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| Charles Cooper: Tributes |
Chris Freeman: Project BACCHUS, and other fond memories ...
Luc Soete: "...I followed in his research footsteps..."
Martin Bell, SPRU: An Appreciation
Charles Cooper made an important and early contribution to the debate on the role of science and technology in development at a time when the issues were rather obscure and far removed from mainstream thinking. I first read his work while I was a student at SPRU. This focus on technology and development is reflected in his later analysis of technological dynamism in the context of a dual economic structure that drew from Arthur Lewis's theoretical formulation. His concern was about how developing countries adjust to the fast changing economic regimes brought about by new technologies. This is not surprising. The whole motivation for setting up the UNU-INTECH was to do precisely this. In the end our life is a hyphen between two dates. I believe Charles left a notable hyphen in the legacy called INTECH. May his soul rest in peace. Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka
In 1973 Charles Cooper edited and wrote the introductory chapter of a book entitled Science, Technology and Society (Frank Cass). The book contained contributions from distinguished scholars like Amilcar Herrera and Frances Stewart. This was the first collection of work I had ever come across that focused raised and analysed issues of development, technological innovation and government policy from a developing country perspective. This book had an enormous impact on young professionals in developing countries - some (like me) were attracted to the field of Science and Technology Policy after reading this book.
Léa Velho
I came to know Professor Cooper when I was taking my Master's degree at the Institute of Social Studies ,ISS, in 1988-1989. At the time he was Convenor of the Economic Policy and Planning (EPP) at ISS. I remember Professor Cooper to be the only expert on technology, which at that time was a totally unexplored field. I also recall that he spent long stretches of time away as he was already making arrangements for the creation of UNU-INTECH. Little did I know that I would later join the Institute's PhD programme in the economics of technological change. I owe lot to Professor Cooper for this influence. He will always be remembered as a suave church-going gentleman and a very smart lecturer.
Norman Dytianquin
APPRECIATION Charles Cooper, the first director of UNU-INTECH (1990 to 2000), died on Sunday 16 January 2005 after a long illness. Charles Cooper was instrumental in the creation of the Maastricht based United Nations University Institute for New Technologies, UNU-INTECH. In 1985, the Dutch Government asked Professor Cooper to prepare a feasibility study on the creation of a UNU Institute specializing in the social and economics aspects of new technologies. Presented to UNU in 1987, his report was to form the basis for the new Institute. At that time he was a professorial fellow at the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague , and had established a world-wide reputation in the area of technology and development in a long career that began at the OECD in the 1960s. Between July 1969 and July 1981 he was based at SPRU and the Institute of Development Studies, both at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom. Under Cooper's directorship UNU-INTECH rapidly developed into the second largest UNU research centre. The Institute's unique PhD programme, created in 1995 in close cooperation with MERIT (at the University of Maastricht ), has steadily grown to its current enrolment of 30 PhD students. Cooper successfully managed the institute's rapid growth phase in the 90's by moving it into its present premises in 1998. His influence on the long term future of the Institute continues to be felt with the naming of his former Sussex PhD student, Luc Soete, as director of UNU-INTECH on 1 January 2005 . Professor Cooper will be greatly missed by his extensive network of research colleagues, students and friends. He is survived by his wife, Anne, and two daughters. |
