london

More than 100 ministers of science or education are expected to address the plenary session of the World Conference on Science in Budapest at the end of June, according to Unesco officials.

Their presence at what some officials say might be considered as “the first real world conference on science” is being taken as a sign that many countries are prepared to make a political endorsement of the importance of the conference. They are also seen as supporting its primary theme — the need to establish a ‘new social contract for science’ appropriate to the twenty-first century.

“The idea is that, during the plenary session, governments will make a commitment to science,” said Howard Moore, the secretary of the conference. “We hope this will ensure a real increase in scientific effort.”

One participant will be the German minister of science, Edelgard Bulmahn, who is said to be keen to highlight the situation of women in science, a topic on which she has obtained a commitment to greater activity by Europe's research ministers.

Another prominent minister who will be speaking is Akito Arima, education and research minister of Japan. Neal Lane, President Bill Clinton's science adviser, will address the opening plenary session on “the responsibility of the scientist to digest the growing volume of knowledge, to share knowledge with society, and to understand where this new knowledge will lead”.

One science minister who will be missing is Britain's David Sainsbury. The British paper will probably be delivered by George Foulkes, parliamentary under-secretary of state in the Department for International Development.

Full text: http://helix.nature.com/wcs/a40.html