THE ROLE OF UNESCO IN STI

POLICY AND R&D:

CURRENT APPROACHES AND

PRIORITIES IN THE REGION

Danube-INCO.NET

Enhancing synergies in research and innovation programmes in the

region

Stakeholders Workshop

8-9 June 2015

Budapest, Hungary

Bridging the gap between science, policy

and society

Central to the mandate of UNESCO and essential to sustainable development.

Science as an instrument of social equity, inclusion and for the promotion of ethical principles and gender equality.

The UNESCO Venice in Office continues to develop initiatives contributing to ‘sustainability science’’ and reflecting UNESCO’s mission and mandate throughout the SEE Region.

Our Science Policy Programme

Policy Advice to member states in STI policy formulation/review

Capacity-building in STI policies

International and regional cooperation in STI governance

Elaboration of tools for STI governance

Science legislation – strengthening links between science and parliaments

Promoting innovation - development of science parks, incubators, entrepreneurship programmes

Popularizing science – science centres, museums, UNESCO prizes

Promoting gender equality in science

Supporting our Member States to strengthen STI systems and governance to improve socio-economic and sustainable

development

Cooperating with Member States in developing and integrating national science, technology, innovation (STI) policies and economic reforms

Strengthening human and institutional capacities in STI policy to foster the role of STI in socio-economic development

Contributing to national development goals by improving STI governance

Identifying emerging STI policy trends that will shape the future of STI

Broadening interaction among scientific and indigenous knowledge systems

Mission and Strategy in STI policy

UNESCO’s action in STI policy and reform

Technical assistance and guidance for the formulation, assessment and monitoring of STI policies and strategies at national, regional and global level

Policy advice to developing countries for the generation and effective utilization of their STI potential

Design of STI policy instruments and legal frameworks

Building awareness among STI stakeholders on the need to improve STI governance and to integrate STI into the development agendas of countries

STIculture

foreign affairs industry & trade

agriculture

healthenvironment

Building of capacities for analysis, planning, implementation of development

policies and programmes

• Europe & North America: more than 100 universities propose

programmes in STI policy

• Developing countries:very few - in Africa : three universities

in South Africa and one in Nigeria

Lack of capacities for managing STI in developing countries

UNESCO’s programme

in Capacity building

in STI policy and governance

Main issues addressed

Achieving Sustainable Development and Poverty eradication

Integration into global economy through development of private sector

Capacity building for analysis, planning, implementation of development policies

and programmes

Post-2015 Development

Agenda and Sustainable

Development Goals

World Conferences on

Science

UN Least Developed

Countries reports

Science, Technology and Innovation

Strategy for Africa (STISA-2024)

UNESCO’s Programme in STI

Policy and Capacity-Building

Rio +20 the Future We want

UNESCO’s action in Capacity building in STI policy and governance

• Establishment of new STI policy programmes and degrees in

universities (focus on Africa);

• Setting-up academic and inter-university networks worldwide

for STI policy training programmes and research;

• Capacity-building activities at national and regional level – At

least 600 STI policy-makers and managers received training in

STI policy and governance in the last 4 years;

creating a critical mass of expertise in STI policy and

governance

A Global Observatory on STI policy instruments that provides new tools to countries to help them reform and upgrade their national STI systems and governance.

GO-SPIN in an extension of SPIN, that was launched in

2010 for 33 countries in Latin America.

What is GOSPIN?

The four functions of GO-SPIN

Capacity Building

Standard Setter

Data Collection

Multilingual platform

Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Regional Fora co-organized by UNESCO

Objectives:

• To raise the political awareness about S&T in the

region

• To act as platforms for dialogue and collaborative

action on key issues and their impact on

sustainable development

Participants:

Senior representatives of Ministries of Education,

policy makers, scientists, innovators, youth

representatives and entrepreneurs.

Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in the SEE region

Examples of STI Ministerial Fora :

-UNESCO co-organized Ministerial Roundtable

on Science, Technology and Innovation in

Southeast Europe, Nov 2012, Sarajevo,

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The related outcomes – a joint declaration, concept papers, a policy

analysis and reports - constituted a conceptual and political base of

recommendations for the elaboration of a roadmap to be undertaken in

SEE countries with the support of UNESCO programme and in synergy

with the future European Research Programme “Horizon 2020”.

Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in the SEE region

Venice Process

• Named after the Italian city which hosts UNESCO’s Regional Bureau for

Science and Culture in Europe.

• Officially launched in 2001 at the Venice Conference of Experts on

“Rebuilding Scientific Cooperation in South Eastern Europe.

• Continuously contributed to the strengthening of the scientific and

technological systems of the South East European (SEE) countries.

• Scientific cooperation within the sub-region and with the rest of Europe

promoted to prepare countries for integration into the European Research

Area (ERA).

Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in the SEE region

• Since 2002, the UNESCO Office in Venice has been active in

• providing financial support and elaborating initiatives to generate

regional networking as a means of mobilizing science, technology

and innovation (STI) for peace and sustainable development.

• An integrated regional science-policy-society approach has been

promoted.

• During this decade, acting as a neutral platform for dialogue and co-

operation for policy-makers and academia of South East Europe, the

Office has organized a number of high-level events

• pioneering initiatives in the sub-region, contributing to the

elaboration of the national STI strategies of SEE countries

(Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania).

Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in the SEE region

• The UNESCO Office in Venice has also provided financial support and

devised schemes to encourage regional networking in life sciences,

environmental sciences and astronomy, as a means of tackling brain

drain, supporting communication services and strengthening scientific

cooperation as a tool for reconciliation and dialogue.

SEENET MTP Network Southeastern European Network in Mathematical

and Theoretical Physics

SEE-PhytoChemNet SEE network in phytochemistry and chemistry of

natural products for Green and Sustainable Growth

SREAC Sub-Regional European Astronomical Committee

Slide #15

Guiding Principles

- Partnerships with international organizations, UNESCO entities (i.e. Chairs/Centres) and the private sector

- Interdisciplinarity and collaboration among UNESCO divisions /HQs-Field Offices (FO)

- Encourage fund-raising opportunities, also with the private sector

UNESCO Medium-Term Strategy 37 C/4 2014-2021

Slide #16

Strategic Objectives SO 1: Developing education systems to foster quality lifelong learning opportunities for all

SO 2: Empowering learners to be creative and responsible global citizens

SO 3: Shaping the future education agenda

SO 4: Promoting the interface between science, policy and society and ethical and inclusive policies for sustainable development

SO 5: Strengthening international science cooperation for peace, sustainability and social inclusion

SO 6: Supporting inclusive social development and promoting intercultural dialogue and the rapprochement of cultures

SO 7: Protecting, promoting and transmitting heritage

SO 8: Fostering creativity and the diversity of cultural expressions

SO 9: Promoting freedom of expression, media development and universal access to information and knowledge

UNESCO Medium-Term Strategy 37 C/4 2014-2021

37/C5 _ Main Line of Action / Expected result (ER) _ 2014-2017

MLA 1 Strengthening STI policies, governance and the science-policy-society interface

ER 1 STI policies, and governance bolstered nationally, regionally and globally

ER 2 Science-policy-society interface enhanced and sustainability science promoted

ER 3Mutual engagement of science with society reinforced to promote equity and inclusion of vulnerable groups, including SIDS and indigenous peoples

MLA 2 Building institutional capacities in science and engineering

ER 4Capacity-building in research and education in the natural sciences enhanced, including through the use of ICTs

ER 5 Interdisciplinary engineering research and education for sustainable development advanced

MLA 3 Promoting knowledge and capacity for protecting and sustainably managing the ocean and coasts (ER 6-7-8) not relevant for VNI

MLA 4Fostering international science collaboration for earth systems, biodiversity, and disaster risk reduction

ER 9Global cooperation in the ecological and geological sciences expanded and UNESCO designated sites used as learning places for sustainable development

ER 10Risk reduction improved, early warning of natural hazards strengthened and disaster preparedness and resilience enhanced

MLA 5 Strengthening freshwater security

ER 11 Responses to local, regional and global water security challenges strengthened

ER 12Knowledge, innovation, policies and human and institutional capacities for water security strengthened through improved international cooperation

