China To Lead Technology Cooperation in Asia Pacific Region

The findings of science and technology in the 21st century is disseminated faster in a globalized world. However, competition arising from different countries and regions still exists. One good example is the setting up of research centers in Europe in 1960s in order to compete with the United States. Such centers in Europe consolidate resources and manpower from different countries to focus on research work together. One successful case is the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva (CERN).
Highest-Energy Particle Accelerator
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. The LHC was built with the intention of testing Higgs boson and the large family of new particles. It was built in collaboration with many scientists and engineers from various countries in the world. Their long term research had contributed to mankind.
Why are European countries willing to invest in millions of euros to conduct research on items which do not have commercial value? Apart from hoping to overtake the United States in their research, it also reflects that hereditary European culture of promoting science and technology. Science is one major component in human civilization and the Europe would not want to be left behind the United States.
Changing Economic Scenario
The United States and Europe are still leading Asia in scientific research. With the change of economic scenario in 21st century, China has become the second economic giant in the world while India is also rising. With Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore growing stronger by the day, one can't undermine the economic strength of Asia Pacific region. It is not impossible for it to overtake Europe and United States. The Asia Pacific should look into how to catch up in its research work in science in order to contribute to human civilizations.
First and foremost, whether Asia Pacific countries are able to contribute, to a large extend it will depend on the determination of political leaders. The setting up of CERN is the consensus reached among the political leaders in Germany, France, the United Kingdom and others. Such set up is impossible without the support of politicians. Chinese leaders are also supportive of scientific research and they are also aware of its significance. When Mao Zedong met up with Yang Zhenning and Li Zhengdao, he showed keen interest in science. Mao was discussing the structure of elementary particle with Yang. In a thick Hunan accent, he told Yang that in China, ancient philosophers also tried to explain the structure of substance. Mao also met with Nobel prize winner Abdus Salam and Japanese physics scientist Sakata Shoichi. In his antirightist movement, Zhou Enlai protected scientist first. He also had a name list of scientists to be protected. Many are experts of atomic, missiles and satellites. In 1979, when Li proposed setting up a high energy accelerator, Deng Xiaoping immediately agreed with the proposal. Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao also realize the importance of science. One can say that several generations of Chinese leaders support science.
More than 30 years after the reform and opening up policy, China has entered a phase where its economy is vibrant. Apart from upgrading its standard in science, technology and education level, it should also be contributing to science in the world. By becoming the leader of science and technology in Asia Pacific region, it should be assisting third world developing countries to speed up their leaps in science and education.
At this moment it is still premature for China or India to set a center like CERN. But China or India should take the cue from Prof Abdus Salam's experience and method to set up International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) 40 years ago. The main aim of the center is to assist scientists in third world countries for them to have a chance to interact with scientists from first world countries. They can also conduct research in the centre for several months to a year. Salam's center receive support from the Italian Government, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and UNESCO. It is pragmatic to set up similar research center in China.
Assisting Mankind to Progress
Scientists in developing countries lack funds and research facilities. To groom them one would have to start from areas in mathematics, theoretical physics, theoretical chemistry, theoretical biology and computer science to be effective.
For the past 40 over years, Salam's center groomed many world class scientists. It has also mobilized the science development in Asia, Africa and Latin America. China, India and other countries should also tell the world that they too, are concerned with assisting mankind to progress further to consolidate Asia Pacific for joint development and not only interested in domestic economy or benefits of technology.

Innocent People Become Victims of Thai-Cambodian Conflict

The Thai-Cambodian conflict over the disputed territory around the Preah Vihear Temple has evolved from border clashes to an issue on the international stage. Representatives of the two countries first met in Paris under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) mediation before defending their stand in the International Court of Justice in The Hague in the Netherlands.
The two meetings between Thai and Cambodian representatives in Paris have failed. Thailand has asked Cambodia to postpone submitting its management plan for the Preah Vihear Temple until the border demarcation is completed. Cambodia, however, has insisted on having the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee consider the plan during its meeting in Paris from June 19 to 29.
Promoting Unity
Thailand can claim a certain degree of success in the UNESCO meeting as the UNESCO director has agreed to its proposed postponement of the deliberation of the Preah Vihear management plan out of concern that it could worsen the conflict between the two countries. The UNESCO chief has also observed that the World Heritage Committee should serve to promote unity rather than be a tool for conflict.
At the World Court, Cambodia has sought a legal interpretation on the court's 1962 ruling that the Preah Vihear Temple is in Cambodia's territory without specifying to which country its vicinity belongs, the contentious point that has become the cause of conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. Phnom Penh has asked the court to give its verdict on this point and issue an injunction requiring Thailand to immediately and unconditionally withdraw its troops from the vicinity of the temple.
Thailand has argued that the World Court has no jurisdiction over the Preah Vihear conflict as there is a joint Thai-Cambodian border commission to mediate the issue besides overseeing the border demarcation. The point here is whether the World Court tribunal will agree with Thailand or Cambodia or will order withdrawal of Thai troops from the Preah Vihear Temple's vicinity.
Bilateral Talks
The Thai Government has insisted on not allowing the Thai-Cambodian conflict to become an international issue but rather having it settled via bilateral talks. Anyhow, the dispute has been brought before the UNSC, the World Heritage Committee and UNESCO, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and then the World Court once again after it ruled on the case 50 years ago.
While the Preah Vihear conflict is likely to drag on, prime concern should go to Thai villagers living along the border in several northeastern provinces. They are living in fear of a possible war after having had to dodge flying bullets and bombs and being unable to make their living. They have become 'refugees' on their own land, displaced by the war that academics said was not caused by them but by some people in the capital for their own political gain.

Bleak State of Education in India's Rural Areas

India has certainly touched several new highs in the field of education, especially technical education, for which UNESCO and Barack Obama has also praised Indian students and has asked students of his country to learn the lesson of devotion and hard work from Indian students.
This is not the only truth about education, its system, and condition in the country. There is another aspect, which has been revealed by a non-governmental organization "Pratham."
HRD Report 2009
The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has recently released its annual report for the year 2009. The contents of the report may come as a surprise for UNESCO, Obama, and those Indian politicians and bureaucrats who decide policy and direction of its implementation, sitting in their air-conditioned chambers. But even urban people who have seen rural schools and their standard of education in Indian villages, especially in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra would not be surprised by this report.
Yes, they could certainly shed tears over the picture that has emerged if they are sensitive enough. Only office-bearers of Pratham would know how much time it actually took them to prepare this report, but the gist of it is that though a village student is declared passed, he has still failed.

Adoption of Indian Constitution
The question that arises is even after six decades of adoption of the Indian Constitution, why does this situation prevail where a student who has passed fifth standard in a village school cannot read a book of second standard? Only 44 percent children of the first standard know the English alphabets.
Most students cannot add and subtract even small numbers. Even in rural areas, the tendency to get tuition is being encouraged instead of learning through the traditional method. Is it not indicative of people losing their faith in our educational system?

Hope of Change
But what could these children and their parents do? There is neither adequate number of teachers nor enough educational material in any school.
And teachers that are there can teach children only when they get free from their work, or from politics or Panchayat. This situation prevails because of unequal educational systems in our country and there is no hope of any change in it at the moment.