Goodbye Expert-Based Policy Advice? Challenges in Advising Governmental Institutions in Times of Transformation

The global transformation towards sustainability has not only increased the demand for anticipatory and reflexive knowledge to support decision making, but also raises three challenges common to all forms of scientific policy advice: to appropriately consider societal norms and values (challenge of normativity), to integrate different forms of knowledge (challenge of integration) and to organize the participation of stakeholders (challenge of participation). While new forms of scientific policy advice in the field of sustainability research (SR) have emerged in response, the role of established actors such as the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag (TAB) is increasingly scrutinized. One of the fundamental characteristics of TAB’s model of scientific policy advice is a rigid boundary arrangement between politics and science that places a high value on the objectivity and authority of scientific knowledge. Based on a content analysis of digitalization-related TAB reports spanning three decades, we describe how a rather technocratic institution such as TAB has dealt with the challenges of normativity, integration, and participation, and we compare its approach with that of SR institutions. TAB has partly adapted its working mode to the new challenges, e.g., by trying out new methods to foster a stronger dialogue with stakeholders. However, TAB’s response to the challenges distinctly differs from the forms of transformative research conducted in the SR community. We argue that this is not only a necessary precondition to maintain its reputation as a trustworthy actor towards the Parliament but gives TAB and similar expert-based institutions a special role in the governance of societal transformation.

Medieval Scientific Policy in Medicine, Measuring Realism in Prophet Medicine

In dark days of Europe, which was a barren science, you saw the world through superstitions of alchemy and methods based on ignorance and speculation. A current of science emerged in medieval world that provided a new definition of science. In modern definition of science, it is knowledge of fixed truths of nature, man and society, which you have acquired with the tools of empirical intellect and by observation and induction, and which have been useful for ensuring the welfare and security of human beings. The background of this scientific current is call to reason, realism and philosophy. The intellect is source of knowledge of world, and the dimensions of the universe are based on principles of philosophy and method of realism. Sarton, leader of historiography of science in middle Ages, introduced Muslims as leaders of science in middle Ages. A collection of health, food, medicine and theoretical treatments is attributed to Muhammad, which has been published under the title of Prophetic Medicine. Ibn Khaldu criticized medicine of Prophet eight hundred years ago. he writes that Prophet was not a physician and a specialist in worldly affairs, and that use of Prophet's medicine does not require observance of status of prophethood The hypothesis of the present study is that despite Ibn Khaldun's criticism, the realism of the Prophet's medical works shows that Prophet's medicine needs new reflection and study, and a special type of medicine is based on trust in divine wisdom in creating an intelligent system between disease and medicine in nature. The present study has analyzed and explained realism in Prophet's medical words about fenugreek and has shown and proved it according to modern medical data. The Prophet issued a general decree regarding fenugreek and said; Hundreds of new laboratory and clinical research in medicine, veterinary medicine, agriculture, biology show general effectiveness of fenugreek in maintaining human health, livestock, nature and environment, and fenugreek is at heart of biology research, which Proves realism of comprehensive speech of Prophet.

What Does Good Science-Based Advice to Politics Look Like?

I address options for providing scientific policy advice and explore the relation between scientific knowledge and political, economic and moral values. I argue that such nonepistemic values are essential for establishing the significance of questions and the relevance of evidence, while, on the other hand, such social choices are the prerogative of society. This tension can be resolved by recognizing social values and identifying them as separate premises or as commissions while withholding commitment to them, and by elaborating a plurality of policy packages that envisage the implementation of different social goals. There are limits to upholding the value-free ideal in scientific research. But by following the mentioned strategy, science can give useful policy advice by leaving the value-free ideal largely intact. Such scientific restraint avoids the risk of appearing to illegitimately impose values on the public and could make the advice given more trustworthy.

