Capacity-building of Scientific Personnel India

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "Capacity-building of Scientific Personnel India"

Transcription

1 10 Capacity-building of Scientific Personnel India GENERAL INFORMATION Implementing Institution: International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) Head: Professor F. E. Baralle, Director-General, ICGEB Professor V. S. Chauhan, Director, ICGEB New Delhi Component Details of Institution: Address: ICGEB New Delhi Component, Post bag 10504, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi , India Tel.: (+91) /361/357 Fax: (+91) Website: Other ICGEB Components: ICGEB Trieste Component, Area Science Park, Padriciano 99, Trieste 34011, Italy (hosting ICGEB headquarters) ICGEB Cape Town Component, Wernher and Beit Building (South), University of Cape Town Campus, Anzio Road Observatory 7925, Cape Town, South Africa Implementation Period: 1987 to present 129

2 130 VOLUME 17: EXPERIENCES IN DEVELOPING CAPACITY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Cost: The cost of one training workshop at the New Delhi site is about $40,000. Three workshops are held each year. S U M M A R Y The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) is an intergovernmental organization established within the United Nations system to provide the developing world with a centre of excellence for research and training in genetic engineering and biotechnology, with a focus on solving problems affecting health, nutrition, agriculture and industrial development. The main goals of ICGEB are to: carry out advanced projects in biomedical research and projects relating to crop improvement and the development of plant biotechnology; create a strong base of sciencebased human capital in the developing world; develop cost-effective technologies and transfer them to developing countries, making such technologies available at an affordable price; and provide institutional support in the fields of intellectual property and biosafety. These goals are achieved through a series of training programmes and courses, workshops, seminars and sessions with school children to raise awareness in the fields of biotechnology and genetic engineering. While conducting predoctoral and postdoctoral training programmes for students from India and other ICGEB Member States, ICGEB also helps in building capacity by funding collaborative research programmes and providing grants to students and researchers returning to initiate research programmes in their country of origin. It also provides expertise in the form of technology and intellectual property to its Member States. This has led to the recognition of ICGEB as a leading centre for building scientific capacity and personnel, especially in developing countries that are ICGEB Member States. B A C K G R O U N D A N D J U S T I F I C AT I O N Nearly 30 years ago, before the establishment of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), awareness of and scientific capacity in the field of biotechnology and genetic engineering were generally poor in developing countries. There was a lack of scientific and technical capability, a lack of public investment, a lack of access to proprietary technologies, differing intellectual property rules, no biosafety rules, poor infrastructure and difficulties in accessing scientific information. To address these issues, in 1983 the international community established

3 Capacity-building of Scientific Personnel India 131 ICGEB, which started its operations in 1987 as a special programme of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and became an independent intergovernmental organization in From the beginning, the aim of ICGEB was to provide developing countries with access to, and training in, modern biotechnology, molecular biology and genetic engineering. This was to be achieved via basic and applied research on human health, the development of vaccines and biopharmaceuticals, plant biotechnology and crop improvement, biosafety and risk assessment, the training of young researchers, and technology development and transfer and through the generation of intellectual property. ICGEB operates through its two original Components, located in Trieste, Italy, and in New Delhi, India. A third ICGEB Component was inaugurated in 2007 in Cape Town, South Africa, and is now becoming operational. To date, the ICGEB statutes have been signed by 77 Governments and ratified by 59 Member States. In 20 years of operation, ICGEB has acquired a solid scientific reputation worldwide and the United Nations General Assembly recognized the contribution of ICGEB in the area of biotechnology in its resolution 60/205, adopted in December 2005, in which it also encourages ICGEB, among others, to collaborate with a view to enhancing effectiveness in the implementation of programmes designed to assist developing countries in building capacity in all areas of biotechnology. ICGEB New Delhi, which has an annual budget of about $20 million, employs about 35 scientists working in areas of biotechnology related to human health and agriculture and about 90 doctoral students from ICGEB Member States. It also employs approximately 120 young scientists via extramural funding. Its areas of expertise include malaria, virology, immunology and, in particular, recombinant gene products, structural and computational biology, plant molecular biology, plant transformation, plant resistance to stress and plant resistance to insects. D E S C R I P T I O N T R A I N I N G P R O G R A M M E S As part of the training activities promoted by ICGEB, predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowship programmes were established in 1989 and 1991 and have funded more than 500 fellows from 41 Member States over the past 20 years. Postdoctoral fellows train for an average of two to three years during which they actively participate in the ongoing research projects of the ICGEB Component laboratories. Another training activity promoted by ICGEB includes the organization of annual practical and theoretical courses held at the ICGEB Components and affiliated centres and lasting one or two weeks. The courses are conducted by internationally recognized scientists and cover a variety of aspects of the most advanced research, including genome

