The Scientific Center of Kuwait (TSCK) will be hosting NAMES Second General Assembly Meeting, which will take place in Kuwait on 16-17 October 2010. The overarching theme of the conference will be “Science for Improved Knowledge and Prosperity”. Nowadays, economic growth is driven by the skills and innovative capacity of people; it requires progressive innovations that will improve the competitiveness of existing business and lead to the creation of new industries. Economists agree that the creation of new technological knowledge through research is our most direct economic avenue for acquiring added value. When that new knowledge is applied in market environments, it creates jobs, capital formation, profits and surpluses for reinvestment. In other words, it is from research that new companies are born and new jobs are created; it is from research that new wealth is explored and economy expands.

For additional information on the 2nd General Assembly Meeting, please visit www.names2010.org

Moreover, three sub-themes will be tackled during the Second General Assembly Meeting. Firstly, “New Technologies” represented by “Nanotechnology” and “Information and Communication Technology”. On the one hand, Nanotechnology refers to technologies in which matter is manipulated on the atomic and molecular scale to create novel materials and processes. Nanotechnology can spark a new industrial revolution in various application areas, which include cancer treatment, solar energy, batteries, display technologies, opto-electronic devices, semi-conductor devices in nanoelectronics, biosensors, and CNT's etc. On the other hand, the growth and development of information and communication technologies has led to their wide diffusion and application, thus increasing their economic and social impact. Information and communication technologies contribute to sustainable economic growth and social well-being and play a role in the shift toward knowledge-based societies.

Secondly, the “Sustainable Development” sub-theme as manifested in “Environment” and “Renewable and Clean Energy”. Sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development brings together economic development, social welfare, respect for the environment and democratic values.
The Final sub-theme is “Life Sciences”, which is divided into “Biotechnology”, “Agriculture, Food and Nutrition”, and “Health”. Life Sciences can be defined as all sciences that have to do with 'organisms', such as plants, animals and human beings.

Invited keynote speakers include Prof. Mohamed Hassan, Head of the African Academy of Science (AAS), and Executive Director of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS); Prof. Mostafa Elsayed, Julius Brown Chair, Regents Professor and Director of Laser Dynamics Laboratory, USA; Baroness Susan Greenfield, Director of The Royal Institution of Great Britain; and Dr. Julia Marton-Lefevre, Director General of The World Conservation Union (IUCN).