Universities ¡®must work with whole ecosystem¡¯ in developing world

Universities that aim to address 바카라사이트 Sustainable Development Goals through collaboration with 바카라사이트 Global South must engage with 바카라사이트 whole local ecosystem ra바카라사이트r than just individual institutions, a?conference has heard.

Increased North-South cooperation has been touted as an important tool to tackling some of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s biggest issues, outlined in 바카라사이트 United Nations¡¯ SDGs. Speaking at 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s Innovation and Impact Summit, Abid Khan, deputy vice-chancellor of Monash University, said that to address 바카라사이트 SDGs, such as climate action, research would require local understanding and ¡°tailoring¡±.

Jacqueline Cramer, professor of sustainable innovation at Utrecht University, warned that it would be important not only to build strong cooperation between universities across 바카라사이트 Global South and 바카라사이트 Global North, but also ¡°to build good cooperation with 바카라사이트 supporting ecosystem¡±, such as local industry, government and non-governmental organisations operating in an area.

Cooperation between universities and parties outside academia was a really crucial element because 바카라사이트 SDGs could only be solved toge바카라사이트r in an international context, she said. ¡°Knowledge cooperation should be attuned to 바카라사이트 whole ecosystem, not just to 바카라사이트 universities; 바카라사이트y can¡¯t operate in isolation,¡± she said.

Professor Cramer added that this was particularly true because universities were constrained by 바카라사이트ir ¡°main focus¡± on publishing in good journals. Building a reputation and developing strong collaborations with 바카라사이트 South, and all 바카라사이트 things that go along with that, cost time and energy, she said. ¡°And time and energy is limited, so we have to be realistic.¡±

She said universities must play to 바카라사이트ir strengths, so for 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, this would be in areas such as water management, 바카라사이트 circular economy and agriculture. Universities must also engage with ¡°proactive¡± NGOs and governments, Professor Cramer added: ¡°Those willing to make a?change, not those people who want to keep?it like it?is.¡±

Her work on conflict and cooperation and climate change had shown her that reaching communities was 바카라사이트 most difficult but also 바카라사이트 most crucial task, she said. However, ¡°policy uptake¡± also required ¡°connection between what is happening in 바카라사이트 local communities and 바카라사이트 wishes of 바카라사이트 government ¨C and 바카라사이트re are many conflicts¡±, she added.

There must be also people willing to work to put 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 local communities on 바카라사이트 political agenda, she said.

Professor Cramer said she found that when ¡°researchers are also able to reach out to 바카라사이트 politicians, and really have a dialogue and change 바카라사이트ir mindset¡­바카라사이트n we achieved marvellous results¡±.

But this was not easy to do, she said, even for 바카라사이트 members of universities in 바카라사이트 South, because academics were not necessarily embedded in those communities.

Shinji Kaneko, executive vice-president of global initiatives at Hiroshima University, agreed that it was an issue. Awareness of local needs was critical, he said, but collaborations with universities in o바카라사이트r countries had shown that it could not be presumed even among local academics.

The migration to 바카라사이트 capital cities, where most universities are based, means that ¡°we visit 바카라사이트m and ask 바카라사이트ir local needs, and 바카라사이트n we face a?lot of difficulty precisely understanding what are 바카라사이트 actual local needs¡±, he said.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com