As the world becomes more globalized in this day and age, many people believe that scientists in different countries should collaborate in scientific studies to reach more comprehensive findings. Whereas, other people contend that this can entail significant problems. In my opinion, I lean forward the first view.
First, some people might oppose to the notion of scientists over the world conducting studies together. First, some research projects in a certain country might not be proper foreign scientists to engage in. For example, pieces of research conducted to enhance national security of a country, such as those related to military and political issues, should be kept as secret with other countries. Second, countries might be in different positions in terms of financial resources and technological advancements, which renders their joint effort problematic. If researchers from countries with different economic conditions joined in the same project, their contributions might be disproportionate, while results would often be shared. This can be considered unfair for those who invest more finances, or have more cutting-edge knowledge in the fields. It is obvious that governments in developed countries might not be contend to allow their scientists to work with those from the developing world.
However, I believe that cooperation between scientists worldwide should be encouraged. The world is facing many pressing issues, such as environmental degradation, pandemics or decreased jobs, which no country alone can tackle effectively. Scientific collaboration is a key to achieve more efficient methods. For example, regarding environmental issues, a shared effort in the domain of science is required to conduct cross-country research, gathering data around the world to have a big picture about the level of pollutions. Without such international projects, it would be more challenging to come up with viable models to curb the issues. Consistent with this light of thinking, the world is becoming more interconnected than ever. Problems in a country can send ripples across the world. For instance, when disasters strike and cause harms to a country, their trading partners are also negatively impacted. Therefore, countries should cooperate rather than maintain their superiority or isolate themselves, and scientific areas not the exception. Moreover, if developing countries have chances to work with and benefit from scientific resources from developed countries, they can provide those countries with other benefits as a compensation – such as good tax policies or advantages in exportation.
It is understandable why people have concerns over international scientific projects. However, I believe this is crucial for sustainable development, regarding present global issues and connectivity.