Science and engineering serve as the engines of ecnomoc growth all over world, Korea is a remarkable example of this. Those of us in north America marvel at the "korean miracle" underway since the early 1960s, and the rapid mastery and application of science and technology that underlies this progress.
But Science is not just for economic growth. It is widely recognized as a method of finding truth. It is an intellectual challenge that affects our educational experiences and cultures. And its applications improve our lives in many ways, not the least of which relate to medicine and health.
Because the world is so interrelated goegraphically and scientifically, infectious diseases (their impacts, understanding and control) cannot be isolated. Researchers and practitioners in all countries need to work together to gain the knowledge and insights required for these diseases.
However, it is not just research and scientific knowledge that must be shared. Understanding effective policies that affect both production and ytilization of knowledge can dramatically affect the efficacy of global, regional and national programs. Korea has a major role to play in the development, application and propagation of these policies.
Korea is an acknowledged leader in laboratory research and in many public health initiatives relating to infectious diseases. Sharing this knowledge and experience has contributed to global progress in controlling infectious diseases. The korean contributions to the Trilateral Seminar on R&D Policies Related to Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases held at the Boston University School of Management, December 14-16, 2005 (see http://www.lae.gmu.edu/nctl/stpp/us_china.php#Infectious) were key to its sucess. But dissemination is just as important as the generation of knowledge, and for this reason pulblication of this group of excellent papers in the Korean language is an important step forward.
I should like to acknowledge especially the leadership of prof. Hae-Kwan Cheong, a co-chair of the Trilateral Seminar, Prof. Bo Youl Choi, the editor-in-chief of the journal of Korean Society of Epidemiology and Prof. Hyun-Syl Lim, the Chairperson of that society for their leadership in producing this volume. Although scientists and policy makers in Korea will be the initial bebeficiaries, the global effort to develop and implement better research policies and more effective coopdination will also benefit.
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