Few years ago I had the chance to read an interesting feature on French and German mathematicians and scientists on a magazine. I cannot remember the title and name of the magazine. It was all about how the Germans and the French used these mathematicians and scientists. In the 19th century, both the Germans and the French produced Europe's, may be world's, best mathematicians and scientists. French Army, biggest recruiter back then, conscripted many as it was embarked upon a series of expeditions beyond its border. Meanwhile, German mathematicians and scientists found job in German industries.
Result is obvious: French won many battles with their superior quality weapons that were more precise back then and conquered huge swaths of land. Credit definitely went to those French mathematicians and scientists.
Meanwhile, the Germans manufactured the best quality industrial machinery back then.
However, the French did not manage to keep the war momentum going and the Germans took over the French in all fields and dominated the twentieth century.
The goal of this piece is not about the comparison between the uses of the best minds by the Germans and the French. Rather, to learn how they created such an environment that churned out so many talents and helped their countries to prosper. But we need to learn some lessons from the German and French use of talents.
In many of these countries, institutions, streets and even marks are named after these geniuses. This indicates their deep veneration towards talents and creation of a knowledge-based society.
Unlike those countries, scientists and mathematicians and statisticians are not venerated in this country. Hardly any street is named after them. In the school text books, one can hardly find any content that glorifies the works of a scientist or portrays the biography of him.
Announcement of this year's Ekushey Padak further strengthens my belief that we do not revere our scientists and we are not committed to create a knowledge-based society. Even the highest civilian award , the Independence Award is hardly bestowed upon any scientist. Both the two awards are occasionally given to scientists but not on a regular basis as the two do not have well defined categories for various disciplines of science.
Yes you heard it right. Our country does not have any official honor system that officially recognizes the contribution our scientist and mathematician made to our country and the world. There is however national agricultural awards to honor agronomist and agricultural scientists who made tremendous contribution to agriculture. Even that award is not that much publicized.
Our kids will mumble to say names of few Bengali scientists as they are not familiar with their names and works. The only source of information, the media, is not that enthusiastic to broadcast and publicize their works. From my brief stint into journalism, I know it was difficult to find journalists to do report on science and technology. Students of respective discipline do the job and switch to other professions later. Other journalists take care of those supplements and sometimes translation of science and tech stories already appeared on international media are reproduced to feed the curious minds. Clearly our science journalism never pitches up. Shockingly I also discover that we do not have any dedicated specialized science and tech based print and online publication, setting aside the computer based ones, that have at least thousands of subscribers. Current media business model is not that much conducive to air and print science programs.
State media can play a role here. In many countries of South Asia, state channel broadcasts science education programs for students. Their own communication satellites make that task much easier. Bangladesh has recently joined the club of communication satellite owners. It can follow the steps of these countries and broadcast science based educational contents for students who will find complex subjects easier to grasp. At the same time it will be highly beneficial for students who live in remote parts of Bangladesh where qualified teachers for the subject is not available and there is no school lab. Government can take assistance from private production houses to create these educational contents.
Besides media, the ones popularize science through various fair and movement are either activists of ideological groups who just want to be stay relevant and keep the group organizationally fit. Schools and college based or neighborhood based science groups are visibly absent. These groups are real catalyst to ignite the curious minds.
It is quite appalling that government did little to promote science at schools. Not only that at tertiary level there is miniscule research grants. Bangladesh Agricultural University and Bangladesh Rice Research Institute are doing commendable jobs as their success stories are being reported regularly on the press. And to some extent one can view the progress made by their research. However, other branches of science are not that much lucky. Government is reluctant to spend on science and tech research. It has set up universities but it does not provide any fund for science and tech research.
John Stuart Mill in his "On Liberty" wrote:
Mill's views are more relevant to these days when there has been a hue and cry over industry oriented course at the universities.
In our country, many of these science graduates have been absorbed into civil military bureaucracy and in disciplines which are never meant for them. It is because both the government and private sector failed to mobilize funds for creation of a research based industry. Money has been accumulated into the hands of cronies who never understand the value of research and development in an industry. These politically and military blessed business class also dominates the media. A mere political connection is enough to make fortune. So why should one care about investing in research? As a nation our apathy towards sciences can be viewed in terms of our lack of patronization and our inability to honor the existing ones.
It sounds ridiculous when we hear government does not have fund to finance science based research initiatives. Many of its development projects were washed away by rain. It increased government expenditures by raising new army units and giving armed forces new business contracts. This fund could easily be diverted to science and tech based research. Germans used their talents by absorbing them in the private industry. A natural process. In the course of time German industry turned out to be a success story into using these talents including manufacturing the war machinery. It is a pity that a country that once produced great minds like Satyendra Nath Bose, Jagadish Chandra Bose, FR Khan, Jamal Nazrul Islam became barren in various branches of science. Bringing back those glorious days on this barren land pivots on a change in our attitude to Science in general.
