Persuasive Essay On Imagination - 722 Words

Sitting and over thinking something can have an odd impact on our decisions and actions. When our worst fears intertwine with the deepest parts of our imagination, we tend to twist reality into what we believe can happen. It can be the simplest of things such as doubts in a relationship, or being nervous about the final exam that you have to take the following week. These thoughts can cause our withdraw from situations and can also cause us to make certain decisions that may or may not be for the best. Most people tend to get the wrong impression when they think of â€Å"Imagination overcoming reason.† They believe that the only people that fall under this category are those with extreme fears or those who are borderline insane. Although this†¦show more content†¦Of course like all people, our fears have loopholes of some kind. For example, if I am already comfortable with someone, like my best friend that ive known for four years, I do not have a problem talking to her. We all deal with our imagination in different ways and for some it is worse than others. Imagination can affect people in different ways. To put it simply, if I surveyed 100 people on the topic, â€Å"When does imagination overcome reason†, I would get 100 different answers. Everyone is unique, even if you share the same fear with someone else. It is how you handle that fear that will shape your actions and decisions. You would think that someone who is scared of heights will avoid them at all costs. But their are some people that have a fear of heights, yet love roller coasters as well. For example, in the book â€Å"The Fault in our Stars†, there are two characters that have cancer yet have different of of the world due to their disease. One believes she should cut herself off from everyone to limit the amount of people she hurts when she dies. While the other character believes that this is the time to live life before his time is up. As for the one that wants to live life, that is a positive outcome of when imagination overcomes reason. He doesnâ€℠¢t know when or even if his cancer will come back. But the fear of that cancer pushes him to do the things heShow MoreRelatedCritical Response Essay Final - I Have a Dream981 Words   |  4 Pages‘I have a Dream’ – Critical Response Essay ------------------------------------------------- How does ‘I have a Dream’ By Martin Luther King conform to, or deviate from, the conventions of a persuasive speech, and for what purpose? ------------------------------------------------- I have chosen the question â€Å"How does the text conform to, or deviate from, the conventions of a particular genre, and for what purpose?† I have decided to analyse Martin Luther King’s classic Civil Rights MovementRead More`` Thought, By Louis H. Sullivan911 Words   |  4 Pages In his essay, â€Å"Thought,† Louis H. Sullivan illustrates the importance of real thinking and creative thinking. He asserts that words are not really necessary to use to express our thoughts. He presents other wordless forms of communication to translate our thoughts into loud expressions. Music, painting, images and other wordless forms are the solution the author suggest, as better forms of communication. â€Å"Real thinking is better done without words† Sullivan argues. â€Å"Words† cut off the inspirationRead MoreHow Writing Is A Skill That Anyone Can Be Good1161 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.† (E.L. Doctorow). Writing is a skill that anyone can become good at. Our creativity and imagination is used with our vocabulary to create a story which we completely control. Fantasy, Science-Fiction, Mystery, Thriller and Romance; They all begin the same way, with a few words on a piece of pap er and an active mind. Writing is an evolutionary process. The experience we gain changes the way we write over time; basic and fragmentedRead MoreWhen an author writes a piece of work, they go through several drafts before they feel that their1300 Words   |  6 Pageswriter is grammar. I tend to misuse commas a lot, which on my essays were labeled â€Å"comma splices.† In the first few essays that I wrote, I had a few of these comma splices. For example in my summary essay I wrote, â€Å"Julie spent two years in Indonesia studying and performing, she had become one of the family in the village where she stayed.† That comma should not have been put there. I had the same comma splice problem in my critique essay. I wrote, â€Å"She partook in an experimental problem that onlyRead MoreStrengths And Weaknesses Of Writing1043 Words   |  5 Pagesnot. Every writer has their own strengths and weaknesses. I had far more weaknesses than strengths before I started my English 101 class. The biggest weakness I had was unity. I always had a problem with staying on one topic throughout a paper or essay. The reason I would jump around in my paper was that I would get distracted easily. I have a mild form of ADD which has some downsides when it comes to school and work. Another reason is that my brain works faster than I can write/ type. Which resultsRead MoreMarilynne Robinsons Essay Darwinism1340 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Marilynne Robinson’s Essay â€Å"Darwinism† Introduction to Christian Theology REL 103 Kaitlyn Spencer Marilynne Robinson is a Pulitzer-winning novelist who has graced us with her essays found in The Death of Adam. Robinson gives the read the feeling of being much more educated