While leaders of nations issue numerous calls for curing the ills that face humanity and improving quality of life, little is said about the necessary human resources for turning these lofty goals into reality. Much is required of a nation's human resources, especially its science and technology (S&T) professionals:

Creation, maintenance, and continual modernization of an education base, from primary school to university level, for training new generations of scientists and engineers, as well as others among the nation's future leaders;

• Generation of technological innovations; 
• Capability to access and productively use new technologies;
• Full participation, as equal partners, in international initiatives designed to solve global problems.

If the world is to be changed for the better, national policies and international support must focus on a key set of prerequisites - the right people should be trained in sufficient numbers to do the job. Moreover, incentives should be provided, such as high-quality working conditions, to retain them in their home country.

Basically, the time has come to give first priority to national competencies for bringing about sustainable development in each country. In particular, serious progress is needed in four key areas of activity:

• Providing high-quality education at all levels, from elementary school to university to specialized training, with a focus on young scientists and engineers;
• Developing, attracting, and retaining the country's S&T talent (the 'brain-drain/brain-gain' issue);
• Building international networks;
• Creating digital S&T libraries.

Each of these four areas is discussed, together with appropriate recommendations, in the following sections. Excellent and engaging science education to attract future scientists and engineers is especially emphasized.

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