Dossier: The dialogue between researchers and policy makers: what is the role of UNESCO?
in SHS Views 18
Today’s policy makers face the difficult task of tackling complex issues in a rapidly changing social environment. Whether it is meeting internationally agreed human development objectives, such as the Millennium Development Goals, or coping with the challenges of fast-paced social transformations, policy makers increasingly rely on the knowledge and expertise generated in academic research communities. Conversely, social scientists and researchers depend on feedback from policy makers to make sure that their work remains relevant to the real-world issues that affect their communities. Unfortunately, dialogue between these two worlds does not occur naturally, as demonstrated by the vast archive of ineffective policies designed in total disregard for existing social science knowledge. UNESCO, with its unique intellectual mandate, has taken up the task of bringing together researchers and policy makers in order to build the capacities of Member States to meet their core responsibility of ensuring the welfare of their citizens. The initiative is called the Management of Social Transformations, or MOST for short, and it is carried out by the Social and Human Sciences Sector.
Today’s policy makers face the difficult task of tackling complex issues in a rapidly changing social environment. Whether it is meeting internationally agreed human development objectives, such as the Millennium Development Goals, or coping with the challenges of fast-paced social transformations, policy makers increasingly rely on the knowledge and expertise generated in academic research communities. Conversely, social scientists and researchers depend on feedback from policy makers to make sure that their work remains relevant to the real-world issues that affect their communities. Unfortunately, dialogue between these two worlds does not occur naturally, as demonstrated by the vast archive of ineffective policies designed in total disregard for existing social science knowledge. UNESCO, with its unique intellectual mandate, has taken up the task of bringing together researchers and policy makers in order to build the capacities of Member States to meet their core responsibility of ensuring the welfare of their citizens. The initiative is called the Management of Social Transformations, or MOST for short, and it is carried out by the Social and Human Sciences Sector.
