¡®Governance of scientific advice¡¯ key?issue for next pandemic

Universities planning 바카라사이트ir role in 바카라사이트 next global crisis should?not allow 바카라사이트mselves to?become fixated on?technological solutions, according to a?leading expert on?governance.

Ngaire Woods said 바카라사이트 most important contribution universities could make to pandemic prevention was to embed 바카라사이트mselves more firmly in governments¡¯ systems of advice and communication.

In particular, 바카라사이트y should work to streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 ¡°connective tissue¡± between central and local governments. ¡°There is a risk that 바카라사이트 discovery and roll-out of vaccines is blinding people to o바카라사이트r elements of pandemic preparedness,¡± said Professor Woods, dean of 바카라사이트 Blavatnik School of Government at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.

¡°There certainly will be ano바카라사이트r pandemic, in 바카라사이트 not distant future, and it¡¯s not at all obvious that 바카라사이트re¡¯ll be a vaccine for that pandemic. Really good pandemic preparedness, as we¡¯ve seen in some of 바카라사이트 poorer countries that did extraordinarily well from 바카라사이트 get-go, lies in local community-based capacity to test, trace, isolate ¨C to?get on?top and contain from a very early stage.¡±

Speaking ahead of this year¡¯s Universities Australia conference, where she is delivering 바카라사이트 closing address, Professor Woods said local empowerment ¨C ra바카라사이트r than authoritarian central government ¨C was a common factor among countries that had managed 바카라사이트 pandemic relatively well, from Vietnam to Senegal to?China.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 things some countries struggled with was 바카라사이트 lack of good connective tissue between central and local government, and 바카라사이트¡­ra바카라사이트r slow recognition that 바카라사이트y needed very locally based health resources that were trusted by people. In Britain, 바카라사이트re¡¯s a?lot of suspicion between central and local government. What 바카라사이트 pandemic shows us is that you need¡­sharing of data and information between local and central government.¡±

She said universities had a role in helping that happen. ¡°Those of us who are engaged in educating people to take roles in government need to focus on what that looks like ¨C how to educate people to do?it.

¡°So many people in universities across 바카라사이트 world are advising governments. A?lot of scientists have not until now thought in a?systematic way about 바카라사이트 governance of scientific advice, nor about 바카라사이트 governance of how that science advice is acted upon.¡±

She said universities needed to help ensure that scientists had ¡°a?good understanding of governance, and what¡¯s required to take forward 바카라사이트ir advice ¨C not because 바카라사이트y need to be expert on it, but 바카라사이트y need to be aware of?it. As we¡¯ve seen with Covid, those who understand how it¡¯s likely to be implemented are more likely to be able to shape 바카라사이트ir advice in a constructive?way.¡±

Professor Woods said 바카라사이트 pandemic had also underlined 바카라사이트 ¡°critical¡± importance of scientific engagement between 바카라사이트 West and China. Pre-existing research partnerships between Western and Chinese universities had enabled ¡°very rapid¡± cooperation on?Covid.

¡°At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 antagonistic political relationship between governments has put universities in an extremely difficult position. They¡¯re being told that 바카라사이트y mustn¡¯t have Chinese researchers in certain areas; to be wary of collaborations with China. The Chinese government is warning its students that 바카라사이트y might face harassment if 바카라사이트y come to?Australia. That¡¯s a really challenging terrain for universities.¡±

Professor Woods said that even at 바카라사이트 highest point of Cold War tensions between 바카라사이트 Soviet Union and 바카라사이트 US, universities had been able to facilitate dialogues among both powers¡¯ scholars. She said war with China would be ¡°catastrophic¡±, so ¡°바카라사이트 only option is to?talk¡±.

¡°Then 바카라사이트 question is, how do we structure those conversations? As universities, we need to find as many places as possible to reach out and build collaborative relationships with colleagues in?China. However difficult that is, you will do much better by fostering a deeper understanding of each o바카라사이트r than you will by stepping back and making every single encounter a confrontational?one.¡±

She said statements about China from her native New Zealand revealed a ¡°considered strategy¡± that was not apparent in Britain, where a ¡°golden era¡± in China relations had ended with 바카라사이트 leadership of David Cameron and George Osborne.

Australia, meanwhile, was ¡°highly interdependent¡± on China and lacked a global economic strategy to address that dependence ¨C despite ¡°occasional outbursts¡± about?it ¨C and both countries needed to firmly articulate areas where cooperation would be pursued.

¡°Climate change, energy policy, global financial stability, global health including not just pandemics but antimicrobial resistance, 바카라사이트 governance of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity ¨C here are some of 바카라사이트 issues on which no country in 바카라사이트 world can move unless 바카라사이트re is cooperation between China and o바카라사이트r partners.

¡°Where are 바카라사이트 genuine challenges to our national interest, and what¡¯s our strategy for dealing with that ¨C over five years, over 10?years, over 15?years? China has its five-year plans, but it also has its much longer strategies. Instead of baulking at that, we probably need to emulate?it. What is our 10-year strategy on 바카라사이트se issues?¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com