Scientific research and its impact on international cooperation

1. International cooperation in the field of research and knowledge seeking activities has a long history. Scientific and research activities of scientists and researchers in the course of history have constantly crossed the international frontiers. As such it has provided appropriate ground for the strengthening of interaction and transaction links between nations, cultures, and civilization and ultimately for materialization of internationalization. Many of today's tactics, techniques and technologies, which have had an improving bearing on the personal, professional and scientific life, are the result of collective and international research activities of researchers, inventors, and other scientists across the geographical and cultural boundaries.

2. In fact the nature of research is such that in any specialized field it has the characteristics of being additive and collective; it is so because every new research activity is, somehow, based on earlier discovered facts made by other researchers and scientists. At the same time the result of each research work provides the basis for future research activities. In the light of this it becomes clear that advances in sciences and technology are constantly contributed by international cooperation. Without the collective participation and international cooperation, one could not imagine that the human science could expand with such a speed and dimensions. As a conclusion, research per se is an objective and collective issue in which the incentive to do research and extend the scientific cooperation, the intrinsic curiosity of researchers and scientists and their common area of interest for discovery, production, expansion and the application of science, all have been manifested with least biased ideological, political, and geographical constrains.

3. The objective of any research activities is to discover and produce knowledge, to organize, apply and publish the research findings in order to surmount human problems and achieve the ideals and bring about a better outlook for humankind. All research activities, from fundamental to applied, and development research benefit from a global collective approach. Fundamental research that focuses on the production of globally shared knowledge provides its findings to other nations and creates a common pool of ideas, resources, and technological know-how. This in turn provides the ground for universities to engage in international transactions. In addition to this, the participation and cooperation extended by researchers in various universities towards the production of knowledge will lead to the creation of new fields and would strengthen the inter-disciplinary links amongst universities. But on the other hand, the existence of common issues and difficulties in scientific, social, political, and cultural fields, and the hardships in the application of scientific approach to prevent and eliminate these issues have paved the way for internationalization of universities. And the creation of a commitment for finding a common solution for international problems and conducting common projects, altogether have served to bring researchers throughout the world close to each other.

4. Beside the fact that the major part of inputs used in research are the result of international efforts and activities, the output and the result of university research, which is mainly the production of knowledge, belongs to all humankind irrespective of where it has been achieved. It is so due to its collective nature. As such it is being used by all nations beyond geographical and cultural boundaries. In the light of these features, it is believed that research results provide a cultural referential research as a ground for cooperation and interaction at international level. University research has brought vast remarkable achievements in different areas of science and technology, cultural and social issues, politics and economics. These achievements have been the result of international research, activities, and efforts over different periods of history, supported by an environment of collective participation of all nations in which each nation has had a relative share.

5. Advancement in information technology has changed the mode of international scientific communication. As a result of this, scientists, researchers, and all those interested in knowledge and research can now communicate with their counterparts across the world in a shortest time. They can exchange their research findings and establish a synergetic system. Such developments ultimately enhance and promote the scientific environment to flourish. Expansion of information networks paralleled with increase in knowledge about research areas and international capabilities on the one hand, and removal of geographical boundaries, increase in accessibility to research findings of others throughout the world on the other hand, have acted as catalyst to international cooperation. In addition to this, research findings with the creation of an open academic environment have provided signposts for internationalization and strengthened its scientific credibility.

14. Go back to passage 1. Look it through and approve or disapprove the author’s idea that international cooperation in the field of research and knowledge has provided the ground for the strengthening of interaction and transaction links between nations and cultures. While expressing your opinion use the following expressions of agreement / disagreement:

I am of the same opinion; I fully support the idea that …; The author is right in saying that …; I am sorry to say that the author is not completely right that …; My opinion is somewhat different from …; I am afraid the author has a biased opinion in saying that …

Scan passage 2. Using the information it contains in small groups discuss the additive and collective nature of research. Do you agree with the author that every new research activity is based on earlier discovered facts? Can the story of the periodic table of chemical elements of Mendeleyev be considered a proof of the additive nature of research? Give more facts of the kind from the history of scientific development.

Skim passage 3 and say what the author means saying “internationalisation of universities”. Speak how globally shared knowledge is produced? What is the role of university research in this process?

Look through passage 4. Using the author’s ideas and your own experience discuss the benefits of scientific cooperation and interaction at international level. Do you agree that university research belongs to all humankind? Give examples of scientific contacts and joint research of your university with universities of other countries. In what fields of knowledge has Belarus had a relative share?

18. Finally, skim passage 5 and speak about the role and influence of modern information technologies in international scientific communication. Use the following word-combinations and phrases in your discussion:

as a result of this; communicate with the counterparts across the world; exchange research findings; on the one / on the other hand; open academic environment; strengthen scientific credibility.

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Scan passage 2 and say if you agree with the author’s idea that science can make a significant contribution to a constructive dialogue between different cultures.	\|	Using the information of the text in small groups discuss the ways and the advantages of scientific research without boundaries.

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