Import of Scientific Policy Instruments in Contemporary Russia

Characteristic features of contemporary scientific policy of Russia in the context of its instruments import are highlighted in the article. Instruments are analyzed as institutions according to the D. North interpretation. It was revealed that the main imports are the instruments those ensure the accountability of the academic community (academia). Grant funding system, scientometrics and academic excellence programs are these instruments. In the conditions of contemporary Russia the accountability of scientists and scholars to society turns into accountability to the vertical of power. The motivation of its representatives includes both the idea of public benefits as well as the task of private efficiency maximizing when to select the goals and instruments of scientific policy. It is shown that the selection process includes three main levels: political, governmental and departmental. Imported instruments are gradually transformed in accordance with the interests of the actors participating in the vertical administrative bargaining at all these levels. The goals set at the political level to strengthen economic and political positions of the country in the world are gradually being replaced with the tasks of maximizing the private efficiency of high-ranking participants in this bargaining. As a result, a qualitative modification of the sphere of science occurs. It is not just about the limitation of academic community autonomy, but about its incorporation into the vertical of power in the conditions of contemporary Russia. This fact leads to the changing of motivation and structure of academia. Academic researchers and scholars are gradually being replaced by politicized academic administrators and specific academic entrepreneurs. They are differ if compare them with the western academic entrepreneurs. The latter are focused on the competitive economic markets, while the first concentrate their attention on the redistribution of resources within the framework of vertical administrative bargaining.

SCIENTIST'S PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY: FACTORS AND PATTERNS OF TRANSFORMATION

The article is devoted to the analysis of factors and patterns of transformation the professional identity of scientists on the example of modern Russian science. The analysis was carried out on the basis of both secondary and primary sociological data. As the primary sociological data were used the materials of quantitative and qualitative research carried out in scientific centers of the SB RAS in the period from the end of the 1990s to the end of the 2010s. It is concluded that the leading factor for the transformation of the professional identity of Russian scientists was, first of all, a sharp change in the attitude towards science on the part of society and the state. We can say about the crisis in these relations is evident, which was reflected in a sharp drop of economic and social status of science. In addition, we are also talking about the weakening of the science’s cognitive role in culture. Three post-Soviet decades have shown that science, as a rule, found ways to successfully adapt to a constantly changing situation, primarily a change in the course of state scientific policy.

Government incentive mechanism of closed-loop supply chain based on information asymmetry

Aimed at the closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) composed of the manufacturer, the retailer and consumers in the waste products market, this paper studies how the government handles the adverse selection problem on the hidden recovery costs of the retailer and deals with the moral hazard problem on the level of retailer's hidden efforts. A government incentive regulation aiming at maximizing social welfare has been established based on the incentive theory in this paper. A list of contracts with transfer payments is presented to reveal the retailer's collection efficiency and motivate the retailer to make the optimal investment. Further, the impact of related factors on the recovery cost and social welfare level according to the numerical simulation are verified. The results show that under the government regulation, only by reporting the true recovery technology type information to the government can the retailer maximizes the profit. In addition, the retailer with high recovery efficiency can obtain both retained profit and additional information rent. Finally, as the retailer makes efforts to improve the recovery level, it also increases investment cost, which affects the enthusiasm of enhancing the retailer's recovery efficiency. Therefore, the government should not blindly pursue the improvement of recycling efficiency regardless of the cost, but should pay more attention to the control of recycling equipment and technology cost.The results facilitate scientific policy development, and provide a reference for promoting closed-loop supply chain operations.

