T

he Indonesian Academy of Science (AIPI) recently commemorated its silver jubilee. Twenty five years ago, former president BJ Habibie, along with prominent scientists, established AIPI to speed up scientific development in the country. The celebration saw the introduction of an Indonesian science agenda toward a century of Indonesia'€™s independence.

The agenda aims to formulate the fundamental scientific questions regarding our present and future challenges and examines what sciences Indonesia requires to overcome various challenges in achieving the nation'€™s ideals. The agenda was formally titled '€œA Century of Science-based Inspiration 2045 (SAINS45)'€.

The formulation of similar documents has been standard practice in a number of countries. In 2005, the Science journal identified 125 important questions facing American scientists and the public. The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) has formulated 49 key questions facing scientists and the public in that country.

This agenda was conceived and drafted by young Indonesian scientists under the age of 45 who have completed doctoral programs, are actively researching and have academic publications published in reputable journals.

They work in various tertiary institutions and research institutes, and have participated in multidisciplinary academic conferences.

Through multidisciplinary workshops, these young scientists formulated eight clusters of fundamental problems faced by Indonesia and 45 fundamental scientific questions. The clusters center on identity and culture; maritime affairs and bioresources; health and nutrition; water; food and energy; climate and the universe; natural disasters and community resilience; material and computation science and economy, society and governance.

These eight clusters can be visualized as dots joined in a circle, centering on achieving the nation'€™s goals. This circle illustrates the need for a multidisciplinary approach in resolving the nation'€™s problems and an interdisciplinary approach that crosses disciplinary silos.

Sample issues and questions posed in the agenda include, what makes '€œIndonesia'€ Indonesia?; what is the future of humanity and humanitarian values in the technological era?; mega-biodiversity: how will '€œNoah'€™s Ark'€ survive?; how to stay healthy in old age; can vaccines and medicines also be grown on the farm; how to filter the information flow; one country, one nation, one economy '€” is that possible?

In today'€™s interconnected globalized 21st century, the key role of science is undeniable. Science is not only employed to understand physical, natural and social phenomena but to ensure our future survival as the human race.

Science is crucial to every nation seeking to thrive and develop within the turbulence of global competition and an equally volatile global ecosystem. Indonesia needs science not only as an instrument for good policymaking but also to guide the way people think about society, the environment, the past, present and future.

Therefore, to accelerate our scientific as well as our economic and social development we need to grow and promote a scientific temper or scientific culture.

Jawaharlal Nehru of India was first to introduce the term in 1946. The late prime minister and former barrister refers to a way of life or a habit as well as an individual and social process of thinking and acting, which employs a scientific method that include questioning, observing physical reality, testing, hypothesizing, analyzing and communicating.

He said scientific temper was the daily application of the scientific approach, the adventurous and yet critical temper of science, the search for truth and new knowledge, the refusal to accept anything without testing and trial, the capacity to change previous conclusions in the face of new evidence, the reliance on observed fact and not on pre-conceived theory, the hard discipline of the mind '€” all this is necessary, not merely for the application of science but for life itself and the solution to its many problems.

Charles Darwin once said freedom of thought was best promoted by the gradual illumination of peoples'€™ minds, which urgently requires scientific advancement.

Nehru'€™s argument is valid not only for India but for all developing countries, including Indonesia. What hinders our scientific development is not merely limited funds and organizational capacity to conduct research but also a lack of scientific temper or scientific culture in our society. Several educational and research institutions still tend to accept information, superstitions or habits without critical questioning or evaluation, while a scientific attitude becomes more urgent in the current flood of information.

This SAINS45 agenda, therefore, also aims to contribute to promoting scientific temper or scientific culture in our society, particularly to our younger generations. To achieve this aim, the agenda was written in a popular and succinct form, with numerous interesting pictures that could easily be understood by high school and university students.

We need to inspire our younger generations and explain to them that science is crucial to accelerating our nation'€™s development. No less importantly, we need to show them that science is fun and how being a scientist is cool.
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Hasnawati Saleh is study director of the Indonesian Science Agenda; Sudirman Nasir is a member of its study committee.