than he or she really is. These essays provide readers with different ways of discussing history, religion and society. They, although difficult to comprehend at times, are flawlessly arguedRead MoreAnalysis of Hollow at the Core - Deconstructing Yann Martel’s Life of Pi1063 Words   |  5 Pagesnot persuasive in making all its readers believe in God. It will, however, justify the beliefs of those who do believe in God. She states, â€Å"He [Martel] is not out to prove the existence of God, but rather to justify a belief in God’s existence† (Stratton, 3). Stratton quotes Peter Whittaker, â€Å"This wonderful book did not make me believe in God but it did reinforce my faith in the considerable redemptive powers of fiction† (3). Stratton puts a huge emphasis from the beginning of her essay on storytellingRead MoreCreativity Makes Advertising Effective Essay1631 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction This essay aims at exploring the impact of creativity in advertising and how creative advertisements are more effective in communicating to a target audience. It looks at how creative ads have more impact and how consumers react when the message is delivered in a unique and new way. It particularly focuses on the value that a creative ad can imply for a brand or a product and how it can contribute to strengthen corporate brand image. How a creative ad can build consumerRead MoreEvaluation Criteria for Text Sources1325 Words   |  5 Pagesthe publication Coverage: Excellent Good Fair Poor The coverage at hand consists of a focus on Sappho as a poet and one of the worlds most early feminists who understood the roles that women and their respective pasts played into the public imagination. The coverage is well-researched and aimed at fellow scholars and academics wishing to learn more about Sappho and her modern counterparts. Judgment based on purpose of information information is comprehensive and complete no information isRead MoreEssay about A Summary of Introduction to the New Edition in Stuart Ewen776 Words   |  4 Pagesthe ubiquitous advertising, marketing strategies, people started to question whether the images they see is reality, thus disclose the power of image and its effect on the culture of people. To discuss the issue, the author uses pieces of students’ essay as example to further explain the history and images of culture. Ewen starts to explain the different impact of style on individuals. He begins with the idea that somehow style has always been related to one’s wealth and social status, as seen in

The Social Security Act The Old Age Survivor, And...

The Social Security Act, also formally referenced as the â€Å"Old Age Survivor, and Disability Insurance† is universal, federal social welfare policy that works to provide a fundamental right to a pension in old age and unemployment insurance. It was enacted in 1935 and initially established a pension system for old people based on employer and employee contributions. Changes to this policy later extended the system to include other dependent groups such as children and the disabled. This policy contains ten primary titles in its functions including â€Å"old age† that provides funds to states for the assistance of aged individuals. The second title â€Å"unemployment† concerns the provision of insurance against unemployment while the â€Å"child†¦show more content†¦In essence, the programs under this policy serves to offer cash assistance to needy households through the Department of Health and Human Services so that children can be taken care of at home or their relative’s. The policy also aims at ending the dependency of needy parents on assistance and aid by advancing job readiness, marriage, and work. It also works towards preventing and reducing cases of out-of wedlock pregnancies while promoting the formation and maintenance of families with two parents. As such, TANF funds are utilized for a range of supports and services including child care, education, job training, income assistance, helping children vulnerable to neglec t and abuse among others 2. How social policy impacts social service delivery and access to social services Social policy is, in essence, a government action aimed at providing a basic level of assistance with social elements such as education, income, housing, health care and safety for particular groups of people at risk (Kollman, 2011). Social policies, therefore, work to subsidize or eliminate the costs required to access these social services for individuals and households that meet particular eligibility criteria. In most cases, eligibility is based on the income of a said individual or household. Usually, social policies target those whose income falls below a particular threshold. Williams 3Show MoreRelatedProgram Analysis : Social Security Funding977 Words   |  4 PagesProgram Analysis: Social Security Funding The United States of America is one of the most diverse places in the world. We all share different cultures, beliefs, and problems; nevertheless, economic security is a universal, human problem that each society has had to encounter in some way. The term â€Å"social security† was introduced to the United States in 1935, during the Great Depression, when the Social Security Act was passed. Social security has created about 16 social welfare programs over theRead MoreThe Social Security Act Of 19351679 Words   |  7 PagesThe passing of the Social Security Act generated a social insurance