Dear Pankaj,

This is an important question. May I raise a few pointers:

1. Allow me to repeat an important observation, which does not only apply to Africa, by Prof. Emevwo Biakolo. “. . . the African [traditional thought] model is a closed system because, unlike the open scientific culture, it neither understands nor tolerates alternative thought. ...” (Biakolo, 1998).

2. Then allow me, in Biakolo's sentence above, to replace the first part with the following:

"... the thought model of Donald Trump/Vladimir Putin/Narendra Modi/Maha Vajiralongkom/Emperor Nero/Idi Amin (or whomever leader of a country, a political system or religion you might prefer to choose) is a closed system because, unlike the open scientific culture, it neither understands nor tolerates alternative thought."

3. If the "open scientific culture" is included in your definition of "knowledge," then it seems to me that some of the questions which you might want to consider are,

a) Does "knowledge" include "critical" thought?

b) What is meant by "equal"? Charles, Prince of Wales, was the first heir apparent to the British throne to earn a university degree. At that time, 1970, the University of Cambridge was already more than 700 years old. Certainly, the British Royalty had more than an equal opportunity during those past 700 years to attend either Oxford or Cambridge? Why didn't they? So, does "everyone" knows the importance of knowledge?

c) What is the "importance" of knowledge?

d) The words "access" and "restriction" to knowledge, appear to be taking you along the path towards the role of education and information, and their political control.

Regards, Gerrie

Thanks a lot, dear professor Gerrie Zaaiman for your wonderful words.

The only restriction is cost, unless the information is classified. Journals have to employ staff and have other costs, so rightly charge for their publications. But that's what money is for, to spend and make others wealthy too! Let's not talk like poor people, let's have wealthy minds and find ways to obtain the information we want without complaining :)

Thanks a lot, dear professor Andrew Paul McKenzie Pegman for your notable words

Knowledge should be in equal access to everyone as regards education, food, shelter, healthy comfortable life life and environment.

I think knowledge should be in equal access to everyone and it is not a property of particular community, religion, gender or nation as a whole..