Paradigm of Climate Change and its Influence on Zooplankton

Zooplankton are the precious elements of aquatic ecosphere playing a significant role in some ecological phenomena viz., biomonitoring, ecological indication, link between primary producers and higher trophic levels, aquaculture,and maintenance of balance in aquatic food webs.The climate,being a dynamic abiotic entity, changed many times during the history of earth particularly before and after the industrial revolution.The unending materialistic benefits of human beings have been increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases since the last few decades that is enough to raise the global temperature. It is a fact that both biotic and abiotic factors affect the dynamics of aquatic biota due to which the aquatic ecosystems and the organisms inhabiting them such as zooplankton are becoming the worst targets of the climate change phenomenon. Some of the significant consequences of climate change posing threats for the zooplankton community include increased temperature, acidification, nutrient enrichment,and increasing ultraviolet (UV) environment of the aquatic ecosystem that significantly affect theirsurvival, behaviour, nutritional procurement, reproduction,and their overall population dynamics.Due to the profound effects of climate change on the zooplankton community, the entire aquatic food web gets crushed away leading to more severe concerns about the higher trophic levels and overall dynamics of the aquatic biota. Thus,unending loss in the dynamics of the aquatic ecosystem could prevailand will go on expanding if the causal factors of climate change continue to operate beyond their limits unless a strong scientific policy and framework in contrary to climate change are reinforced with the key focus on aquatic biota especially zooplankton.

South Korean Science and Technology Policy

The article analyzes the policy of South Korea in the field of science and technology, examines the main trends of the ROK’s science development, current state, key problems and prospects of the industry. The characteristics of the state scientific and technological policy and its main actors are presented. It is stated that at the beginning South Korea abundantly used adopt experience, foreign technologies and successfully got accepted them in production. The ROK succeeded to hold leading positions in the world innovation ratings through smart patent activity, essential investment and government policy. At the same time, the author predicts the necessity of tremendous efforts, includes but not limited to fi ancial injection for maintaining such high figure. The issue of not only human resources’ import but also keeping of South Korean skilled labor, the demand and competition for whom are ramping up dramatically, has still unresolved. The article focuses on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the scientific policy and the development of innovations in the fight against such pandemics. It was revealed that research in the field of biotechnology and establishment of “smart” health care centers based on the innovations become a priority of science policy. It was noted that South Korea one of the first reaps the benefits of IT solution, which helps to prevent economics collapse and further viral shedding through the rapid digital technics’ implementing.

Spanish State Policy on the Management of Science and Scientific and Technical Information

The article is devoted to the analysis of the Spanish state policy in the field of science and scientific and technical information management. The paper examines the institutional characteristics of scientific policy in the country, in particular, the main bodies of its coordination, financing and implementation, including their functional powers, regulatory framework, and international cooperation. The article concludes that the Spanish authorities are taking active steps to improve the legislation in the field of science in order to increase the overall competitiveness of the country in the international arena. Important conclusions were also made by the proposed recommendations in various aspects that can contribute to achieving better results.

New Strategy Formation Outlines for The Organizational and Managerial Support of The Southern Federal District Oncology Service Activities

The article presents the results of the new strategy outlines development for organizational and managerial activities support in the framework of the previously support considered areas: personnel policy; assessment of competencies; infrastructure and digital environment; specialized medical care; scientific policy; quality assessment policy. The basis of the methodological framework is formed by the strategic approach in economics and management. During the empirical part of the study, the following methods were used: the method of expert assessments, the method of SWOT analysis. The resources, external and internal factors, strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats of implementing activities in the field of healthcare institution organizational and managerial support were analyzed on the example of the Federal State Budgetary Institution " NMRC of Oncology" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation as the " head " organization of the Southern Federal District in the field of "oncology". The instruments of SWOT analysis were carried out in several stages using qualitative and quantitative methods. The article presents a final review of the results of the SWOT analysis, which allows us to draw conclusions about the choice of the contours of organizational and managerial support strategies (the strategy of extreme optimism, which is based on measures to implement existing opportunities, as well as a conservative strategy, which is based on measures that use the strengths of the organization in order to overcome threats). The study confirmed the hypothesis that the contours of the strategy of organizational and managerial support of activities contribute to the strategizing of common goals and objectives and the design of key areas of activity of medical institutions in order to ensure a high level of involvement of employees at all levels in achieving performance indicators and increasing indicators of scientific performance.