program that protected a multiplicity of people by supplying a monthly benefit to societal individuals age 65 and older who were no longer actively working; it was a means of income to individuals once they retired and was based on the person’s payroll tax contribution (Martin Weaver, 2005). The longer amount of years a person was employed, the higher their benefit amount is set to be. Social weighing was a method they used toRead MoreEssay on Social Security1184 Words   |  5 Pages Social Security nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Social Security is a public program designed to provide income and services to individuals in the event of retirement, sickness, disability, death, or unemployment. In the United States, the word social security refers to the programs established in 1935 under the Social Security Act. Societies throughout history have devised ways to support people who cannot support themselves. In 1937 the government began issuing Social Security identification cardsRead MoreSocial Security1185 Words   |  5 Pages) ADM653: SOCIAL SECURITY AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION TOPIC: DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL SECURITY IN UNITED STATES PREPARED BY: AFIQAH BINTI MAD KASSIM 2013455736 ALIA ATIQQAH BINTI ADENAN 2013 FIQRIN HANIS BINTI ROSLI 2013488894 INTAN SURAIYAH BINTI RAMAT 2013460818 NUR AMILY BINTI ZAINUDDIN 2013439594 GROUP: S3BA5G (SEPT 2015) PREPARED FOR: SIR SUHAIMI BIN ABD SAMAD SUBMISSION DATE: 13 OCTOBER 2015 1.0 Introduction United States Social Security AdministrationRead MoreSocial Security During The United States1518 Words   |  7 PagesSocial Security in the United States I. Introduction Social security in the United States is a federal system run by the Social Security Administration to provide monetary benefits, or welfare, to citizens who are retired, unemployed, or disabled. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt enacted the Social Security Act which limited the dangers of old age, unemployment, disability, and families with dependent children within the United States during the great depression. In order to obtainRead MoreSocial Security Act Of 1930908 Words   |  4 PagesSocial Security Act In 1930’s the Great Depression triggered a crises in the nation’s economic life. The Great Depression left millions of people unemployed and penniless. People consider leaving their farms behind to work in the cities factories to send money home. But as they grow into their new lifestyles the aging parent would stay behind to keep their dream of landowner ship. The seniors would be left in the hardest times of need living off the land. President Roosevelt’s New Deal was createdRead MoreThe Commissioner Of Social Security Essay1924 Words   |  8 PagesDelivery The Commissioner of Social Security is responsible for administering the OASDI program and service delivery. They are not there to collect FICA taxes. FICA taxes is performed by the Internal Revenue Service of the Department of the Treasury. The Secretary of the Treasury supervises the preparation and mailing of benefit checks or direct deposits on debit cards and banking accounts. They also provide management and investment of the trust funds. Social Security numbers is an identifiable methodRead MoreAnalysis of a Stakeholder1293 Words   |  6 PagesOrazie Slayton Social Security Administration During the Great Depression of the early 1930s a form of Social Security was created but the federal government was not involved in the support of elderly people and their families, those concerns were considered to be handled locally or by the state. According to the America’s Historical Documents (n.d.), that changed on August 15, 1935 when president Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, this act established a system of old –age benefits for workersRead MoreSocial Security Act Of 19352184 Words   |  9 Pages In August 14, 1935 Social Security was established by the founder of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Social Security had a program known as social insurance for what it consists of retirement, disability, and survivors’ benefits. Those benefits included taxes. Let’s go back in time and explore the history and issues that were involved in social security. (Social security of United States) Before the 1930’s, the great depression in the 1929 became an issue for the economy as well as the stock market crashedRead MoreSocial Security Act And Related Laws845 Words   |  4 PagesIn January 1935, President Franklin D Roosevelt presented his Social Security Act to Congress. The draft of the Administration bill was the beginning for the legislative attention to the Social Security in 1935. Social Security was introduced to help retired workers receive retirement payments. The Social Security Act and related laws establish a number of programs that have the following basic purposes: (Social Security Administration, 2006) A. To provide for the material needs of individuals and

Aldi Hr Free Essays

