This half-day seminar will bring together leading thinkers with ACU members and other like-minded professionals, to tackle the subject of how a 21st Century science diplomacy can help us meet the targets in the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) development framework.
Please note this is an invitation-only event
Background
At the ACU Conference of University Leaders in Ghana earlier this year, conversations centred on what makes a responsible university. Out of these discussions came many ideas, including a focus on how universities are uniquely placed to support the delivery of the SDGs. This culminated in Baroness Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General, challenging vice-chancellors to develop tangible solutions to meet the SDG targets.
Scientific partnerships between universities and other institutions play a crucial role in supporting such efforts. Whether through the UK Research Councils’ Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) or the UN SDGs framework, the importance of such collaboration is recognised as an imperative for achieving positive global change.
‘Science diplomacy’ involves myriad actors – from governments to NGOs, international bodies to industry, and universities and research institutes themselves. Not only can science diplomacy foster constructive diplomatic engagement, it can also help motivate good policy decisions, supported by technological innovation and robust research evidence.
With the SDGs now framing global development discourse, what is the role of science diplomacy in helping governments and international actors meet ambitious development targets? How can universities help drive efforts to support evidence-informed policy-making? And how can universities build on their natural role as hubs for citizen-to-citizen engagement? |
