Science for the South in the South Exploring the Role of Local Leadership as a Catalyst of Scientific Development

Abstract

The process of Western science’s world-wide expansion has been propelled both by the West aiming to transfer knowledge and products to the rest of the world and non-Western nations attempting to grasp what appear to be the obvious symbols of Western success. A common approach in the specialized literature on this subject emphasizes the contribution of European and North American scientists or agencies in the colonial and post-colonial world, characterizing the process as a one-way flow of knowledge from North to South. More recently, researchers have sought to obtain a more balanced picture of the complex phenomena of scientific knowledge transfer and capability building in developing countries. Interest has consequently grown in understanding the actions of local scientists and other social actors in the South, whose aim is to introduce and/or pursue modern science locally.