Knowledge Dialogue to Attain Global Scientific Excellence and Broader Social Relevance

ANDERSON, CHRISTOPHER B.; MONJEAU, JORGE ADRIAN; RAU, JAIME R.

BIOSCIENCE

AMER INST BIOLOGICAL SCI

Año: 2015 vol. 65 p. 709 - 717

0006-3568

To achieve a global brain circulation, many Latin American countries have incentivized training abroad and publishing in high impact factorjournals. Such internationalization strategies are valuable, but we argue that a knowledge dialogue is a better model for global science toovercome North?South disparities and to achieve both excellence and relevance. Circulation implies transmitting into a system, but dialoguehighlights the individuals involved in the exchange. Although extant policies are theoretically adequate means of achieving brain circulation,broader impact criteria (e.g., integrating research and education, enhancing underrepresented groups? participation, linking science withnational goals) would help attain genuine knowledge dialogue. Using the Argentine and Chilean science systems as case studies, particularlyregarding environmental inquiry, we found that these principles are not systematically used but that nascent efforts exist. Lessons from homeand experiences elsewhere offer guidance to promote and evaluate science in a manner that reconciles the need for global excellence and localsocioecological relevance.