Annual Report 1994

9 The Future

The above report has outlined a number of present (ongoing) and possible (future) Advanced Development and Research Projects. Needless to say: we hope to achieve a fair number of these. UNU/IIST will continue its off-shore Training Workshop activities, and also embark on further Events and a serious Dissemination.

9.1 Staff Build-up

The build-up of the General Services Staff is proceeding according to plan and as constrained by financial resources.

On 1 February 1995 Ms. Margaret Stuart will commence her position as Administrative & Programme Officer -- we look forward very much to that post finally being filled.

UNU/IIST has broadcast and is announcing in the February issue of the CACM (Communications of the Association for Computing Machinery) a "batch" announcement of five new staff positions:

1. One Senior Research Fellow for Research

   -- as from 1 August 1995 -- to replace Prof. Zhou Chaochen, Principal Research Fellow, who will be returning to the Department of Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark.

2. One Senior Research Fellow for Advanced Development

   -- as from 1 September 1995 -- to replace Mr. Chris W. George whose PSA is up at that time.

3. Two (Associate) Research Fellows for Advanced Development

   -- as from 1 September 1995, respectively 1 January 1996; new posts

4. One (Associate) Research Fellow for Research

   -- as from 1 January 1996; new post

9.2 On the Issue of External Funding

UNU/IIST is now into its 31'st month of operation. With the exception of a minor, but most graciously welcome contribution of approximately US$53,000 from the Japan-funded UNU/UNESCO 1992-1993 fund (spent in 1993 to cover approximately half the expenses of the UCiST'93 workshop event), UNU/IIST has yet to obtain external (grant) funding for its Programmatic Activities.

As noted elsewhere repeated, gentle requests for co-funding of the PRaCoSy R&D project from the PRC Ministry of Railways large World Bank loan (under its sizable Training budget item) have still to materialise.

It seems to UNU/IIST that the Feasibility Study that preceded the formation of UNU/IIST perhaps was too optimistic or that the times have changed considerably since 1989, or both: The fact remains that despite thorough and professionally comprehensive project proposals and despite repeated requests to potential partners, we have yet to register our first co-funding!

We are, however, still somewhat optimistic. We intend to carry on pressing for co-funding. Recent developments in connection with the MIICI and MoTraS projects could be seen as promising. Also, the PRaCoSy partner seems determined to find (50% co-) funding, but "things" are working exceedingly slowly. Potential partners have to get used to the idea that they must help share Training and R&D expenses on their behalf.

9.3 On the Possibility of a Revised Project Strategy

UNU/IIST is, however, embracing itself for the eventuality that it may, during 1995, conclude either:

• that partners in developing countries are not willing or able to co-fund UNU/IIST expenses in connection with the Training and R&D of their problems;

• [] and/or:

• that (the current Director of) UNU/IIST is unable to attract own, external funding especially for its advanced development.

Should such be the case, then UNU/IIST proposes to pursue a number of revised tactics:

1. UNU/IIST proposes, at any one time, to restrict itself to Research one topic²⁸ and have one Advanced Development Project²⁹, while still continuing its Training Workshops -- the three cornerstones of its five strands of Programmatic Activities.³⁰

2. UNU/IIST will choose such Research topics and R&D Project subjects that will parallel and support UN System activities -- see subsection 4.2 -- such that the Research topics support the R&D Project subjects and such that the subjects are relevant as an application concern in developing countries, while at the same time being best vehicles for Training.

3. UNU/IIST must (or may have to) foresee that it will have to fund all expenses in connection with Research, Advanced Development Projects and Training Workshops -- while hopefully being able to obtain smallish grants for Events and Dissemination as these latter Programmatic Activities individually, per Event, and for Dissemination, is usually budgetable around the US$50,000 level (whereas R&D Projects usually run into typically US$250,000 per phase).

UNU/IIST, however, is stepping up its `marketing' and `fund-raising' activities for the above-mentioned, main theme of its advanced development area; see [90].

Annual Report 1994