Science, Technology and Security Research: The Potential Role of Think Tanks Like RSIS
Cung Vu | January 2018
Abstract
Science and technology (S&T) is essential to the development of human civilisation. From ancient times, people have learned by observation and trial and error, and this is the heart of the scientific discipline. They learned that every plant has the ability to reproduce for crop cultivation, allowing them to end their hunting-for-food nomadic life and switch to settled communities. They planted wheat and barley, which can be used to make porridge, bread, and beer. They learned to extract metal from ores to produce tools. They domesticated cattle for farming. Their inventions and discoveries, ranging from the wheel, paper-making, silk harvesting, and the clock, to abstract mathematical concepts such as algebra and arithmetic are still being utilised today. S&T has helped countries to develop and maintain their powerful positions on the world stage. For instance, in the United Kingdom, various discoveries such as that of gravity by Isaac Newton, evolution by Charles Darwin, hydrogen by Henry Cavendish, penicillin by Alexander Fleming, and DNA by Francis Crick have made the country one of the most powerful in the world. Today, the British company Rolls Royce is still the leading player in the aerospace industry, while GlaxoSmithKline is among the top pharmaceutical companies in the world. Another example is the United States, which leveraged S&T to become the superpower it is today. Towards the end of World War 2, the United States created many organisations, such as the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, and many others to foster scientific research and development at the federal level. As a result of these efforts, we are now reaping the benefits of the computer, the Internet, the global positioning system, the smart phone, and artificial intelligence, among others.
Citation
Cung Vu. 2018. Science, Technology and Security Research: The Potential Role of Think Tanks Like RSIS. © S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. http://hdl.handle.net/11540/8062.Keywords
Quality Education
Technical Education
Primary Education
Educational Systems
Educational Reforms
Industry
Electronics Industry
Commerce and Industry
Development cooperation
Training programs
Vocational training
Training methods
Economic growth
Training courses
Technological institutes
Labor market
Educational aspects
Compulsory education
Economics of education
Educational policy
Industrial Projects
Industrial Products
Industrial Policy
Manufacturing Industries
Industrial Sector
Educational tests and measurements
Comprehensive high schools
College preparation programs
Transnational education
Communication in higher education
Fundamental education
Capitalism and education
Right to education
Educational change
Educational evaluation
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