In October 2007, the U.S. National Academies and the Iranian Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Science organized the first of a series of planned U.S.-Iranian workshops on the topic "Science as a Gateway to Understanding." This new workshop series is a component of the broader effort of the National Academies to support bilateral workshops and exchange visits in a variety of fields with a number of Iranian institutions that began in 2000.



This book includes papers that were presented at the workshop and summaries of the discussions that followed some of the presentations. At the conclusion of the workshop there was general agreement that the presentations on many aspects of science and scientific cooperation that have a bearing on mutual understanding were an important first step. Several participants underscored that the next workshop should emphasize how scientific cooperation can lead in concrete terms to improved understanding among both academic and political leaders from the two countries.



Table of Contents


Front Matter
Words of Welcome--Mohammad Kazem Bojnordi
1 Where Does Science Go?--Honorable Mohammad Khatami
2 Scientists and Truth--Reza Davari Ardakani
3 The Innovation Ecology--William Wulf
4 Wisdom: the Best Gateway to Understanding--Mostafa Mohagheh Damad
5 Interacademy Cooperation: An Approach to Understanding--Abulhassan Vafai
6 Understanding Others, the Science Way--Yousef Sobouti
7 Loving and Sharing Science: Pierre-Gilles de Gennes--Etienne Guyon
8 Successes in Building International Bridges through Science--Norman Neureiter
9 The Universality of Science: Examples from History--Hossein Masoumi Hamedani
10 The Role of International Scientific Organizations--Michael Clegg
11 Science and Culture--Bernard Maitte
12 A Half Century of Successes and Problems in U.S.-Iranian Cooperation in Science, Engineering, and Medicine--Glenn Schweitzer
13 Opportunities for International Collaboration in Earthquake System Science--Thomas Jordan
14 Science, Technology, and Innovation in the Knowledge Economy: Prospects for Cooperation--Ousmane Kane
15 Summary of Open Forum--Yousef Sobouti
16 Closing Remarks--Norman Neureiter
Appendix A: Workshop Agenda
Appendix B: Workshop Participants