News
‘Do the SDGs provide common goals and a common language for UK-East Asia research partnerships?’
You are cordially invited to join the PEER Webinar and Roundtable Dialogue: ‘Do the SDGs provide common goals and a common language for UK-East Asia research partnerships?’ on Friday 26th August 2022, at 09.00-10.45 (UK), 15.00-16.45 (Jakarta). Please register HERE and we will send you an online link to the webinar.
The theme
The adoption of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 represents both challenges and opportunities for universities in East Asia and the UK. The SDGs are a roadmap to the year 2030 that not only invites, but also requires universities to work in transnational and transdisciplinary partnerships for research and joint knowledge creation in the pursuit of all goals.
However, the 17 SDGs are not all viewed equally across countries and world regions. Having studied Asia-UK research partnerships, the PEER project team contends that the SDGs seem to play a part in the process of ‘governance by goal setting’ and many universities align their activities with the SDGs, even sign the SDG Accord or participate in the annual THE impact rankings. Nevertheless, there is a significant gap in knowledge and evidence of whether the SDGs provide common goals and a common language for all partners involved.
At the seminar, the PEER research team will share findings synthesised across several case studies about how the SDGs are understood by funding agencies, policy makers, university leaders and researchers in UK-East Asia research partnerships.
The seminar also includes a Roundtable Dialogue focusing on critical questions:.
- How can the SDGs reorient UK-East Asia research and innovation partnerships?
- How and why do funders use the SDGs in designing funding schemes in East Asia and the UK?
- How do researchers use the SDGs in building UK-East Asia partnerships, aligning priorities of different partner countries and conducting joint research?
- What opportunities offered by digital advances can help strengthen the framework and performance of these partnerships?
The PEER project aims to inform future policies and enhance practice in building and sustaining research partnerships between the UK and East Asia.
The webinar is free of charge but registration is required.
To engage with wider audiences based in the UK, East Asia and elsewhere, we will use the Teams platform. Further details will be sent to you after you have registered.
Programme
(See your own time zone here).
09.00-09.10
Welcome and Introduction by Professor Lynn Clouder, Coventry University
09.10-09.30
Presentation 1: What can PEER reveal about East Asia – UK partnerships, funder perspectives and the SDGs? by Professor Lynn Clouder, Coventry University
09.30-09.50
Presentation 2: ‘How can the SDGs provide common goals and a common language for East Asia-UK partnerships: Researcher perspectives?’ by Dr Que Anh Dang, Coventry University
09.50-10.00
Questions and Answers
10.00-10.45
Roundtable Policy Dialogue: ‘How can the SDGs re-orient UK-East Asia Research and Innovation Partnerships?’
Moderator: Dr Dimitar Angelov, Coventry University
Panellists:
- Professor M. Faiz Syuaib, Director of Research, Technology, and Community Services, The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Indonesia
- Mr Leighton Ernsberger, Director Education and English, the British Council East Asia, Singapore
- PEER researchers: Dr Que Anh Dang, Prof Lynn Clouder and WP3 Team
- Representative from Wellcome Trust (tbc)
Key questions:
- How can the SDGs re-orient UK-East Asia research and innovation partnerships?
- How and why do government funding agencies use the SDGs in different schemes in East Asia and the UK?
- How do researchers use the SDGs in building UK-East Asia partnerships, aligning priorities of different partner countries and conducting joint research?
- What opportunities offered by digital advances can help strengthen the framework and performance of these partnerships?