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Q&A:
Prof. Zakri Hamid,
Director,
UNU Institute for
Advanced Studies
Prof. Zakri Hamid took up
his post as Director of UNU Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU/IAS) in
January. A national of Malaysia, he was formerly Deputy Vice Chancellor
at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (National University of Malaysia).
Prof. Zakri received his
Ph.D. in Genetics and Plant Breeding from Michigan State University in
1976. Since then he has worked at the National University of Malaysia,
where he was made a full professor in 1986. He has published extensively
on the issues of genetics, plant breeding, biotechnology and
biodiversity and has received numerous awards and honours.
Prof Zakri has extensive
international policy experience. He was Secretary-General of the Society
for the Advancement of Breeding Research in Asia and Oceania (SABRAO)
from 1981-1989 and has worked extensively on Committees of the
Convention on Biological Diversity and the Biosafety Protocol. Since
1999, he has been the interim Chair of the Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment, a major undertaking to assess the world's ecosystems.
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What makes the UNU/IAS a
unique educational organization?
One of the most unique qualities of the UNU/IAS is the advanced,
multidisciplinary, approach used to study some of the key components of
our
global efforts to achieve sustainable development. At the UNU/IAS we ask
academics from traditional disciplines such as economics, law, ecology,
engineering, physics and chemistry to pool their specific knowledge and
expertise in a focused attempt to understand and resolve some of the key
challenges to sustainable development. We also use advanced research
methodologies and approaches in our efforts to challenge orthodox thinking
and locate creative solutions to our most pressing global problems.
Another
unique quality stems from our research focus, which is continually aimed
forward with the goal of identifying future issues of concern for all the
peoples of the world, particularly those from developing countries.
What role do you envision UNU/IAS playing within the educational
community
in the future?
One element that I would really like to emphasize is the need to establish
a
direct link between academic knowledge and expertise, and the problems
that
are being identified within the UN system. I think it is important that we
pay careful attention to what goes on within the UN and its various
organizations and processes. This will allow us to focus our research
agenda
toward filling knowledge gaps and addressing the specific issue areas that
are highlighted by UN members. Any academic research must have a purpose.
This is particularly relevant for us, given that the IAS is a public
organization, and part of the UN system. The Institute has an important
role
to play in terms of ensuring that the results of our research actually
reaches the people involved in decision making and negotiation at both the
national and the international level. We need to package our research in a
manner that is easily accessible to those who need it the most. We must
also
be proactive in making sure that the results are taken to the most
appropriate forums. Eventually, as the Institute's reputation as a
trustworthy source of timely and accurate information and insight grows,
our
constituents will seek us out. Until then, one of the core priorities for
our relatively young institute must be the proactive, timely, and
effective
dissemination of relevant research findings.
What objectives do you have for the Institute in your first year as
Director?
I will spend my first year consolidating and completing outstanding
institutional matters, and preparing the IAS for its new programme
beginning
in 2002. As I mentioned, the IAS is a very young institute, barely five
years old, but it has had a tremendous beginning. For a large part, the
first few years have been focused on launching research projects and
programmes and finding the Institute's niche. This means that the IAS is
now
at the stage where some stocktaking is required. We need to solidify our
institutional and administrative footing. As you know, I came in during
the
middle of a biennium and most of the Institute's activities are in
midstream. This provides me with the opportunity to concentrate on
building
upon, and strengthening, the Institute's foundations. One of my immediate
priorities is the Institute's funding. We also need to examine personnel
matters and, in keeping with our goal to be flexible and dynamic, explore
new research directions for the Institute. I would like to instill in all
future projects, the recognition of a need to secure outside funding, to
create diversity in terms of the member states and stakeholders involved,
and also the need to ensure that each project team is engaged in advanced
research.
What do you see as the major global concerns/problems that the UNU/IAS
might
address during the next decade?
I think there are several areas that we could address. The Institute has,
so
far, focused on Sustainable Development, but this is a very broad
principle.
What is needed, is a focus on specifics, a focus on the concrete
strategies
and drivers that are needed to achieve sustainable development. This is
why
I would like to move the IAS away from some of the more philosophical
approaches to the key challenges involved, and concentrate more on
strategic
approaches and on-the-ground policy research.
New technologies such as information and bio-technology w ill also be
important in the next decade. Understanding how to manage these
technologies; how to share the benefits equally, how to cope with the
inherent risks relating to the uncertainties involved, these are some of
the
specific challenges that could be usefully addressed by the IAS.
Capacity building should also represent one of our key activities. The
empowerment, from within, of developing countries, must become an
imperative
within our work. To participate fully in global processes, developing
countries must build upon the skills and knowledge that are necessary to
create their own prosperity.
What are some of the obstacles encountered by an academic institution
such
as the UNU/IAS in ensuring that its recommendations are translated into
national policy?
Obscurity is probably the biggest obstacle to overcome. The UNU is not so
well known as a policy relevant institution and, as a consequence,
countries
and other organizations do not turn to us for advice as much as they
should.
This could change very rapidly and easily if we engage ourselves in
relevant, user-oriented, research, and take this research to the right
forums.
How will the trend towards globalization and the wired world affect the
future programmes and priorities of the IAS?
As a whole, the IAS is already tuned in to many of these trends. Thanks to
the former Director, we have many young and vibrant researchers who are
working specifically in these areas. The VU Initiative, and the Iwate
Environmental Information Network, for example, have been very active in
exploring different ways of using the Internet. They have also focused on
information technology as a teaching tool and have looked at ways of
developing an actual curriculum out of the Institute's research. The IAS
Urban and Regional Development Programme has conducted a pretty thorough
examination of the impacts of globalization on development and urbanization
around the world. Of particular interest here has been the role and
functioning of mega-cities. We plan to build on these strong programmatic
foundations, particularly in the area of science and technology.
What are the most important dates on the UNU/IAS calendar in 2001?
There are several dates, but some of the larger activities are the
following:
June 5. The launch of the Millennium Eco-system Assessment in the Asia
Pacific. This scientific assessment will cost an estimated twenty million
dollars, and will be the first cross-sectoral, inter-agency, assessment of
its kind. On World Environment Day, the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan,
will officially launch the Millennium Assessment at the UN in New York. In
the Asia Pacific, the project will be launched from the IAS. The following
day, a second Asian launch will take place in Beijing.
July 20-21 (tentative). Global Thematic on Inter-linkages. The UNU
Environment and Sustainable Development Programme and the IAS have been
very
active in developing the Inter-linkages concept. This has included efforts
to operationalize the concept and turn it into a means for better utilizing
natural environmental synergies and promoting more effective and efficient
coordination between multilateral agreements. The Global Thematic will
attract world experts to the UNU to further deliberate on the potential
implementation of the inter-linkages concept and formulate some concrete
recommendations for Rio+10.
10-11 September (tentative). Back to back with the second official design
meeting for the Millennium Eco-system Assessment on 13-16 September, the
IAS, in partnership with the Japanese Environment Ministry, will hold a
workshop aimed at defining specific projects and initiatives that will be
closely linked to the Millennium Assessment.
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