Many states are taking similar steps to revitalize their faltering economies and could benefit from collaboration, according to Juma, who is the former executive secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
"Most countries have been introducing similar economic propositions that focus on infrastructure, education and re-industrialization for economic renewal," Juma said.
China's investment in electricity, transportation and information technology has created a significant demand for raw materials, which has helped to invigorate the country's economy, Juma explained.
Juma argued, however that many leaders of industrialized countries often dismiss China's development because they disapprove of the country's Communist government.
Some African nations, meanwhile, are striving to follow China's example in training engineers and scientists, Juma explained.
China's transition is "not at all ideological, but very pragmatic," and the country is open to restructuring its plans to optimize efficiency, Juma said.
Japan has been another significant player in the field of science and technology diplomacy, Juma said.
Japanese leaders focus not only on technological advancement, but also on forging relationships with developing states. For example, Japan is working to expand its ties with African nations that are rich in natural resources, which creates numerous possibilities for scientific development, Juma said.
The international economic crisis does not have to halt technological progress, Juma said. Many prototypes can be brought to market without inefficient spending on research and development, he explained.
Focusing on the development of existing technologies will ensure that people have the resources to "plow" into new research once the economy recovers from its current downturn, he said.
Mobile communication has already transformed industry in many countries, Juma said, as new businesses are created around the extensive global use of cell phones.
Higher education is an integral part of the development of science and technology diplomacy, Juma argued, pointing to the creation of a new generation of universities that emphasize building technological capability and experience.
Several of these universities have been established in the developing world, including the Ghana Telecom University College and the Multimedia University College of Kenya.
"In these kinds of circumstances, university students can play a very important role in promoting economic renewal," Juma said in an interview with The Dartmouth. "They are not only connected to researchers in their universities, but also thinking of something to do after they graduate. I get my best ideas from my students."
Juma and students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology partnered with major companies like Google and Amazon.com to develop mini-laptops to distribute to children in underprivileged countries through the One Laptop per Child Program.
Juma explained that children could use the distributed laptops to share what they learned with one another.
"This is not a laptop in the traditional sense, as it is primarily an educational tool," Juma said.
The laptops have been distributed to children in countries including Haiti, Iraq and Rwanda, among others.
Juma came to the College as a Class of 1950 Senior Foreign Affairs Fellow, which is funded by a gift from the Class of 1950.
The members of the Class of 1950 were the first to spend four full years under the presidency of former Dartmouth President John Sloan Dickey '29. Dickey served in the State Department before assuming the Dartmouth presidency.
