My Visualization for Human Civilization in 2050 - DR.A.P.J.Abdulkalam

I am delighted to participate in the inauguration of Indo-Korea Science and Technology Centre at Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc) Bangaluru. My greetings to Dr. Ahn Byung Man, Hon’ble Minster of Education, Science and Technology, Republic of Korea, Prof. Min Dong Pil, Chairman, Korea Res Council of Science and Technology, Dr. Han Hong Taek, President, KIST, Dr. Balaram, Director, IISc, Dr. N. Balakrishnan, Associate Director, IISc, Faculty Members, Scientists and Researchers from India and Korea.

I understand that IISc and KIST have entered into an MoU to work together on many globally important issues and have decided to set up a research laboratory in the premises of the Society for Innovation of the Indian Institute of Science. I have just a few minutes back inaugurated that research centre. This centre is planning to expand its activities to span many areas and many Institutions. Once all the formalities are done, this will become an important centre for leveraging on the strengths of the two nations to address immediate and long term challenges facing our world.

I have seen the Future Fusion Technology Laboratory built by KIST to perform national research agenda. It offers the world class research platform and allows the public to use its exclusive equipments. The laboratory has two main research units: 1. The Research Center for Neural Sciences which examines the nerve system, 2. The Computational Science Research Center which studies computational technologies using the latest super computers. Also it is scheduled to establish a Strategic Technology Planning Center which will plan and execute Korean national research agenda in the future.


Indian Institute of Science has always spread the knowledge and enriched various institutions in India and abroad. I have personally witnessed this transformation at IISc during my both 20 years in Defence Research and 20 years in ISRO and another 10 years in various phases of my work in national development. The Indian Institute of Science and its great scientific environment and the spirit of scientific and technological excellence has been created and nurtured by generations of scientific thinkers and leaders like Sir C.V Raman, Dr. Homi Bhaba, Dr. M.S. Thackar, Dr. Bhagavantham, Dr. JC Ghosh, Dr. Choksi, Prof. Vikram Sarabhai, Dr. Satish Dhawan, Dr. Brahma Prakash and Dr. Ramaseshan. I am happy to participate in the inauguration of Indo-Korea Science and Technology Centre. My greetings to all of you.

When I am with you let me recall, my address to the National Assembly of Republic of Korea in 2006. There I have suggested the creation of a World Knowledge Platform which will focus especially in the areas of design, development leading to productionization for meeting the market demands of partner countries and the world market using their innovative capacities and core competence. The world knowledge platform will also evolve a virtual design center with the participation of collaborating countries. I have also suggested the missions for world knowledge platform which are of utmost urgency to all of us to make our world a safe, sustainable, peaceful and prosperous place to live. The Missions were: energy, water, healthcare, food-processing, knowledge products, education, aircraft, shipping of automobile system and technologies to combat climate change, particularly energy independence. When I spoke to the National Assembly of South Korea, President Lee came to me and said that it is a very important doctrine and nations South Korea and India should work together with a common cause.

I had met Mr. Lee Myung-bak at Rashtrapati Bhavan, when I was the President of India during his personal visit to India. We walked together in Mughal Garden. We discussed many aspects of development and my special focus on World Knowledge Platform had enthused the President. Later, I was invited by President Lee to attend his inaugural ceremony at Seoul, as his personal guest. A day before his inaugural ceremony, I met President Lee in his transition office and made a presentation on World Knowledge Platform. President Lee formed a technological team for Global Knowledge Platform. Today I am happy to see that the Vision of World Knowledge Platform is translated into a mission by the birth of the Indo-Korea Science and technology centre. Day before yesterday, when I was in Guntur, President Lee spoke to me and enquired about this mission and also extended the full support from the Government of South Korea for this project. He also extended an invitation to me to visit Korea to further strength the R&D co-operation in this sector.

With this ambience, when I am thinking of what are the research challenges facing the world today, I would like to present my visualization of the Human Civilization by the year 2050 for a prosperous and peaceful globe.

My Visualization for Human Civilization in 2050

1.Every citizen of the civilization will have access to adequate quantity and quality water for consumption, sanitation and irrigation.

2.Agriculture will enable constant renewal and enrichment of the soil.

3.There will be an adequate access to energy to all in the world and it will be based on green sources.

4.The ICT will transform into a knowledge system powerhouse penetrating and enabling every conceivable field of human endeavour.

5.Education will be the tool by which Science and Technology will be delivered to all, leading to the birth of the global knowledge society backed by value system and a spirit of compassion.

6.Healthcare will witness an emphasis on preventive healthcare and tailored medical treatments for each individual leading a disease free society with increased longevity.

7.Minimum guaranteed quality of life will be ensured to every global citizen.

8.The global Green House Gas Equilibrium will be achieved and the risk of Climate change will be eliminated.

9.The human habitat will be extended to Earth, Moon and Mars complex.

10.Multidisciplinary global leaders will emerge with a vision for sustainable development.

India and Korea should work together for achieving these visions and become a pace setter for the other nations to follow.

Initially I understand the centre is going to concentrate on Solar Thermal Energy Research which is very important, not only for India and Korea, but for the whole world where everyone is looking for clean energy sources, so that we can gradually reduce and eliminate the use of fossil fuels for energy generation. Another area where the Indo-Korea S&T Centre is going to concentrate is on development of materials. I presume the activities of the centre will extend to nano-materials and nano-fabrication which is likely to be the material of the 21st century.


Suggestions:

With this context, I have few suggestions to the Indo-Korea Science and Technology Centre for your study:

1.Bio inspired Materials: Shall we realize the Bio-inspired Aerospace System with the use of nano technology, nano electronics and nano bio-inspired materials to realize the technologies such as flapping wing technology as visualized by Prof Satish Dhawan?

2.Molecular Computing: Shall we design and develop DNA computing or molecular computing embedded with Biomimetic Material Systems instead of traditional silicon based computing systems – to achieve the terra or peta flops of high performance computing?

3.Mobility Wi-MAX: Shall we Design and develop Mobility Wi-MAX systems with efficient algorithms to yield better bandwidth throughput yield and distance coverage in a given frequency?

4.Efficient Solar Thermal Systems: Shall we develop the technologies, systems and products for achieving higher reflection capability optics, storage systems, heating systems which provides higher efficiency in generating solar thermal power with minimal space?

5.Knowledge products/Systems from Convergence of Technologies: With the convergence of technologies and its advanced integrated interdisciplinary research, shall we work on the R&D missions towards realizing products and systems in the following areas such as adoptive self-healing materials/smart skin materials; Quantum navigation sensors; integrated nano sensor systems; on board computing systems for future autonomous intelligent vehicles; Smart, compact sensors and ultra small probes; Thinking spacecraft; Optical sensors for synthetic vision; nano rovers for planetary exploration.

India and South Korea has to have a hard partnership by investing equally to realize the above missions and the research results will have to produce products and systems for the Global market.



Conclusion

Friends, while concluding, I would like leave you with one question – “What will I be remembered for?” Each one of you based on specialization and passion could bring about monumental changes in the lifestyles of entire human civilizations leading to a planet worth living for the generations to come. If you can find an answer in one page, that page will write a history.

With these words, I inaugurate the Indo-Korea Science and technology Centre at Bangaluru. My best wishes to all the participants’ success in the mission of making new break through in solar energy and material research.

May God Bless you.

Please visit the official website of Dr.A.P.J.Abdulkalam www.abdulkalam.com