4 132 VOLUME 17: EXPERIENCES IN DEVELOPING CAPACITY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT mapping techniques, proliferation of normal and cancer cells, risks and benefits of transgenic organisms, and biocomputing. Between 1988 and 2005, ICGEB trained a total of about 5,500 scientists originating from its Member States. It also carries out collaborative training programmes hosted jointly by organizations such as the European Molecular Biology Organization, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (Australia) and the World Health Organization. The one- to two-week training courses are designed to include a wet (practical) laboratory element alongside classroom sessions. The purpose of the training is to expose participants to a practical biotechnology problem so that they obtain first-hand experience of scientific experiments in the laboratory. Participants in the training courses are selected on the basis of their research needs, with numbers limited to about 20 scientists per course. After the course, the participants return to their home institutions in their own countries and continue to work on research programmes, applying the techniques learned and using start-up material provided by ICGEB. Participants remain in contact with the course coordinators so that any technical problems faced can be solved. They are also invited to apply for collaborative research grants financed by, and developed with, ICGEB. The aim of these grants is to stimulate collaborative research in Member States, facilitating the creation of appropriate research facilities in promising institutes; promote the training of young scientists; and develop new research programmes in participating countries. The facilities at ICGEB New Delhi include dedicated laboratory space for conducting hands-on training and practical workshops (fig. 1), a seminar hall for 50 participants fully equipped with audio-visual equipment, a guest house, 24- hour power back-up and a library subscribing to major scientific journals. Figure 1 Training-programme participants in the workshop laboratory facility, ICGEB New Delhi.

5 Capacity-building of Scientific Personnel India 133 P R E D O C T O R A L A N D P O S T D O C T O R A L T R A I N I N G ICGEB, in collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, offers predoctoral training to young students from ICGEB Member States. The programme leads to the awarding of a doctor of philosophy (PhD) in life sciences on completion of a rigorous four-year programme that involves classroom sessions for the first year, followed by laboratorybased research work in the subsequent years. This programme is popular among the students of ICGEB Member States. The ICGEB New Delhi Component receives about 400 applications each year of which approximately 15 are accepted on the basis of written examinations and interviews. As part of its training activities, ICGEB also offers postdoctoral fellowships. On completion of their training, postdoctoral scientists are eligible to apply to ICGEB for funding as part of the collaborative research programme returning-grant initiative. The aim of this project is twofold. In exceptional circumstances, this grant can be used to provide start-up funds for outstanding researchers to establish their own research programmes in their own countries. Alternatively, it can be used as direct aid to the infrastructure of the institute to which the scientist is returning, allowing for the purchase of essential equipment that can be used to capitalize on the training received. This provides a unique means by which the trained researcher can immediately begin to address issues that are directly relevant to his/her own country needs and requirements. T R A I N I N G C O U R S E S Each summer, ICGEB provides training to selected students from undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in life sciences to pursue a short training course (one to six months) and learn basic techniques in biotechnology and genetic engineering. The participants are primarily from ICGEB Member States. S C I E N T I F I C AWA R E N E S S C A M PA I G N A M O N G S C H O O L / C O L L E G E S T U D E N T S The ICGEB New Delhi Component promotes scientific interaction between staff and school students who are 14 to 16 years of age and college students. On a regular basis, it hosts half-day or one-day sessions where school and college students can meet with ICGEB scientists to be informed about research and development in the fields of human health and agriculture relating to biotechnology. ICGEB has welcomed about 1,500 students in the past five years. ICGEB also organizes a national essay-writing competition for science students ages 14 to 16 years in India. Prizes are awarded to the authors of the five best entries, who are then invited to spend five days at ICGEB laboratories to interact with scientists and learn about research programmes at the Centre.

6 134 VOLUME 17: EXPERIENCES IN DEVELOPING CAPACITY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT P AT E N T I N G A N D C O M M E R C I A L I Z AT I O N Since 1988, more than 50 patents have been filed by ICGEB. Examples are patents for dengue virus diagnostic kits, a biopesticide formulation and highthroughput screening techniques for antimalarial drugs. The objective for patents and other intellectual property rights owned by the Centre and for the financial or other benefits associated with them is to promote the development, production and widespread application of biotechnology, particularly in the interest of developing countries. The policy of ICGEB is to seek to overcome the difficulties encountered by developing countries in fostering innovation, ownership and in-house application, promoting the transfer of technology and know-how to member countries. ICGEB aims to obtain patents, or interests in patents, on the results of genetic engineering and biotechnology developed through its research projects. When a priority patent application is filed for an invention with an affirmed potential commercial value, ICGEB publishes the information on the website for all Member States. In turn, Member States can notify ICGEB of their specific interest in the invention and its use and whether or not a subsequent filing should be effected for their country. This policy ensures that all ICGEB Member States have direct access to knowledge and innovation without any market mediation and at the sole cost of filing and maintaining the patent in their own country. P A R T N E R S H I P S Defining and promoting North-South and South-South partnerships constitute a central element of the research strategy promoted by ICGEB. The public sector plays a key role in research and development in biotechnology in developing countries, but progress made by the public sector alone can be slow; international activity is needed to channel new technologies towards the pressing needs of developing countries. ICGEB has established links with many international funding agencies and philanthropic foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the OPEC Fund for International Development. Moreover, through its collaborative research programme, ICGEB offers a unique funding opportunity to its Member States, aimed at financing projects addressing original scientific topics of particular relevance to the applicant s country. Support is available for research projects in many fields of basic science, human health care, industrial and agricultural biotechnology, and environmental bioremediation. Since the inception of the collaborative research programme in 1988, 338 grants have been awarded for a global financial commitment of more than 13.5 million euros. In 2008, 20 new

