Foreword by Francis Fukuyama
The twentieth century was the era of "big science." Driven by strategic rivalries and fierce economic competition, wealthy governments invested heavily in national science establishments. Direct funding for institutions like the National Science Foundation and high-visibility projects, such as the race to the moon, fueled innovation, growth, and national prestige. But the big science model left poorer countries out in the cold.
Today the organization of science is undergoing a fundamental transformation. In The New Invisible College, Caroline Wagner combines quantitative data and extensive interviews to map the emergence of global science networks and trace the dynamics driving their growth. She argues that the shift from big science to global networks creates unprecedented opportunities for developing countries to tap science's potential. Rather than squander resources in vain efforts to mimic the scientific establishments of the twentieth century, developing country governments can leverage networks by creating incentives for top-notch scientists to focus on research that addresses their concerns and by finding ways to tie knowledge to local problem solving. The New Invisible College offers both a guidebook and a playbook for policymakers confronting these tasks.
Advance Praise for the Book
"Caroline Wagner has produced an innovative and important, even visionary, analysis of the emerging pattern of global collaboration among scientists. She gives a new and provocative meaning to the old phrase 'the invisible college' and draws the many lessons for governance of science the new pattern calls for."
—Eugene B. Skolnikoff, emeritus professor of political science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"This book challenges the central tenets on which contemporary science policy is founded. It will send seismic waves through the foundations of the enterprise of science policy studies and change how science is governed in the coming century."
—Calestous Juma, professor of the practice of international development, Harvard University
"This insightful book offers an important new view of science policy. Rejecting science nationalism, the author recognizes a global transformation in science that opens the door to a new view of international relations. She argues that self-organized research networks can transform social and economic development around the globe."
—Lewis M. Branscomb, emeritus professor of public policy and corporate management, Harvard University
"Wagner argues that today, small countries can use an understanding of networks to leverage their resources and attain an international research capability on limited means. Her 'sinking, linking, absorbing, and using' framework provides comprehensive guidance to policymakers based on the most up-to-date thinking in the area."
—Diana Hicks, chair, School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology
"In the minds of most scholars, science is an activity exclusively reserved for and benefiting only rich and powerful countries. This thoughtful book challenges this conventional wisdom by demonstrating the power of science for development. All those interested in how modern science can resolve the inequality of knowledge and wealth should read this book."
—Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, director, United Nations Human Settlements Program