The Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) has begun the New Year with the launch of the Eminent Scholar Lecture Series, presenting the first of the lecture series to an audience of government officials, business and university leaders, and students.
The mission of the Eminent Scholar Lecture Series is to bring distinguished scholars from all over the world to Abu Dhabi to learn from their experiences and research in various disciplines. Presenting the latest advances in their fields, these world-class experts will offer unique perspectives on how Abu Dhabi can maximize success in implementing its strategic plans. Delivered at university campuses across Abu Dhabi, the themes of the lectures will vary every time it is offered, to maintain diversity in both topics and discussions.
Organized by ADEC and hosted at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi on Sunday, January 9th 2011, the first lecture, entitled “Establishing a Vibrant and Sustainable Research and Development Ecosystem – The Singapore Story”, was delivered by Professor LOW Teck Seng, Managing Director of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A* STAR) in Singapore. During the course of his distinguished career, Prof. LOW has played a strategic role in the development and promotion of Singapore as a world-class research, science and technology center.
In his presentation, Prof. LOW shared with the audience the lessons learned from Singapore’s success in transforming from a labor intensive economy in the 60s, to a skill intensive one in the 70s, to a capital intensive one in the 80s, to a technology intensive one in the 90s, and finally, in the new millennium, into a knowledge and innovation economy. He explained how Singapore’s consistent emphasis on strategic planning and investment in R&D reaped multiple returns as industry clusters became well established and developed - Singapore’s GDP grew from USD 0.7 billion in 1960 to USD 182 billion in 2009. The role played by the institutional and policy frameworks was also highlighted, enabling the government (in close partnerships with the private sector) to foster science and technology, as well as an ever growing research and development ecosystem. Prof. LOW also illustrated in detail how Singapore grew its Electronics and its Biomedical Sciences sectors.
“The initiative to bring eminent scholars to share experiences and ideas is critical in an environment where we find ourselves today, so dynamic and changing. I am most honored to be invited to speak here today and glad to share our experience in Singapore, the journey to build our country and economy, and our drive to move up the ladder in science and technology” said Prof. Low.
He also commented on future development plans in Singapore:”In the next phase in Singapore’s development we expect to attract the best talent to Singapore and to continue our emphasis on Science and technology as a pillar for growth. This will anchor Singapore as the innovation hub of Asia for the foreseeable future”.
Talking about Abu Dhabi, Prof. Low added:”In my perspective AD has chosen a very ambitious path. The investment a nation must make in its people and in infrastructure is necessary to ensure its positioning in a knowledge driven world.”
Prof. Low offered invaluable insights from the Singapore story that Abu Dhabi can leverage for its own ambitious reform path.
By bringing people, experience and ideas together, the Eminent Scholar Lecture Series will become a significant enabler of the blossoming intellectual life in Abu Dhabi, and a valued contributor to the emirate’s transformation goals.
The launch was attended by H.E Dr. Mugheer Al Khaili, Director General of ADEC, H.E Obaid Al Ketbi, Deputy Director of Abu Dhabi police and a number of dignitaries and scholars.
H.E. Dr. Al Khaili highlighted the importance of these events in making Abu Dhabi a center for educational and research development in the world, “The Eminent Scholar Lecture Series provides a unique opportunity for researchers, scientists, governments, businesses, and universities from throughout the region to learn from the experiences of other nations and to engage in valuable knowledge exchange in the R&D field,” he said. “As ADEC strives to develop a world-class education system, establishing a knowledge driven economy is a top priority in the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. Today’s lecture highlights the fact that we are on the right track by investing in our people and in our educational and research institutions. It remains a long way to go for us to be in the top 5 knowledge driven economies but we are doing all we can to reach that goal.”
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