Technological Frontiers and Foreign Relations

Abstract

THE INTERPLAY of science, technology, and foreign relations is a primary issue of our times. Foreign policy questions with major technological components now rank with territorial and ideological concerns in international debates. 1 t seems that Winston Churchill's prophecy has come true: "The empires of the future are the empires of the mind. '' What will these empires be like? Will genetic engineering so advance agriculture in arid and tropical climates that poor nations become able to produce enough food for themselves? Will materials and biotechnology research in university laboratories today have commercial applications in the next 5 to 10 years? What might such advances mean for the international community? What policies and practices are being devised at home to assure that science and technology support our objectives for military and economic security, expanded employment opportunities, improved public welfare, and national prestige? What will be the impact of what we do on our allies and adversaries? What do they think it will be? These are sorne of the broad questions that surround the main issues of technological advance and foreign relations-industrial competitiveness and economic growth, military security and the push toward locating strategic defense systems in outer space, impediments and incentives to technology transfer, population growth and distribution, and food and nutrition. New concerns are appearing on the horizon as the already pervasive influence of advanced technology on economies, societies, and relationships among nations continues to intensify. Establishing an analytical framework for the highly complex interactions that underlie such issues requires an interdisciplinary effort. The symposium on which this book is based was a first step in bringing together leaders from high-technology industries, banking and finance, the law, labor, government, and the university and foreign policy communities to consider these interactions.