string(72) " being part of the same â€Å"team†, no â€Å"us† and â€Å"them† as such\." Introduction ALDI is a global food retailer. Since opening its first store in 1913, Aldi has established itself as a reputable retailer operating in international markets including Germany, Australia and the U. S. We will write a custom essay sample on Aldi Hr or any similar topic only for you Order Now Aldi has over 7,000 stores worldwide. What distinguishes Aldi from its competitors is its competitive pricing strategy without reducing the quality of its products. In fact, in some cases Aldi’s products are 30% cheaper than those offered by its competitors. Aldi can do this because the business operates so efficiently. The Times Case Studies, 2011) ALDI and HR Aldi has a very flat organisational structure. In the UK it is split into 5 regions (there are 62 internationally); each region operates individually, only sharing the purchasing function. Each region has 5 departments, and there are only 3 levels between the Store Assistants and the Managing Director of the Region. Organisational Structure Noticeably, there is no IT, Marketing or HR function in the structure. IT and Marketing are both outsourced to third parties. IT are called on as and when needed by whichever department needs them at the time, whether it be till maintenance, or maintaining the logistics software package. Marketing is outsourced to a company in Atherstone, and their link in the organisation is the Trading function. HR is stripped back within ALDI, and is headed by 2 HR Managers in the Store Operations Function. All area managers within ALDI are trained in HR, and deal with all personnel issues, from Recruitment, to performance management and Training and Development. The HR managers in Head Office purely focus on making sure the Area Managers are up to date with new legislation and policies. ALDI adopt a grandfather technique, where, store managers have little to do with HR. It is their job to focus on the store, and deal with staff rotas and minor issues. This way, store employees report to their line manager for operational issues, and the Area Manager for HR issues. The only HR issue not practised by Area Managers is Payroll, which falls into the Finance Function. ALDI is extremely focused on productivity and efficiency, and because of this, the Neston Region in the UK is trialling using a HR Agency (Kinetic), to manage a major amount of its HR function. The agency takes care of Recruitment, Induction, Payroll, Development, Performance Management, and acts as a HR Manager for the agency staff within ALDI. ALDI intend to get to a point where 70% of store staff is through an agency, with exception to Store Managers, Assistant Managers, Deputies and Full Time Staff. This saves money as it takes a lot of responsibility off Area Managers, leaving them with more time to focus on operations. According to Righeimer (Date Unknown, p. 4), most organizations view the department of Human Resources (HR) as an administrative function and ignore the need and opportunity to align it with its strategic plans. Aligning HR and strategic plans is an important endeavour for every organisation. Studies strongly support the alignment between strategies, HR, and performance and thus show the potential role HR can play in implementing strategy and developing an organisation’s competitive advantage. How HR activities support the organisations strategy Recruitment and Selection, Performance Management, and Training and Development are three HR activities that support the organisations strategy. (Hameed, 2011) Recruitment and Selection According to ALDI’s strategy (2012), â€Å"We want every ALDI employee to have a rewarding career, with opportunities to grow and develop, whether they work in our stores, distribution centres or management teams. We expect our people to be committed, hard-working and take ownership of their responsibilities. In return, we provide salaries that are considerably above the rest of the industry. The recruitment and selection activity supports this by ensuring the right people are hired first time. It is vital to find committed, hardworking people, who have a pride in their work and take responsibility for their success and mistakes. Productivity, quality and service are three of ALDI’s focuses, so HR’s ability to attract and select people with the right knowledge, skills and attitud e is vital. As it is down for the most part to the Area Manager to fulfil this HR role, it is vital they have the skills to recognise the right sort of employee who would fit in the business. The major disadvantage of using the agencies, as currently being trialled, is that the agencies do not work in the stores, and are an outsider to the culture and work ethic of ALDI. For that reason, the Area Managers should have complete control, as they know what sort of person they need, how to motivate them, and exactly what is expected with ALDI’s culture. Performance Management â€Å"We have developed a range of high quality, structured training programmes to enable our employees to fulfil their roles successfully. ALDI Managers have a responsibility to develop and motivate employees, rewarding excellent performance and continuous improvement. † (ALDI, 2012) A HR activity that is also performed in part by Area Managers is performance management. As Area Managers spend a lot of time in stores, they can see the productivity of staff, who is excelling and who needs a little motivation. The store manager reports performance to them also, so they get a complete picture. The agencies receive reports from the Store Managers, only if something is not working out. The agencies manage the performance of their employees, but do not really focus on opportunities or continuous improvement, as they do not have the power in store to do so. Likewise, store managers and Area Managers do not focus on the