Science as a Gateway to Understanding

In October 2007, the U.S. National Academies and the Iranian Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Science organized the first of a series of planned U.S.-Iranian workshops on the topic "Science as a Gateway to Understanding." This new workshop series is a component of the broader effort of the National Academies to support bilateral workshops and exchange visits in a variety of fields with a number of Iranian institutions that began in 2000.This book includes papers that were presented at the workshop and summaries of the discussions that followed some of the presentations. At the conclusion of the workshop there was general agreement that the presentations on many aspects of science and scientific cooperation that have a bearing on mutual understanding were an important first step. Several participants underscored that the next workshop should emphasize how scientific cooperation can lead in concrete terms to improved understanding among both academic and political leaders from the two countries.Table of ContentsFront MatterWords of Welcome--Mohammad Kazem Bojnordi1 Where Does Science Go?--Honorable Mohammad Khatami2 Scientists and Truth--Reza Davari Ardakani3 The Innovation Ecology--William Wulf4 Wisdom: the Best Gateway to Understanding--Mostafa Mohagheh Damad5 Interacademy Cooperation: An Approach toUnderstanding--Abulhassan Vafai6 Understanding Others, the Science Way--Yousef Sobouti7 Loving and Sharing Science: Pierre-Gilles de Gennes--EtienneGuyon8 Successes in Building International Bridges throughScience--Norman Neureiter9 The Universality of Science: Examples from History--HosseinMasoumi Hamedani10 The Role of International Scientific Organizations--MichaelClegg11 Science and Culture--Bernard Maitte12 A Half Century of Successes and Problems in U.S.-IranianCooperation in Science, Engineering, and Medicine--Glenn Schweitzer13 Opportunities for International Collaboration in EarthquakeSystem Science--Thomas Jordan14 Science, Technology, and Innovation in the Knowledge Economy:Prospects for Cooperation--Ousmane Kane15 Summary of Open Forum--Yousef Sobouti16 Closing Remarks--Norman NeureiterAppendix A: Workshop AgendaAppendix B: Workshop Participants