Nine leading research
institutions from around the globe representing both the developed
and developing nations launched here today an association called
the Global Research Alliance (GRA). The aim of the GRA is to apply
global knowledge pool for global good through global funding.
It will strive to facilitate international cooperation in research
and development to address problems facing the humanity, especially
in areas of energy, health, water, transport and digital divide.
The alliance members are CSIR, India; DTI, Denmark; FG, Germany;
SIRIM Berhad of Malaysia; TNO of the Netherlands, VTT of Finland,
CSIRO Australia, BMI United States and CSIR in South Africa. These
science and tech institutions between them have a formidable strength
of over 50,000 scientists and technocrats.
Announcing this at
a Press Conference the Director General of CSIR Dr. R A Mashelkar
said that an agreement has been reached on the constitution, membership,
pooling of resources and expertise in undertaking joint projects.
He said, organisations and institutions from outside the Alliance
will be co-opted on project-basis. The nerve centre of the alliance
will be based at CSIR in South Africa. It will try to forge close
ties with the World Bank, other International funding agencies
and the European Union.
Earlier, addressing
the GRA meeting the Minister for Human Resource Development and
Science & Technology Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi said India’s
new Science Policy is in perfect consonance with the formation
of the Alliance, as using global scientific collaboration to further
national interest is an important component of the policy. Committing
Indian scientific strength for the good of the world, Dr. Joshi
urged the Alliance to strive for the development of technologies
that can help achieve sustainable consumption. He said new endeavours
in biotechnology and information technology are needed to reduce
the genetic divide and the digital divide. Securing a common future
with share and grow motive, is fundamental to the GRA formation,
Dr. Joshi said.