Over-

arching

Themes

MLAs (37/C5)

Actions Cross-sector Priorities Guiding

principlesP

EAC

E –

YOU

TH

-G

END

ER

Science Policy

MLA 1

VISIT/MEETING BILATERAL

MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE

REGIONAL POLICY

PLATFORMS

PROJECT (COORDINATION)

SUPPORT NATL STRATEGY

SCIE

NC

E -

SOC

IETY

IN

TER

FAC

E1

_ST

I co

mm

un

icat

ion

/sci

ence

& m

edia

(C

I)

2_

Scie

nce

aw

aren

ess

(CI)

3_

Inn

ova

tio

n (

SHS)

4_

Scie

nce

Dip

lom

acy

(MLA

4)

RDI Regional

strategy/ STI

infrastructures

RDI Statistics

Competitiveness in

EU programme

STI Diaspora

Higher Education

quality

Evaluation

Ethics

1_

CO

OP

ERA

TIO

N&

PAR

TNER

SHIP

S:U

NA

gen

cies

,EU

,UN

ESC

OC

en

ters

-Ch

airs

-Sch

oo

l

2_

INT

ERD

ISC

IPLI

NA

RIT

Y(j

oin

tu

sefi

eld

staf

ffo

rb

oth

SCan

dSH

SP

rogr

amm

es)

3_F

UN

DR

AIS

ING

STI Governance

MLA 1

STUDIES, REPORTS

WORKSHOP, CONFERENCES

TRAINING, SUPPORT

PROJECT (SUPPORT)

Capacity

Building

MLA 2

GRANTS, MOBILITY

SCHOOLS

NETWORKS

CURRICULA

PROJECT (COOPERATION)

1_B

iod

iver

sity

(M

LA5

)

2_S

cien

ce e

du

cati

on

(ED

U)

3_T

ech

no

logy

fo

r C

ult

ura

l

He

rita

ge (

CLT

)

4_R

isk

& D

isas

ter

mit

igat

ion

(MLA

5/C

LT)

Slide #19

Strategic Objective (SO):

Science for Responsible Development

Territorial Mandate:

- South East Europe (priority)

- Mediterranean, Central Europe, Black Sea and

Caucasus

PoW 2014-2015

Science Programme

Slide #20

strengthening national and regional higher

education and research/innovation;

human and institutional capacity building;

mobilizing participation in STI to advocate and

empower women and youth.

PoW 2014-2015

Needs of the SEE Members States

Slide #21

Expected Result 1 - Interfacing between Science, Policy

and Society promoted (SC 1)

Activity

Strengthening STI systems through regional policies and improved

national governance

Promoting and fostering science and society interface through

quality communication, ethics and diplomacy

PoW 2014-2015SO: Science for Responsible Development

Slide #22

Expected Result 2 - Capacity in Science, Technology &

Innovation strengthened (SC 2)

Activity

Enhancing capacity in STI through regional and sub-regional

networking

Capacity-building in renewable energy & energy efficiency for

sustainable development

Strengthening regional collaboration with and among UNESCO

Chairs/UNITWIN and Centers

Higher education and quality-science education (Projects: ODS,

PATHWAY, Ark-of-Inquiry)

PoW 2014-2015SO: Science for Responsible Development

Country SupportPolicy Advice

Capacity Building

Regional CooperationRegional Strategies

Harmonizing Policies

S&T Policy Forums

International

Celebration of World Science Day for Peace and

Development

Allows UNESCO to;

- advocate for relevant issues in science

- improve the connection between science society and policy

- mobilize stakeholders each year for action and collaboration on scientific issues

Co-organization of the World Science Forum

Allows UNESCO to;

- Contribute to greater global dialogue on and collaboration in science

- Contribute to the finalization and follow up of a global declaration on Science and its use for sustainable development

- Support the participation of scientists and policy makers particularly from developing countries to participate in a global forum

The L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme (FWIS)

Pioneering programme created in 1998 for the promotion of women in

science

Goals:

• Recognize women’s contribution to science and the scientific

agenda

• Encourage more young women to take up science careers and

promote careers of promising young women researchers

Thank you