7 Capacity-building of Scientific Personnel India 135 projects were awarded funding to maintain an equitable geographic and temporal distribution of grants. R E P L I C A B I L I T Y ICGEB has been successful in building capacity and knowledge and bringing biotechnology closer to developing countries. The experience is currently being replicated on the African continent with the establishment of a new ICGEB Component. The African Component will aim at improving the quality of scientific research and education, creating a culture of scientific excellence to reduce disparities between Africa and the rest of the world. The ultimate goal of ICGEB is to bring science and technology to people by enabling them to use it and contribute to the world s collective knowledge. The great challenge undertaken by ICGEB is to ensure that all countries are empowered, not just the lucky few. This rationale lies behind the replication of an ICGEB Component in Africa, the same rationale driving ICGEB as a whole. P O L I C Y I M P L I C AT I O N S ICGEB policy and practice, in line with the current tendency among donors, aim at strengthening local institutions rather than using institutions in the North as intermediaries. The aim is to strengthen capacity in the Affiliated Centres, which are national research institutes, located in Member States, thus promoting a shift in capacity-building from a supply-driven approach to one that is demand-based. This is done through training of scientists and funding of research programmes. The collaborative research programme offers a unique funding opportunity to its Member States aimed at financing projects addressing original scientific topics of particular relevance for the applicant s country. I M P A C T The long-standing capacity-building programmes of ICGEB have resulted in an increase in the number of scientifically trained personnel, primarily in those developing countries that are ICGEB Member States. Since the inception of ICGEB in 1987, the research activity of the Centre has reached high standards of excellence and is appreciated worldwide. ICGEB scientists have filed more than 50 patent applications and published more than 1,700 articles in international peerreviewed scientific journals with an everincreasing average impact factor per publication. ICGEB has awarded more than 600 long-term fellowships, provided short-term training to 7,600 scientists from throughout the developing world (figs. 2 and 3), obtained 300 research grants from external as well as core internal funding, and signed 65 technology transfer agreements.

8 136 VOLUME 17: EXPERIENCES IN DEVELOPING CAPACITY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Figure 2 Number of participants attending ICGEB training courses held either at the ICGEB Trieste or New Delhi Component or in Member States, 1989 to a No. of Par t i ci pant s Year a According to data provided by the organizers of 291 of the 333 ICGEB events held. Figure 3 Geographical distribution of participants in ICGEB training courses, 1989 to a a According to data provided by the organizers of 291 of the 333 ICGEB events held. L E S S O N S L E A R N E D Any effort to achieve economic development will not produce optimal results if certain preconditions supported by sound national policies are not in place. The mandate of ICGEB is to promote the achievement of such preconditions while maintaining high standards of research. The framework of activities surrounding the ICGEB core research programme is multifaceted as are the opportunities offered to its Member States. The role of ICGEB liaison officers in channelling such opportunities is essential for developing the absorption capacity of a

9 Capacity-building of Scientific Personnel India 137 country. Absorption capacity entails the development of human capital, adequate physical infrastructure and a dynamic business climate and it is the central precondition for any process of economic development. However, while ICGEB activities help to achieve such conditions, the role of national liaison officers and policymakers remains vital. F U T U R E P L A N S The forces of globalization and rapidly changing technology raise the cost of having a low capacity in science and technology in developing countries. Although there have been significant increases in scientific education and training in countries of the South, much remains to be achieved. In a strategy aimed at using science and technology as means for development, filling this gap and bringing the scientific level of developing countries in line with international standards are increasingly important. The future strategy of ICGEB foresees consideration and evaluation of possible new players in the North-South partnership for biotechnology development, application and training. Given that it may be impossible for a single country to perform the complete process of research and development that is required to integrate technical know-how and arrive at market-place products, the strategy of ICGEB, while carrying out research programmes of the highest standard, will aim to promote more effective coordination between the national research policies of developing countries and the action of international organizations and donor agencies. P U B L I C A T I O N S Full details of ICGEB activities are available on its website, ICGEB publishes results from its research in international, peer-reviewed scientific journals. The complete list of ICGEB publications and patents from 1988 to 2007 includes over 1,700 publications. See Case Study Prepared by: Shirshendu Mukherjee ICGEB Post bag 10504, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg New Delhi , India Tel.: (+91 11) /60/61 skm@icgeb.res.in Project Participants: The project was supported by all the scientific faculties and the research and administrative staff of ICGEB.

10 138 VOLUME 17: EXPERIENCES IN DEVELOPING CAPACITY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT