SDSN NETWORKS in ACTION 2018 Introduction to the SDSN and the Networks Program
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unsdsn.org Paris 19, rue Bergère 75009 Paris France New York 475 Riverside Drive Suite 530 New York, NY 10115 USA New Delhi 405, Surya Kiran building 19, Kasturba Gandhi Marg 110001 New Delhi India SDSN NETWORKS IN ACTION 2018 Introduction to the SDSN and the Networks Program he Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) mobilizes global scientific and technological expertise to T promote practical problem solving for sustainable devel- opment. The SDSN has operated under the auspices of the UN Secretary General since 2012. We are committed to supporting the implementation of the SDGs at local, national, and global Photo: Tobias Koch © Global Solutions Koch Tobias Photo: scales. Prof. Sachs gives the keynote at the 2017 Global Solutions Conference. SDSN mobilizes the academic community to translate the latest expertise in sustainable development into action. To this end, we are building a global network of universities, research centers, and other knowledge institutions focusing on: Universities are critical for the success of the Providing and mobilizing support for the SDGs; Sustainable Developments Goals, through R Promoting practical Solutions Initiatives and long-term their teaching programs, research activities, R pathways for sustainable development; and powerful ability to convene leaders of government, civil society, academia and R Promoting high-quality education and research collabora- business to collaborate on SDG solutions. tion for sustainable development; It is deeply gratifying to see the SDSN’s R Supporting governments in understanding and national and regional chapters and its addressing the challenges of sustainable development. thematic networks leading in these ways around the world. This year’s report on The Spanning six continents, the SDSN Networks Program draws SDSN Networks in Action 2018 is inspiring upon the knowledge and educational capacity of over and informative. We learn how the SDSN 800 member institutions. This report presents our unique networks are creating new online courses, global network of problem solvers and their contributions to educating their students and the general addressing the world’s most pressing problems. public, working with governments, engaging and empowering young people, and offering innovative solutions for the SDGs. We need a global mobilization of energies, knowledge, and organizations to achieve the SDGs; the inspiring accounts in this year’s report will help us to find the path forward. Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the SDSN and Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on the SDGs Australia, New Zealand Contents and Pacific R Page 14 Mission-led Research Our Thematic Networks and Innovation in Support R Page 63 of the Sustainable Unique Opportunities Development Goals for our Networks R Page 4 R Page 69 Our National and Regional SDSN Member Organizations Japan R Page 34 Philippines Networks R Page 75 R Page 44 R Page 9 South Korea R Page 54 Indonesia Hong-Kong R Page 30 R Page 28 Southeast Asia R Page 52 Malaysia R Page 36 Canada R Page 18 Russia South Asia R Page 46 R Page 50 Caribbean R Page 20 Northern Europe R Page 42 Turkey Andes R Page 60 R Page 12 Swizerland Germany Page 58 R Greece R Page 22 R Page 26 Amazônia Italia R Page 32 R Page 10 Great lakes Page 24 Mediterranean R Brazil Spain R Page 38 Page 16 R R Page 56 Sahel Nigeria Page 48 R Page 40 The Fuller Projection Map is the only flat R map of the entire surface of the Earth which reveals our planet as one island in one ocean, without any visually obvious distortion of the relative shape and sizes of the land areas, and without splitting any continents. It was developed by R. Buckminster Fuller in 1954. 2 SDSN Networks in Action 2018 SDSN Networks in Action 2018 3 Following six layers compose the llustrator file of the contents. Courtesy of Buvkminster Fuller Institute and Eric Gaba TXT: a layer which contains text data. set visible when to print. CUT: a layer which contains cutting lines. set active when to use cutting machine. M-FOLD: a layer which contains mountain-folding-lines. set the layer as half cut when to use cutting machine. V-FOLD: a layer which contains valley-folding-lines. set the layer as half cut when to use cutting machine. VCT: a layer which contains vector graphic data. set visible when to print. BMP: a layer which contains image data. set visible when to print. FRAME: a layer which contains information about the drawing. set visible when to print. Political Agenda Setting and Civic Engagement Mission-led Research GRAND and Innovation in Support CHALLENGES Clear Targetted of the Sustainable Development MISSION MISSION Missions Goals MISSION MISSION PROJECTS PROJECTS he world is afflicted by problems that people expe- Today’s missions are more complex, or ‘wicked’, than rience in their daily lives: dirty air in congested going to the moon. This is at the heart of what Dick Portfolio of projects cities, a lack of access to digital technologies that