Result is obvious: French won many battles with their superior quality weapons that were more precise back then and conquered huge swaths of land. Credit definitely went to those French mathematicians and scientists.
Meanwhile, the Germans manufactured the best quality industrial machinery back then.
However, the French did not manage to keep the war momentum going and the Germans took over the French in all fields and dominated the twentieth century.
The goal of this piece is not about the comparison between the uses of the best minds by the Germans and the French. Rather, to learn how they created such an environment that churned out so many talents and helped their countries to prosper. But we need to learn some lessons from the German and French use of talents.
In many of these countries, institutions, streets and even marks are named after these geniuses. This indicates their deep veneration towards talents and creation of a knowledge-based society.
Unlike those countries, scientists and mathematicians and statisticians are not venerated in this country. Hardly any street is named after them. In the school text books, one can hardly find any content that glorifies the works of a scientist or portrays the biography of him.
Announcement of this year's Ekushey Padak further strengthens my belief that we do not revere our scientists and we are not committed to create a knowledge-based society. Even the highest civilian award , the Independence Award is hardly bestowed upon any scientist. Both the two awards are occasionally given to scientists but not on a regular basis as the two do not have well defined categories for various disciplines of science.
Yes you heard it right. Our country does not have any official honor system that officially recognizes the contribution our scientist and mathematician made to our country and the world. There is however national agricultural awards to honor agronomist and agricultural scientists who made tremendous contribution to agriculture. Even that award is not that much publicized.
Our kids will mumble to say names of few Bengali scientists as they are not familiar with their names and works. The only source of information, the media, is not that enthusiastic to broadcast and publicize their works. From my brief stint into journalism, I know it was difficult to find journalists to do report on science and technology. Students of respective discipline do the job and switch to other professions later. Other journalists take care of those supplements and sometimes translation of science and tech stories already appeared on international media are reproduced to feed the curious minds. Clearly our science journalism never pitches up. Shockingly I also discover that we do not have any dedicated specialized science and tech based print and online publication, setting aside the computer based ones, that have at least thousands of subscribers. Current media business model is not that much conducive to air and print science programs.
State media can play a role here. In many countries of South Asia, state channel broadcasts science education programs for students. Their own communication satellites make that task much easier. Bangladesh has recently joined the club of communication satellite owners. It can follow the steps of these countries and broadcast science based educational contents for students who will find complex subjects easier to grasp. At the same time it will be highly beneficial for students who live in remote parts of Bangladesh where qualified teachers for the subject is not available and there is no school lab. Government can take assistance from private production houses to create these educational contents.
Besides media, the ones popularize science through various fair and movement are either activists of ideological groups who just want to be stay relevant and keep the group organizationally fit. Schools and college based or neighborhood based science groups are visibly absent. These groups are real catalyst to ignite the curious minds.
It is quite appalling that government did little to promote science at schools. Not only that at tertiary level there is miniscule research grants. Bangladesh Agricultural University and Bangladesh Rice Research Institute are doing commendable jobs as their success stories are being reported regularly on the press. And to some extent one can view the progress made by their research. However, other branches of science are not that much lucky. Government is reluctant to spend on science and tech research. It has set up universities but it does not provide any fund for science and tech research.
John Stuart Mill in his "On Liberty" wrote:
The worth of a state , in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it; and a state which postpones the interest of their mental expansion and elevation to a little of mere administrative skill , or of that semblance of it which practice gives in details of business; a state which dwarfs its men, in order that they may be more docile instruments in its hands even for beneficial purposes--will find that with small men no great thing can really be accomplished; and that the perfection of machinery to which it has sacrificed everything will in the end avail it nothing, for want of the vital power which, in order that the machine might work more smoothly, it has preferred to banish.
Mill's views are more relevant to these days when there has been a hue and cry over industry oriented course at the universities.
In our country, many of these science graduates have been absorbed into civil military bureaucracy and in disciplines which are never meant for them. It is because both the government and private sector failed to mobilize funds for creation of a research based industry. Money has been accumulated into the hands of cronies who never understand the value of research and development in an industry. These politically and military blessed business class also dominates the media. A mere political connection is enough to make fortune. So why should one care about investing in research? As a nation our apathy towards sciences can be viewed in terms of our lack of patronization and our inability to honor the existing ones.
It sounds ridiculous when we hear government does not have fund to finance science based research initiatives. Many of its development projects were washed away by rain. It increased government expenditures by raising new army units and giving armed forces new business contracts. This fund could easily be diverted to science and tech based research. Germans used their talents by absorbing them in the private industry. A natural process. In the course of time German industry turned out to be a success story into using these talents including manufacturing the war machinery. It is a pity that a country that once produced great minds like Satyendra Nath Bose, Jagadish Chandra Bose, FR Khan, Jamal Nazrul Islam became barren in various branches of science. Bringing back those glorious days on this barren land pivots on a change in our attitude to Science in general.
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