Regional science conference hears about Pacific ST & I Roadmap
Dr. Ioana Chan Mow
By Francis Thompson
Francis Thompson is a Final Year Media and Journalism Student at the National University of Samoa. Reporting on the Dialogue on Science and Science Policy for SDG's in the Pacific SIDS in a collaboration between the NUS and the UNESCO Office of the Pacific States.
Dr. Ioana Chan Mow of the National University of Samoa says, Science, Technology and Innovation (ST&I) can benefit the Pacific in education and other development challenges.
Dr. Chan Mow presented on the Strategic Roadmap for ST&I in the Pacific at the Dialogue on Science and Science Policy for SDG’s in the Pacific SIDs, held in Apia Samoa on the 29th and 30th, March 2017.
This roadmap is one outcome of the Pacific-Europe Network (PACE-Net) on science, technology and innovation in the Pacific.
She says the current state of ST&I is being researched in the Pacific region through Pacific innovation surveys.
Dr. Chan Mow emphasized on three main challenges faced by the region, especially Samoa.
They are health, food security and climate change actions, as well as trying to provide a roadmap for the Pacific to follow through SDG’s and each island’s individual goals.
“To help explore these issues, challenge workshops have been held in the Pacific on infectious diseases including zika, coastal ecosystem disturbance, fish and shell fish poisoning ,and their socio-economic implications,” said Dr. Chan Mow.
They also work on enhancing community resilience, managing environment by monitoring water and wastes control also things likes seabed mining.
“The aim is to try and enhance the cooperation on innovation issues and bridging the gap between public and private sectors to ensure Pacific research activities are connected to local and global network,” she added.
“The roadmap aims to address regional leaders to develop a vision for ST&I in the Pacific to enable them to define their joint future,” she said.
<- Back to: Small Island Developing States