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NEW COLLABORATIVE FORMS OF DOING RESEARCH 95

between nations, in terms of wealth and of large social networks. This is not to say
power. that organizational forms for decision-
The above challenges motivated UNESCO making that have been perfected in the past
to organize the World Conference on Science: and which, in general, have produced good
‘Science for the 21st Century’ (1999a, b), in results for the advancement of science must
Budapest in 1999. The objective of the be dismissed.
Conference was the formulation of a new The objective is to obtain a wise balance
relationship between science and society. between academic autonomy and social
They advocated a relationship that would responsibility, access to results and benefits
replace the excessive confidence society produced by science and the legitimate indi-
placed in the good judgment of scientists, vidual interests of those who promote it,
that is, a new ‘social contract’(Mayor, 1999), a redistribution of knowledge and copyrights,
based on the assumption that science is to be economic growth and ecological equilibrium,
subjected to public scrutiny. At this confer- demands that originate in the market and those
ence, the debate on the need for a democratic that do not, long-term and short-term projects,
discussion of scientific priorities, the size of and collective and individual interests.
its budget, its institutional structure, and the The agenda for a new social contract with
use that is given to the results of scientific science appears complicated. On the one
labor was renewed. It was asserted that such hand, it is not clear whether ‘hard’ scientists
decisions cannot be left simply in the hands are willing to yield the privileges they have
of scientists and government officials. traditionally enjoyed, in order to share their
At the Budapest Conference, emphasis decisions with society at large. On the other
was also placed on the point that scientists hand, it is not clear how social groups can
must not orient their research solely toward involve themselves in an informed manner.
topics that appear attractive in terms of the The ideal situation is to identify ways that
availability of grants, such as military allow the points discussed in Budapest to be
research and research that responds to market understood as legitimate topics of public
requirements. They must also orient their interest, subject to new decision-making
work to topics related to general social inter- mechanisms that go beyond those that utilize
est. Furthermore, scientific research must not experts in relevant sectors. This set of ideas
be developed as isolated disciplines, but must constitutes the ‘Spirit of Budapest.’
be based on inter- and trans-disciplinary
approaches that will bring about a conver-
gence between the natural and the social
sciences. This was heralded as a means to NEW WAYS OF GENERATING
understand reality fully, and to transform it. KNOWLEDGE
What is sought here is to confront the chal-
lenges that the twenty-first century presents The scientific community, decision-makers,
with greater possibilities of success in advanc- and society in general have responded to the
ing toward a society with greater liberty and challenges that globalization and the emphasis
equality among men throughout the world. placed on the use of knowledge in all societal
From the Budapest Conference it is activities impose on the motivations and on
acknowledged that we must create the frame- the ways and means of generating knowledge.
work for a new social contract with science, In the past few years, new forms of produc-
one that is based on the participation of large ing knowledge have been observed which,
sectors of society, and not only on those who although they do not correspond to Mode 2 as
currently have a stake in the decision-making described above, present several of its charac-
of science. In the new contract, decisions teristics, and distance themselves from the
should be made on the basis of the interests traditional way of doing science (Mode 1).