agencies employees, as technically they are not their own. If this was fully down to the Area Managers again, and Store Managers were given a greater role, staff could be managed better. Stand out performers could be recognised better, and future progression would be a benefit. Also, employees would be more engaged and productive with a clear structure and with everyone being part of the same â€Å"team†, no â€Å"us† and â€Å"them† as such. You read "Aldi Hr" in category "Papers" Training â€Å"We want to attract the best talent and ours are among the highest advertised starting salaries for graduates in the UK and Ireland. Over 85% of our Directors are recruited from within the company, demonstrating the importance we place on training and development and rewarding performance. † (ALDI, 2012) The Training and Development aspect of HR is focused highly on, within ALDI. There is constant training available and succession plans in place for most stores. Deputies are trained to do the Assistant Managers job in case of Sickness, Pregnancy or Resignation of the latter, and likewise with the Assistant Managers, they are trained to do the Store Managers Role. Store Assistants are encouraged to progress to Deputies based on performance. Training and Development is also evident throughout Head Office. Area Managers are only recruited through Graduate Schemes, and Directors are successful Area Managers. 85% of the Directors were Area Managers, whereas the other 15% are either from international ALDI head offices, or â€Å"born into it†, i. e. the Albrieght family. The obvious disadvantage with the Agency is that they have no say or decision in regards to Training. As its employees are employed by them and not ALDI, they do not have access to the same training and development. How HR Professionals support line managers and their Staff With a 2006 ASTD study finding that 70% of training failure happens after the formal training finishes and a recent CIPD study finding that only 12% of employees feel that line managers take learning and development very seriously, it’s a little surprising that more is not being done to gain line manager support in the development process. Peterson, 2006) The role of the line managers has changed over the last twenty years. There is a widespread drive to give line managers more responsibility for the management of their staff and to reduce the extent to which human resource departments control or restrict line management autonomy in this area (Brewster amp; Larson, 2000). HR professionals no longer have sole responsibility for the management of people, but share this responsibility with line managers. There is evidence that HR responsibilities are increasingly decentralized nd devolved to line managers (Cunningham amp; Hyman, 1995). In ALDI, Cunningham and Hyman’s point (1995) that responsibility is shared is correct, if not more centred toward the line manager rather than a 50/50 split. This is probably due to the amount of time passed since their original comment. It is interesting that what they originally said nearly 20 years ago still applies, giving the impression that the HR function has been under fire for quite some time, yet is still here in a pretty similar form in most companies. The line manager in terms of ALDI would be the Area Manager and the HR Professionals for the Area Manager. With the Agency staff, their line manager for HR would be their external agency manager. HR professionals in ALDI support the line managers by providing updated regulations, policies and visions down, to be implemented further down. The obvious benefit of Line Managers taking a front line role in HR, is that they know the staff better. HR Professionals in Head Office do not work with the store employees and do not know about performance or what motivates each individual. The CIPD states that where employees feel positive about their relationship with their front line managers, moreover, they are more likely to have higher levels of job satisfaction, commitment and loyalty – which are in turn associated with higher levels of performance or discretionary behaviour. (CIPD, 2012) As the HR professionals have empowered the Line managers as such, it improves employee engagement. Talent can be spotted, managed and trained, and with the right people in the right jobs, the team’s works better together and is more productive. Consistency is an issue that can arise when different Line Managers have different attitudes and ways of working. This is when support from HR is vital as they can provide guidelines and policies that ensure the message across the company is consistent. With the agency, it does mean that the message HR is sending out, is not necessarily what the agency is doing / preaching. This is another shortfall in the HR process when it comes to agency working. If Area Managers had complete control and there was no agency, then the message would be consistent across the board. Conclusion and Recommendations It is evident that HR takes a simple yet complex form in ALDI. Although it is missing from the organisational structure, it is practiced in part by at least 46 Area Managers. There is a big emphasis on Training and Development throughout the company, and HR activities are being used for succession planning and finding the next generation of ALDI AM’s and Directors. The use of the agency seems to be slightly detrimental to ALDI’s message, and outsourcing the HR like it is, will cause