Opening Statement By Rep. Brian Baird

Good morning.  Welcome to this Research and Science Education Subcommittee hearing on the role of non-governmental organizations and universities in international science and technology cooperation.

Three months ago this Subcommittee heard testimony from a panel of senior governmental officials representing some of the key federal agencies and offices responsible for supporting and setting priorities for U.S. participation in international science and technology cooperation.  In that hearing we learned a little about the breadth of cooperative S&T activities supported by the U.S. Government.  We learned that research agencies are largely successful at pursuing international partnerships to further science and the agencies’ own domestic missions and that the State Department actively pursues S&T agreements to further its foreign policy goals.  However, it seems to me there is room for improved coordination and priority setting across agencies, especially when it comes to leveraging the quality and reputation of U.S. science to further diplomatic goals.

This morning we will hear from three non-governmental organizations that actively engage in science diplomacy, and from a university that supports research and education partnerships not just across its southern borders but half-way across the world to a country and culture radically different from our own.  As important as it is for the U.S. government to actively engage in science diplomacy, the organizations represented here add unique value to this effort.  They are known and respected throughout the world.  They represent the best of U.S. science and higher education.  And they have the flexibility, the connections and the know-how to engage scientists and pursue good science even in countries where government-to-government relationships are tense or limited and in countries with limited S&T capacity of their own.

While I often emphasize the diplomatic benefits of international S&T cooperation, there are many compelling reasons for the U.S. public and private sectors alike to make S&T cooperation a national priority.  The major challenges faced by our nation are the major challenges faced by the entire globe, and the U.S. cannot effectively pursue solutions on its own.

I look forward to hearing from this very distinguished panel of witnesses about their efforts to promote international science and technology cooperation as well as their recommendations for how the federal government might strengthen its efforts through more effective partnerships with U.S. scientific organizations and research universities.