Ibrahim) no later than 20 August 2009.
11 EXPENSES
11.1 Conference registration fee
As it is the policy of the IAS to encourage individuals (especially scientists and university students) and organisations from all over the world to take part in its activities, no fee is charged for participation in the conference.
11.2 Academy Fellows
Only IAS Fellows and invited speakers (who are unable to get travel grants from their own institutions or countries) will be provided with partial travel grants to cover the cost of basic return economy-class tickets, from their country of normal residence. Accommodation and meals for such participants will be covered for a maximum of 6 nights by the host.
11.3 Spouses/Companions of Fellows and of invited speakers
For spouses/companions of Fellows and of invited speakers, an additional room and board charge of US$50.00 per day needs to be paid to the hotel, upon checkout.
11.4 Other participants
Self-sponsored participants have to pay for their hotel accommodation at the rate of US$120-00 per night inclusive of breakfasts. Such participants will be invited to join the various lunches and dinners but have to pay for the other meals themselves.
12 VISAS
Participants requiring entry visas into Malaysia need to consult the Malaysia Embassy/Consulate nearest to them at the earliest possible opportunity for further information.
No particular health precautions for Malaysia are required.
http://www.imi.gov.my/eng/perkhidmatan/im_Permit.asp
13 WEATHER IN SELANGOR/ MALAYSIA
Malaysia is a tropical country. So, in general it is very wet. January and February are the driest months but December is the transition from a very wet November to a dry January. In short, warm and sunny but be prepared for rain. Temperatures range from 23 at night to 33 degrees Celsius during the day.
14 TRAVELLING TO SELANGOR/ MALAYSIA
All participants are advised to arrange their arrival at Selangor for 12 December 2009; and their departure from Selangor for 18/19 December 2009, at the latest. Participants checking in before the above date have to make their own arrangements and will be charged for room and board. The same arrangement holds for participates staying on after the 18 December 2009.
Participants will be met at Kuala Lumpur airport and transported to the hotel.
As it will be the end of the pilgrimage season, and many ‘hajjis’ will be flying out from the Middle East back to South East Asia, make sure that you book your flights to and from Malaysia early.
16 CONFERENCE COMMITTEES (TENTATIVE)
IAS Science Committee
Abdel Salam Majali FIAS, Former Prime Minister of Jordan, President, IAS.
Tan Sri Datuk Dr Omar Abdul Rahman FIAS
Ahmed Marrakchi FIAS, Former Chairman of the Tunisian School of Engineers, Vice-President, IAS.
Mehmet Ergin FIAS, Former Chairman of the Turkish Atomic Energy Commission, Secretary General, IAS.
Abdel Latif Ibrahim FIAS, Director of the IIALSB.
Moneef R. Zou’bi Director General, IAS (Rapporteur).
IAS Organising Committee
Moneef R. Zou'bi Director General, IAS (Head).
Ms Lina Jalal Dadan Programme Officer, IAS.
Ms Taghreed Saqer Executive Secretary, IAS.
Abdel Mu'ti Khayyat Finance Officer, IAS.
Habes Majali Public Relations Officer, IAS,
Saleh As'ad. Office Manager, IAS.
Local Organising Committee
Patron
His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor
Advisory Science Committee
Prof. Abdel Salam Majali FIAS
Prof. Adnan Badran FIAS
Rt. Hon. Tan Sri Dato Khalid Ibrahim
Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Omar Abdul Rahman FIAS
Prof. Abdul Latif Ibrahim FIAS
Ir. Moneef R Zou’bi DG-IAS
National Organizing Committee (NOC)
Hon. Dr. Halimah Ali (Chairperson).
Datuk Dr. Rosti Saruwono (Deputy Chairperson).
Prof. (E) Dr. Abdul Latif Ibrahim FIAS (Secretary General).
Assoc. Prof. Zainal Abidin Kidam (Treasurer).
Chairpersons of Sub - Committee
Finance & Fund Raising Assoc. Prof. Zainal Abidin Kidam
Reception Puan Hajjah Rokmaa Hj. Mat
Social & Publicity Puan Hajah Rosniza Mohamad Rasol
Publication Prof.Dato’ Raja Zahabuddin Raja Yaacob
Transportation & Accommodation Prof. Dr. Mohd Nasir Saadon
Scientific Prof. (E) Dr. Abdul Latif Ibrahim FIAS
Opening Ceremony
Dato’ Latifah Hj. Hassan
Member Prof. Dr. Anuar Haji Ahmad
Member Prof. Ir. Dr. Mohamed Hj. Daud
Member Puan Hajjah Siti Fatimah Jalal
Member Prof. Dr. Rahmah Mohamed
Member Datuk Ir. Dr. Hj. Ahmad Zaidee Laidin
Member Dato’ Dr. Samsudin Tugiman
Member Dato’ Seri Salleh Mohd Noor
Member Prof. Datin Paduka Dr. Khatijah Mohd Yusoff FIAS
Member Prof. Datin Paduka Dr. Aini Ideris
Member Prof. Dato Dr. Khalid Mohd Yusoff
Member Dato’ Haji Mohd Adanan Isman
Member Prof. Dato’ Dr. Nawawi Haji Ayob FIAS
Member Prof. Dato’ Dr. Zakri Abdul Hamid FIAS
National Secretariat – UNISEL managed by International Islamic Academy for Life Sciences and Biotechnology ( IIALSB ); and
International Secretariat – IAS Office; Jordan.
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