confusion, and splits in the teams. They need to revert to AM as the main HR leader within the Area and only use agencies at times such as Christmas for relief workers etc. As AM know better than any agency, the staff recruited and selected will more than likely be more productive and fit the company better. Also, there may be an issue with succession planning if their aim of outsourcing most staff jobs out is achieved. It would seem that they would hire the people themselves, after trialling them with the agency, so why not just hire directly anyway. The overall finding however, is that HR must remain in the company, and be managed as it once was. Eliminating the HR function more so than now, will cause major problems, and those problems are starting to arise now. If HR wasn’t managed at Head Office, then inconsistent practices would be followed out, creating discomfort within the stores and the ALDI mantra of Team working would be lost. Works Cited ALDI, 2012. CSR – Our People. [Online] Available at: http://www. aldi. co. uk/uk/html/company/15435_25201. tm [Accessed 06 11 2012]. Brewster, C. amp; Larson, H. , 2000. Human Resource Management in Europe. London: Blackwells. CIPD, 2012. Role of Line Managers In HR. [Online] Available at: http://www. cipd. co. uk/hr-resources/factsheets/role-line-managers-hr. aspx [Accessed 06 11 2012]. Cunningham, I. amp; Hyman, J. , 1995. Transforming the HRM vision into Reality: The Role of Line Managers. Employee Relations, 17(8), pp. 5-20. Hameed, T. , 2011. Organisation Strategy and Human Reosurce. [Online] Available at: http://www. rutilities. com/2011/09/organization-strategy-and-human-resource/ [Accessed 06 11 2012]. Peterson, E. , 2006. Employee Relations. 2nd ed. Chicago: Hardwell Press. Righeimer, J. P. , Date Unknown. Aligning Human Resources and Strategic Plans, London: Maverick Electric. The Times Case Studies, 2011. Aldi – Competitive Advantage through Effic iency. [Online] Available at: http://businesscasestudies. co. uk/aldi/competitive-advantage-through-efficiency/introduction. html#ixzz2CEnCsFmq [Accessed 06 11 2012]. How to cite Aldi Hr, Papers

Science Technology and society free essay sample

Nearly all nations now recognize that science and technology are of vital importance to their development. Yet science and technology (ST) cannot just be imported as commodities from foreign producers. For a country to enjoy the full benefit of science and technology, they must be deemed critical to the effort to achieve economic well-being and social justice, integrated into the societal decisionmaking structure, and systematically supported by policies that nurture the nation’s capacities and indigenous talent. Such interactions require the following: †¢ Policy for ST: A national commitment, by the public and private sectors alike, to promote science and technology; †¢ ST for policy: A mechanism for providing ST inputs into decisionmaking; †¢ Dissemination of knowledge: Procedures for broad public participation in critical issues, especially regarding their ST aspects. 2. 1 National ST strategies identify priorities for addressing critical needs Innovation Program (PPKIP), Chinese Academy of Sciences The PPKIP is an ambitious 12-year project (1998-2010) led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) to reform and revitalize China’s science and technology infrastructure. We will write a custom essay sample on Science Technology and society or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page By 2005, the Chinese Academy of Science plans to have: †¢ significantly enhanced scientific output in fundamental research in strategic areas; †¢ increased the numbers of scientific research personnel in multidisciplinary and frontier areas; †¢ created new joint laboratories with universities; †¢ established long-term cooperative relationships with distinguished foreign universities, research institutions, and companies; †¢ transformed 15-20 academy-affiliated research institutions into for-profit corporate entities; †¢ built high-tech incubators jointly with local governments; †¢ introduced venture-capital mechanisms through creation of CAS-managed venturecapital funds; and †¢ sold shares of Chinese Academy’s companies in stock markets, both at home and abroad, thus attracting capital for the rapid development of high-tech enterprises. english. cas. ac. cn IAC Report | Science, technology, and society 37 BOX Many of the recommendations in Chapters 3 through 6 that follow can be seen as parts of national policies for the promotion of science and technology. Recommendations on human-resource development, institution-building for science and technology, establishing new modes of cooperation for the private and public domains, and the generation of new funding mechanisms will all require support from a nation’s leaders, both in and out of government. There is a need to provide a coherent framework for these actions. In each nation, a national ST strategy should be developed by the government in consultation with scientific, engineering, and medical academies; the professional societies of the country; and its industrial sector. The strategy should benefit from the experiences of other countries, and it should spell out the government’s commitments to funding; standards of excellence; openness and dissemination of knowledge; regional consortia and networks; private-public interactions; and partnerships with others – locally, regionally, and globally. (See