A WORLD PROGRAM IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

HAROLDTAYLOR

United States Committee for the United Nations University, 241 West Street, New York. New York 10014

The United Nations General Assembly, by a vote of 118 member governments, with 10 abstentions from the Eastern Socialist Republics and Cuba, voted on December 6, 1973 to establish a United Nations University. The vote followed more than four years of discussion and planning by the United Nations and UNESCO secretariats and UN agen- cies, two feasibility studies, and the work of two 20-member world bodies of scholars and educators-a Panel of Experts and a Founding Committee.

U-Thant firsi suggested the idea as part of his report to the General Assembly in the fall of 1969. At that time the proposal was to estadlish a central world campus to which students representing the world’s youth would work in a global curriculum with an international faculty. By the time the vote was taken last December the idea had been trans- formed into a worldwide.system of regional research and training institutes where international bodies of scholars will join together to carry out research and training pro- grams in three major areas-the issues of war and peace, the problems of social development and the quality of life, and the protection of the planet’s resources.

In the language of the Charter prepared by the Founding Committee, “The research programs of the institutions of the University shall include, among other subjects, co-exist- ence between peoples having different cultures, languages and social systems, peaceful relations between states and the maintenance of peace and security; human rights; economic and social change; the environment and the proper use of resources; basic scientific research and the application of the results of science and technology in the interests of develop- ment; universal human values related to the improvement of the quality of life. The University shall disseminate the knowledge gained in its activities to the United Nations and its agencies, to scholars and to the public, in order to in- crease dynamic interaction in the worldwide community of learning and research.”

Until now, little has been known about the plans for the new University. Since they were developed inside the UN establishment, very little could be said to the world outside until there was general agreement by the governments about the character of the new institution itself. What we now have is a worldwide network of scholars with a world head- quarters to be established in Tokyo next October, policies to be set by a University Council of 24 scholars who are to be independent of their governments. and a Rector nominated by the Council aid appointed. by the Secretary- General of the UN and the Director-General of UNESCO. The future of the University will therefore depend for its success on the amount of financial support given to it through voluntary contributions by UN member govern-

ments, foundations and individuals, and the amount of enthusiasm generated in the world’s university community for inventing and carrying out the research projects called for by the University Charter.

Until now, the United States Government has taken a sceptical and negative attitude to the idea. Although voting with the other goveylments last December for the establish- ment of the world University, in answer to a request from the Secretary-General for an indication of what financial and other support each of the governments was prepared to give, the United States offered nothing, and suggested that support could come from American foundations, un- iversities and private individuals. Since most of the un- iversities have serious financial problems of their own, the foundations have cut back on their contributions to interna- tional programs of all kinds, and very few private indivi- duals are as yet informed about the University, the U.S. pos- ition is actually one of giving assent to the idea that other countries can carry the financial burden and make their own plans. while the U.S. concerns itself with other problems.

An international study prqject organized hj the Ameri- can C‘ouncil on Education has conducted a survey or the opinion ofcertain of its members and has delivered a report to the State Department which indicates that as of last August and September, the American university community was not greatly aware of the plans for the University nor enthusiastic about carrying them out. However, since little was known at that time about the concrete proposals, and there had been almost no study of the proposals by the State Department or American universities, the survey was, as its sponsors pointed out, not an actual representation of what American opinion might be if the idea had been taken more seriously.

In response to the Secretary-General’s request for an indi- cation of intent by member governments, the Japanese com- mitted themselves to a contribution of $100 million to the University Endowment Fund, plus the full costs of estab- lishing the world headquarters in Tokyo, and the intention to establish a regional research center for the University somewhere in Japan. No other country has matched the Japanese offer in gnything close to these-amounts, although several. including Canada. India. Italv. ERVM. West Ger- many and Austria, have indicateb ser&us%e;est and the intention to contribute.

It is probable that more enthusiasm will develop as more is known about the idea and its possibilities, and as a know- ledge of the worldwide scope of the research and training programs penetrates the consciousness of the world com- munity of scholars and scientists. Considered in its largest dimension. the establishment of the University can be seen

229

230 rGne\

as the first time in the hi&tory of the human race that the organized intelligence of the race has been put to work on basic questions having to do with the survival and security of the planet and its various forms of civilization.

It is therefore imperative at this stage that scholars in America and elsewhere begin to consider the contributions organized scholarship could make to a world university where teams of scholars from a variety of countries can work together on the key issues with which the world is con- cerned.

Since the University plan calls for action-research by scholars from many disciplines, the social scientists, humanists and the natural scientists and technologists have an open opportunity to carry out work of very great signifi- cance both to themselves and to world society. It is assumed that the results of the research will be used by UN agencies, governments, and the universities of the world. Young scho- lars working with the UN University research teams will be drawn from the ranks of those who have already completed graduate work and have shown promise in the field of their choice. If initiatives are taken by the world’s universities, un- dergraduate and graduate students can be reached through the affiliation of universities with the main regional centers around the world. The details of various kinds of affiliation are to be worked out by the University Council when it begins making University policies during the coming months.

