Previous Fora / 2003

Speakers

Knowledge and science

Science and Policy decision making

Professor Alain Pompidou,
Professor of Medicine, René Descartes University, France

Abstract

During centuries and across the major civilisations, Science was considered as a unique and universal source of knowledge. The battles between scientists were illustrating their necessary independence and freedom.

With the new century, some different aspects emerge and will be addressed.

  • The quick and in depth development in science and technology,

  • The rapidly changing society,

  • The loss of certainty and, hence, the lack of competence to give advice.

These evolutions are responsible for a shift from freedom and trust to responsibility and accountability.

The linkage between science and society question the policy decision making process.

  • Science is not anymore based on monodisciplinary approach. If the scientists must remain major experts in their own field , a pluridisciplinary and synergetic approach is now at stake, raising the issue of interdisciplinarity.

  • The notion of "appearance" is the consequence of complexity : multiple minor events, apparently disconnected from each other, give rise to new objects.

  • New form of lives and living, new particles in physics, new properties related to nanoparticles address not only scientific issues but social and legal issues as well.

  • The precautionary principle has to be balanced by the obligation of research addressing the return on experience.

  • The allocation of resources addresses the issue of defining priorities.

  • The relationship between scientists, experts, citizens and policy decision makers will be discussed in two different contexts.

  • The appearance of the enlarged Europe and the issue of cooperation between industrialised, developing as well as emerging countries.

  • The new relationship between Science and Society addressing ethics, economy and social sciences.

Until which extent the enlargement of knowledge should cope with risk management ? How to tailor the new rules of Policy decision making?