Box 10 for a description of an ambitious strategy in China to upgrade its ST enterprise. ) The practice of science in particular cannot be undertaken without a profound adherence to what has been called the values of science – a commitment to truth and honor, a certain constructive dissent among scientists, and the arbitration of disputes through rigorous methods. BOX 10 Pilot Project of the Knowledge But science is seldom left only to the scientists. Research-agenda priorities derive not just from the wishes of scientists or their interest in certain problems but also from factors such as national needs, the availability of funding, access to tools of research, and the commercial prospects for deploying the resulting technologies. What gets studied, in effect, is often decided by nonscientists. Some governments’ restrictions on certain biological research areas, for example, or a nation’s response to the unavailability of industrial funding for specific (often long-term) areas of research and development with limited commercial payback, are instances of how governments deploy scientific capacity in research in response to societal goals. The application of science for utilitarian purposes, however, usually depends on earlier basic research that was driven by scientists’ intellectual curiosity. Allowing some space to satisfy this drive, therefore, should be an element of any program to increase capacity building in ST and maintain its productivity over the long term. The exact balance between basic, strategic, applied, and adaptive research will vary from country to country, as will the domains in which the resources and talents should be deployed. However, it is becoming increasingly evident that old classifications between basic and applied, as well as the boundaries between traditional disciplines, are being overtaken by events. New ST research increasingly involves multiple disciplines and often requires conceptual and applied skills alike. Recommendations Every nation should develop an ST strategy that specifies the national priorities for research and development and spells out national funding commitments. National governments should develop national strategies for science and technology in full consultation with the country’s science, engineering, and medical academies, its professional societies, and the industrial sector. The national strategies should include support for basic science and recognize the need for high-level training to develop, as much as possible, national competence in selected frontier areas of science and technology that are most suitable for sustainable economic development and social well-being. National funding commitments for science and technology should rise to at least 1 percent – preferably 1. 5 percent – of Gross Domestic Product for each developing nation, and should be disbursed using a merit-based approach. 38 IAC Report | Science, technology, and society 2. 2 Independent scientific advice improves decisionmaking for public policies BOX 11 World Health Organization promotes The effectiveness of government programs can be greatly increased if inputs and independent review are provided by scientific, engineering, and health experts – honest brokers who bridge the gap between what is technically possible and politically achievable in areas such as agriculture, education, energy, environment, and health. For example, many international deliberations, running the gamut from intellectual property rights to environmental and health regulations, require governments to fully understand the ST premises that underlie the decisions they are negotiating. Each country therefore needs to create suitable mechanisms for providing impartial scientific and technological advice to government policymakers. Informed and reliable counsel could come from specially appointed committees of experts, standing multidisciplinary advisory bodies, independent institutions such as merit-based academies of science, engineering, or medicine, or from professional societies. (Box 11 offers an example of how ST capacity is needed to inform government policies on emerging health issues. ) The need for local biomedical expertise in all  nations, complemented by other health professionals worldwide, has been demonstrated by the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), an illness first reported in 2003 in Asia, North America, and Europe. The World Health Organization (WHO) is coordinating an international investigation with the assistance of the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network – a collaboration of existing institutions and networks that pool human and technical resources for rapid identification, confirmation, and response with regard to disease outbreaks of global importance. The Network  keeps the international health community constantly alerted to the threat of new outbreaks and provides appropriate technical assistance to  affected states by strengthening local infrastructure and capacity to reduce illness and prevent disease spread. Since its inception, the Network  has addressed health concerns in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, China, Cote d’Ivoire,  Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kosovo, India, Madagascar, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Uganda,  Yemen, and Zanzibar. national capacity to confront new diseases Recommendations Each national government should establish trusted