In preparation for the work of the University Council and the subsequent program of the University itself, various members of American universities have begun to write working papers on research problems and other matters having to do with the future of the University. There are now approximately 250 members of college and university faculties in this country who have agreed to act as liaison between the US. Committee for the United Nations Uni- versity and their own institutions. This network of con- cerned persons will be expanding in the future, and other groups, outside governments, will be forming themselves in other countries.

In the meantime, one American scholar, Emile Benoit of Columbia University, has prepared ,an illustrative list of research projects which the University might carry out.

1. The material requirements for prospective growth

An analysis of the material requirements (in houses, cities, schools, raw materials, etc.) for maintaining present growth trends until 2006 A.D. if population is to double as implied by UN projections.

2. New directions for science and technology

The possibilities of redirecting Research and Develop- ment away from its primary objectives in the recent past (national military and economic power and prestige etc.) over to the service of mankind’s long term needs for energy, food and materials.

3. Strategy for survival

An analysis of the political dynamics arising from the strivings of ten major national power centers each seeking maximization of its own objectives, and how their freedom of choice is conditioned by the total capacity of the system and the posture of the others.

4. Global constraints and development

An analysis of the effects of finite limitations to world growth on the distribution of income between poor and rich

nations, and how an approach to reduced inequality may be harmonized with the requirements of survival for all.

5. An alternative world model

This project starts out from the opposite end and asks what would be required for each individual in the world to attain maximum self-development and fulfillment of his essential needs-in food, medical care, housing, education. information, communication and mobility-and whether and how the resources available to mankind if rationally used might be sufficient for that purpose.

6. The welfare content and potential of improvements in the

non-material component in the standard of living

An analysis of the extent to which welfare might be enhanced by increases in services, leisure, and changes in social patterns of experience (such as a more active partici- pation by individuals both in their work and recreation). An examination of the extent to which this might permit a growth in welfare, despite a reduction in material through- put incident to the elimination of waste, and of status- enhancing varieties of consumption for which other varie- ties of status enhancement might be substituted.

This project might require inter alia a close examination of the actual content of conventional consumption, and the extent of real satisfactions thereby provided, as indicated perhaps by depth interviewing and other non-market indi- cators. Experiments to provide working ‘vacations’ in primi- tive environments and in social conditions different from normal, to analyze the psychic satisfactions thereby achieved, might also be helpful. Conceivably such an analy- sis might be helpful in reconciling developed countries to a leveling off in the growth of material product, and in chang- ing developing countries’ conception of the necessary character and goals of economic development.

7. An attempt to hring together the problems ofpeace and of

the limits to growth

This could be done by tracing out the political use that may be made of resource shortages and control over resources as an instrument of power, and how on the other side, politico-military power may be exerted in future in warlike ways in response to tightening economic depriva- tions arising from limitations of supply. A similar attempt might be made to see how common recognition of a mutu- ality of intcrcst in averting pollution and conserving resources might establish habits and techniques of cooper- ation that might conceivably have some carryover into other fields, thereby reducing the danger of war.

8. A return to the still unsolved problem of the optimum size ofpopulation-for maximizing the welfare of both presenr and future generations-and its various determinants

Thereafter a study of the ways and means by which such an optimum may be approached, and their economic, politi- cal and social costs.

9. A study of what changes would be necessary in national governments to get them to change their traditional focus of interest su~ciently to enable them to cope with environmental and growth problems in an effective manner

How fundamentally will they need to be changed to do effective long term and rational policy planning, and to move away from the present concentration on such short term objectives as maintaining themselves in ofice, nego- tiating accommodations of clashing interest groups, and

promoting the parochial short term ‘interests’ of the nation? wrth global problems. In fact the dcvelopmcn~ ul new think- If such a refocussing of the attention of national govern- ing about world economic problems will not only be stimu- ments appears impossible to achieve, what world institu- lated by the existence of the United Nations University, but tions can be created, with adequate power, to serve the in- can and should become a shared responsibility of all social terests of the world community, and to work for human sur- scientists in every part of the globe. vival” The vote of the United Nations in 1973 simply put a

The field of the socio-economic planning sciences is obviously a fertile source for ideas to be taken up by,the UN University when it begins its operations in October of 1974. There is no doubt that American economists and social scientists will become more involved in work of this kind as AI~C~ILYIII universities concern themselves more directly

structure before the world to be used as the world’s govern- ments, the international research community and concerned citizens see fit to use it. Whether a University of the kind now established will have an effect on world history or on world education and the global order will be decided by the amount of intellectual energy and imagination which scho- lars. educators. students and citizens are willing to devote to it. The preliminary work is now done, the rest is up to US.