Nelson meant in his excellent work on The Moon and the and bottom-up T experimentation improve public services, and diseases like cancer or Ghetto, where he asked how it could be that we got a man obesity that continue to afflict millions of people across to the moon and back, and have not been able to solve the globe. What is the relationship between these prob- key issues around inequality, such as the persistence of MISSION lems and the dynamics of science, research and innova- ghettos. Wicked problems require more attention to ways PROJECTS tion? Of course, we all recognize that science is needed in which social issues interact with political and techno- to produce medicines, but what is the role of research logical issues, the need for smart regulation, and the crit- and innovation in producing a more ‘caring’ society ical feedback processes across the entire innovation chain. and solutions to health care systems? Similarly, while The figure above illustrates the movement we know that science is needed for the emergence of This is not about a box-ticking exercise to solve one from broad challenges to specific missions renewable energy, what is the role of research and inno- problem after another. Rather this is a way to steer based on Mazzucato (2017) vation in producing economies that are more sustainable economic growth in more meaningful ways. Indeed, in a in their production, distribution and even consumption historical period in which business investment is lagging, patterns? And how can we use innovation to build cities missions also provide more excitement about where that are more enjoyable to live in? economic growth opportunities might lie. By setting missions that require different sectors to work together, it No one size fits all Granularity: between a project and a challenge In fact, most of the ‘smart’ products we have in our is possible to create instruments that reward those busi- Missions come in different shapes and sizes. There is no Global challenges have been expressed as 17 SDGs. bags and pockets came from investments that were nesses willing and able to co-invest alongside invest- one-size-fits-all definition of what a mission should be 193 countries have signed up to these inspirational goals; more far reaching than a simple ‘science push’ expla- ments by member states and other supranational bodies. and how it should be structured. In some areas, a mission hence, they provide an excellent opportunity to move nation provides. They came from the ability to connect It is not about subsidies, but about co-investments along should trigger action to speed up progress in the devel- forward with mission-oriented thinking. They must be science to solving concrete problems — missions! The the entire innovation chain. And while tax incentives (and opment of technologies to increase their societal impact. taken seriously as an obligation to future generations internet was not discovered as an ex-ante objective, but cuts) might increase profits, they often don’t increase In other areas, the mission should drive a systemic and for global prosperity, but also as opportunities to to solve the problem that scientists had in the late 1960s investment. Mission-oriented policies can, if designed change. Most likely, ambitious missions that have the steer investment led growth. Addressing the challenges of how to allow multiple computers to communicate on appropriately, catalyze expectations about new opportu- potential to have wide societal impact will need a combi- around health and the environment must not be seen as a single network. This led to the creation of ARPANET nities and in so doing catalyze cross-sectoral investments nation of both, but their characteristics may differ.2 a trade-off with economic growth. Rather they present (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) funded which can also better balance economies that are often a means to focus on opportunities for investment-led by the U.S. Department of Defense, and later the Internet too skewed toward particular areas. They can create more When developing a new mission, the art lies in learning growth — crowding in activity across actors. In addition, that connects all of our smart products today. additionality — making investments happen that would from past experience. Putting old wine in new bottles targets must be set so that progression to achieving not have otherwise. won’t work.3 We must allow missions to genuinely such challenges is as serious as the goal setting itself. Today we have the opportunity to direct innovation in interact with the new types of complex problems socie- similar problem-solving ways, as bold as the moon shot Societal relevance ties face, as well as incorporating the new knowledge we The SDGs, Societal Challenges or Focus Areas are useful program was but instead aimed at the multiple social A mission must have societal relevance, such as the have on how innovation comes about into their design: it to ensure focus, but for the most part remain too broad and technological challenges we have, such as achieving ability to improve health or nutrition.