indigenous mechanisms for obtain- ing advice on scientific and technological questions related to policies, programs, and international negotiations. Each nation involved in the development, production, or use of new technologies, such as those deriving from biotechnology, should have the means to assess and manage their benefits and risks. Governments should therefore ensure that indigenous ST capacities are in place (with international inputs when necessary) not only for effective adoption of a new technology, but also for help in implementing public-health, humansafety, and environmental guidelines or regulations that address potential side-effects of the new technology. The possibility of long-term effects should be kept in mind when setting up such systems, which must remain fully adaptable to rapid advances in scientific and engineering knowledge. The coordination of such efforts among nations to permit the sharing of experience and the standardization of some types of risk assessment is highly desirable. IAC Report | Science, technology, and society 39 BOX www. who. int/en/ 2. 3 The public requires dissemination of new knowledge for addressing critical issues The world’s communications networks have begun to give each individual scientist or technologist the means to help close the knowledge gap between industrialized and developing nations. Through the global system that the ST community is creating on the Internet, local investigators can stay up to date on, and participate in, cutting-edge research. And because these indigenous professionals generally understand their nation’s culture and can easily communicate with its people, they are uniquely placed to be disseminators of advanced knowledge and know-how to other critical local actors – greatly increasing the likelihood that the new technologies will be well adapted to that society’s needs and cultures. Any nation without such a core of scientists and technologists can expect to fall farther and farther behind the rest of the world. Countries at different stages of development will of course need different types of ST expertise, and they may be expected to invest in science and technology at different rates. But even in the poorest nations, a substantial enrollment in higher education is essential, particularly in science and engineering courses. For that to happen, ST practitioners should become sufficiently involved in education at all levels to help generate the human capital on which so much of development depends. Beyond communicating among themselves, with policymakers and their students, the ST community should regularly interact with the public. Many issues require public debate, and scientists and engineers should help inform this debate by engaging with the media. For its part, the media should consistently seek out the most reliable sources in order to present the issues accurately and effectively. 40 IAC Report | Science, technology, and society Recommendations With the help of the ST communities, each national and state government should encourage innovation in disseminating the results of publicly or privately funded research and in turning them into new products and services that address national or local needs. Such efforts could include: †¢ Consultative services, provided by national, state, or city research institutions, in areas such as agriculture, water and land management, housing, and health. †¢ Cooperative partnerships between local (state, city) entities and research institutions for sharing up-to-date information of local relevance. †¢ Empowerment, for periods of time, of social entrepreneurs for supplying products and services significantly below market prices to people in need. †¢ ‘Information kiosks,’ either publicly funded or for-profit, to help distribute useful scientific information to the public. The information might consist of short publications prepared by scientific organizations, such as the recent ones being promoted by the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), or reliable news obtained from the Internet. Each nation’s media should assume major responsibility for educating the public in ST-related issues. A wide array of communications technologies – print, television, radio, cellular tele- phone, World Wide Web, the Internet, among others – should be utilized in disseminating to the public the results and public policy implications of publicly or privately funded research that addresses national or local needs. The ST community should seriously exercise its obligation to pay more attention to the media and participate more fully in public discussions and debates. In such interactions, practitioners should endeavor to explain technical issues in non-technical language. Regarding scientific or technical matters on which public-policy choices are to be made, the media should seek out the best ST sources for their articles and programs. In a similar spirit, reporters and editors should not artificially generate controversy by seeking out minority positions that appear to highlight the adversarial aspects of STrelated questions, particularly when the professional community has actually achieved broad consensus. Truly controversial questions should be presented to the public in terms of explaining the scientific and technological aspects of the dispute without bias or editorializing (except on clearly indicated opinion pages). IAC Report | Science, technology, and society 41