04 September 2007

Working smarter

Here's an interesting story related to the federal Science and Technology Strategy, and a timely reminder during return-to-school week. The general decline in science graduates in the West - and the concomitant rise in China as one example - is often read as a sign of looming productivity declines. Larry Smith prepared a report for Polytechnics Canada that addressed this issue, which I heard him present at the recent Polytechnics annual conference.

Morgan's article offers a nice synopsis of our collective responsibility to motivate and mobilize an increased focus on science and on graduating professionals in science fields. I especially like his distinction that being scientifically literate is "not about knowing how to use technical products, it's about knowing how to create them. It's also about the satisfaction of going through life with at least a basic understanding of the technologies you use every day." Scientific literacy is one component of the core foundation of education today.

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