HH the Emir of Qatar Attends Turkey's Conference on Innovation

Istanbul, December 07 (QNA) - HH the Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani attended the opening session of the Turkey's Conference on Innovation , held at the Gulf (Al Khaleej) Conferences Centre in the city of Istanbul on Wednesday morning in the presence of Turkish President Abdullah Gul. The opening session was also attended by HH Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser . Their Excellencies the members of the official delegation accompanying HH the Emir also attended the session. While attending on the Turkish Side were Turkish President Abdullah Gul's wife, Hayrunnisa, and a number of Their Excellencies the ministers and senior officials. HH the Emir delivered a speech at the opening session of the conference. The following is the unofficial translation of the speech. In the name of God , The Most Merciful , The Most Compassionate Mr.President , Your Excellencies, Ladies And Gentlemen, I wish at the outset to express my deep thanks for inviting me to participate as a guest of honor at this conference. In fact I have been prompted for this participation by my confidence in what Istanbul now represents as a platform for dialogue and exchange of opinion, as well as the fact that the theme of this conference deserve all support and backing. For us innovation is not only part of our values and culture, it is a vital necessity that is indispensable if we as Arabs or Muslims want to assume a place in designing and structuring a prosperous and developed human reality as we envisage. Science , ladies and gentlemen, is in itself power, as Francis Bacon said , and because we live in an era which acknowledges that nothing stands as an obstacle against human progress, it is pivotal that innovation should always be one of our strategic goals. Here lies the importance of this conference and other similar meetings, as how could we have access to fields of the new knowledge revolution as actors rather than merely dazzled spectators, if innovation is not our goal and our means. We live in a world whose main characteristic is based on free markets, and economic, commercial, financial and services spheres. A world where competitiveness has become its first symbol. This competitiveness is based primarily as is well known to everyone on inspiring and stimulating the human more and more to be innovative. This is precisely the crux of the matter that we want to ponder. Competitiveness has led to the emergence of the so-called knowledge industry that is based primarily on the mastery of transcontinental scientific and technological research. Hence, it has become clear that he who has knowledge has the ability to influence people because he is controlling the industry of change more than that who has the power of money and wealth. So knowledge has become the true power and we have to look at the map of the power of human influence in our contemporary world in order to verify this fact. Thus, as we know the categorization of scientific and research institutions has become one of the indicators that reveal the progress of any society. Ladies and Gentlemen, These are the bases of our conviction in Qatar about the importance of innovation; a belief that emanates from an axiom that states; The true driver of human progress is neither the presence of humans in laboratories and factories, nor in colleges and universities, but before that - is the human being himself with his faculties, talents and abilities because the human being , first and foremost, is the source of every effort, renovation innovation, achievement and culture , since he is the maker of knowledge and engineer of the tools of its development, in its accuracy, complexity, efficiency and capacity, and will remain the main source regardless of the change of course. Therefore, and out of our conviction, our vision was and is based on placing investment in human resources on top of our strategic choices. Rationalization of human effort, and furnishing it with all means , is the way to respond to the major challenges facing our community, like all other communities that yearn for progress and prosperity. Knowledge, ladies and gentlemen, leads to the renunciation of self-encapsulation and isolation, and encourages, through innovation the development of self-confidence, and promotion of the principle of equal footing lest the goal be the cloning of the innovation by others, but develop and build on it in consistence with requirements of the community and its cultural, social and norms characteristics. Our bet in Qatar is based on considering our youth the focal point of our resolve and progress. Today , our confidence in this bet has been increased ,as we see our Arab youth restoring to our nation its gallantry and statues through innovation and creativity. The expansion in the centers of knowledge and science, the sites of thought and culture, and the acquisition of knowledge and experience, were our first step. On our assessment that was a necessary investment in fundamental infrastructure, which is the human infrastructure essential for progress. This progress we believe gives man the opportunity to achieve the aspired dignity and hope regardless of the size of population or the strength of armies. Hence, this human being who is the manufacturer of progress by innovation would no doubt be interacting and integrating with others. He would employ his knowledge in building a culture of peace and stability, renouncing violence, participating in human progress based on the integration rather than the clash of cultures. (QNA)