Second South Asian Conference of Science and Technology:

Creating knowledge-based South Asia

Amila Ranmandala

The second South Asian Conference of Science and Technology Ministers will be held in Colombo on November 23 and 24 attended by Ministers and officials of Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan. This conference will be of great significance to the entire South Asian region including Sri Lanka because development in all parts of the world today is knowledge based.

In the 1970s our country was a role model for development in Asia so much so that Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew promised to make Singapore another Sri Lanka. But today, Singapore has overtaken us in development firstly due to terrorism which dragged our country. Another reason for Sri Lanka to lag behind was the loss of human and natural resources, goods and most importantly valuable time.

This year’s conference is held at a time Sri Lanka is on course of accelerated development after clearing the dark clouds of cruel terrorism.

The first South Asian conference of Science and Technology Ministers held in New Delhi, India on September 16 last year delved on the role of science and technology in the development process, quality use of laboratory research, foundation for co-operation and project planning.

This year’s conference while reviewing the progress made in these fronts will reach consensus on implementation of those programs and processes, reducing poverty, introducing governments towards accelerated development and drawing plans to increase productivity by application of science and technology.

This year’s conference will also consider the use of technology to ensure speedy communication during natural disasters for minimizing their damage.

Several countries attending the conference are subjected to natural calamities such as melting of ice, floods, earthquakes and landslides. The Maldives is facing the

threat of being submerged by the ocean.

Utilization of science and technology to minimize the threats posed by such disasters has become imperative today and this year’s conference will be an ideal forum to discuss and find solutions to these issues.

The conference will also provide an opportunity for governments to exchange knowledge about new scientific and technological inventions and profit by them. India for instance has made great progress in the field of information technology.

The conference may enable member countries to utilize bio, information and nano technology for industrial development.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has declared this year the year of Information technology and English fulfilling a need of the era. Our Ministry has started a program of resource centres to take science and technology to the village. Science and Technology Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana has set up a laboratory and industrial estate to further the utilization of nano technology with public and private sector assistance.

This year’s conference will therefore be of great significance to the entire South Asian region. It will be particularly significant to Sri Lanka as Science and Technology Minister Tissa Vitharana will be elected as president of the conference for the ensuing year.

While congratulating Minister Prof Vitharana on this achievement I extend my good wishes to him for success in his future endeavours in his new coveted position.

The writer is Media Secretary to the Science and Technology Ministry