[11 October 2004] SANA'A, Oct 11, (Saba)- Yemenis need to give paramount importance to scientific research as a paradigm for strengthening the national economy, said Dr. Farook El-Baz, the President of the International Consultative Board (ICB), of the Yemeni Scientific Research Foundation.

Addressing the three-day Science Conference 2004 which opened in the Sheraton Hotel in Sana'a on Monday, El-Baz said that the policy of "ensuring that economic power rests with scientific research" would be a sound one.

He said that the United States of America, an example in making use of any scientific research project, didn't establish NASA for no prime purpose.

He confirmed that since July 20, 1969 (in the lunar module), the time when America's Armstrong landed on the moon as the first astronaut, "there is a connection between planetary space missions and economy".

"In the United States, the Government spends a budget on scientific research while the private sector spends double what the Government spends."

Recalling the Islamic and Arab civilizations in the medieval ages, he said that Moslems and Arabs pioneered the world at a time when the rest of the world was lagging behind.

He regretted the fact that "although Japan and Egypt started their adoption of modern science together," there seems now no comparison between a highly advanced Japan and the look-how-is-it Egypt.

"Numbers in the Arab world are dreadful," El-Baz makes clear, "in Yemen around only 12% of university girl students are studying in a field of science, in the Gulf region the percentage is 70% and in Egypt only 40%."

But he assured that "you still have a golden chance" to keep pace with the industrialized world if you act".

As for values such as the respect of democracy, freedom and women rights, he says, there is no chance for them to thrive in a society that is not cultured.

Dr. Mustafa Bahran, President Ali Abdullah Saleh's Advisor for Science and Technology had said in his speech that science is supposedly a set of facts, "therefore it is less controversial than culture" which could be based on standpoints.

The conference, an annual event that takes place every October, brought together more than 800 scientists including representatives of many Arab states. It was opened by President Saleh's Political Advisor Abdul-Karim al-Eryani and Foreign Minister Dr. Abu Bakr al-Qerbi.

The debut edition of the conference was held in 1998. It brought together 170 participants.
AA/AA



SABA