Coordinating State, Academic, and Donor Stakeholders in an International Knowledge Sharing Program: A Perspective on Science and Innovation Diplomacy

Abstract

A pilot project within the Regional Technical Assistance program of the Asian Development Bank had the aim of identifying good practices among Asian countries in technological innovation and economic growth and sharing them with some developing member states (DMCs). South Korea, China, Malaysia, and India were selected for studying good practices, and Mongolia, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka as DMCs. The project with the participating country experts as well as ADB officials and consultants was led by a team from Kyung Hee University in South Korea. The project commenced with workshops in Seoul, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, and New Delhi with presentations from the respective country resource persons, site visits to S&T institutions, and discussions. A wrap-up workshop at the ADB headquarters finalized the collected material. The second phase included training programs in South Korea for selected representatives of the three DMCs. Concluding workshops at Ulaan Baatar, Hanoi, and Colombo included briefings of the outcomes for an expanded group of officials and academics from the DMCs. This project was not only a complex but successful exercise in international cooperation among scientific and developmental professionals, but also highlighted the role of personal contacts and communication well as the need for recognition of local traditions and cultures in project implementation.