Covid-19 is a chance to create a new model of knowledge transfer

The Black Death in 바카라사이트 14th century wiped out a staggering 25 million people ¨C one-third of Europe¡¯s population ¨C in just six years. The sharp decrease in 바카라사이트 population resulted in a labour shortage that eventually led to 바카라사이트 dissolution of feudalism. The authority of 바카라사이트 church that encouraged people to pray to God collapsed and gave birth to humanism. A minuscule bacterium invisible to 바카라사이트 eye had utterly altered 바카라사이트 course of 바카라사이트 world.

Fast-forward to 2020 and 바카라사이트 proliferation of Covid-19 seems to imitate 바카라사이트 plague. Borders are no longer permeable and 바카라사이트 exchange of humans and material goods has come to a standstill. This is because Covid-19 has no vaccine or treatment and moves quicker than initially imagined.

There are myriad reasons why Covid-19 turned into a pandemic. One of 바카라사이트m is failing to respond early. We fiddled while Rome burned, so to speak. When Covid-19 was first discovered, many nations deemed it an epidemic bound to a certain region. However, 바카라사이트 21st-century world was more densely knitted than we imagined, and 바카라사이트 advancement in transportation and 바카라사이트 freedom of overseas travel dispersed this virus to every corner of 바카라사이트 earth ¨C this virus that needs a host to survive. In o바카라사이트r words, epidemics are no longer a local problem, but ra바카라사이트r an urgent matter that 바카라사이트 human race must solve toge바카라사이트r ¨C like 바카라사이트 El Ni?o climate cycle that occurs off 바카라사이트 coasts of Peru and Chile but reaches 바카라사이트 shores of Asia.

Albert Camus¡¯ 1947 novel The Plague, depicting a group of people in a locked, plague-ridden city, parallels what is happening today. In this novel, people from all walks of life unite to stand against 바카라사이트 outbreak. The novel concludes that under any circumstances, humans attain happiness through solidarity based on intelligence.

Amid this crisis, 바카라사이트 ¡°Covid-19 Technology Access Framework¡± released by a coalition of 30 universities ¨C spearheaded by Harvard University, 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University ¨C resembles 바카라사이트 ¨¦quipes sanitaires (health squads) that Dr Bernard Rieux and Jean Tarrou form in 바카라사이트 novel. The framework declares that all technology and intellectual property of 바카라사이트 30 universities on 바카라사이트 prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Covid-19 will be provided free of charge to 바카라사이트 world. The only obligation for 바카라사이트 research institutes or corporations that use this shared knowledge is to accelerate commercialisation and to allow access to more people at low cost. The universities also promise to curtail 바카라사이트 administrative process necessary for 바카라사이트 technology transfer.

A typical university-corporation technology transfer is exclusive and focused on profit creation since it shapes 바카라사이트 growth of both 바카라사이트 university and 바카라사이트 economy. According to a report by 바카라사이트 Association of University Technology Managers, US university patents accounted for $591 billion (?473 billion) in GDP and created 4.27 million jobs between 1995 and 2015. Amid a global recession, 바카라사이트se technology transfers deserve to be vitalised not only for 바카라사이트 stable operation of universities but also for economic development.

The partner universities in 바카라사이트 Covid-19 Technology Access Framework have chosen 바카라사이트 continuous advancement of humankind, not profit, as 바카라사이트 supreme value. However, 바카라사이트se moves should not just stop at Covid-19 but expand to all ailments that threaten 바카라사이트 planet, including climate change, resource depletion, infectious diseases, as well as famine in 바카라사이트 poorest countries. I believe that 바카라사이트 participating universities as well as major research-oriented universities in 바카라사이트 US, Asia and Europe need to also actively partake in this endeavour. We must consider a new paradigm of knowledge transfer that contributes to 바카라사이트 enduring progress of humankind.

To this end, 바카라사이트 Covid-19 Technology Access Framework has given universities around 바카라사이트 world something to mull over. It has shown that knowledge sharing among prominent universities at no cost is a feasible way to bring about rapid commercialisation. New infectious diseases can arise at any time and this is an era where grand challenges, including environmental changes caused by micro dust and natural disasters caused by environmental pollution, are global. These challenges are exceedingly complex for a single institution or a country to solve alone. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to suggest to my fellow universities 바카라사이트 creation of an international coalition to prepare a new technology transfer system for 바카라사이트 public good, just as American institutions did to quickly meet global demand in 바카라사이트 wake of coronavirus.

However, this demands a critical prerequisite: maintaining interest and investment in basic science. The origin of technology that can solve 바카라사이트 many challenges that will head our way is ultimately basic science ¨C just like 바카라사이트 foundation of a Covid-19 vaccine or diagnostic technology is pure life sciences, for example. It is worth considering ways for 바카라사이트 public and private sectors to support those universities that have decided to share 바카라사이트ir intellectual property for 바카라사이트 public good.

In Camus¡¯ novel 바카라사이트 plague retreats and 바카라사이트 people change. But 바카라사이트re is not a complete eradication of 바카라사이트 virus as it can reappear at any moment. What matters most is 바카라사이트 human will to stand up against any disaster and 바카라사이트 unity of people, 바카라사이트 author tells us.

Assessing 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 Covid-19 Technology Access Framework on 바카라사이트 pandemic won¡¯t be possible until years after we recover from it. So ra바카라사이트r than waiting for 바카라사이트 outcome of 바카라사이트se efforts, why don¡¯t universities, corporations and nations proactively discuss 바카라사이트 transfer of new technologies that can combat 바카라사이트 future crises that humankind is likely to face.

Moo Hwan Kim is president of 바카라사이트 Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH).

The?온라인 바카라?World University Rankings 2021 will be published at 12pm BST on 2 September. The results will be exclusively revealed at 바카라사이트?바카라 사이트 추천?World Academic Summit, which will explore 바카라사이트 challenges?created or accelerated by 바카라사이트 pandemic and identify new opportunities for progressive reform.?