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On May 15-17, 2024, Chief Researcher KURIBAYASHI Daisuke attended the International Symposium of UNESCO Natural Sciences Sector Category 2 Centres (C2Cs) held at the Pullman Kuala Lumpur Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The symposium was convened for the first time in six years, this time co-hosted by UNESCO and the International Science, Technology and Innovation Centre for South-South Cooperation under the Auspices of UNESCO (ISTIC). There are 129 UNESCO C2Cs worldwide, of which 64 are categorized in the natural sciences sector, including ICHARM and ISTIC. About 70 people participated from 31 C2Cs, the UNESCO headquarters, and local agencies.
Ms. Lidia Brito, the assistant director-general for UNESCO Natural Sciences Sector, started the conference by expressing gratitude and welcome to the organizers, ISTIC, the Malaysian government, and the participants. The assistant director-general also stated in her speech that people around the world commonly face numerous global challenges and that addressing them would require scientific knowledge, especially interdisciplinary knowledge, and various networks of individuals and organizations. She emphasized that one of the meeting’s important purposes was for different C2Cs in different fields to come together and find concerted ways to tackle global challenges. She also hoped the participants would find ways for C2Cs to work together more closely through the symposium.
The symposium consisted of a plenary meeting, a C2C presentation session, and a group discussion joined by the participants.
The plenary meeting was divided into four sessions, “Introductory Session,” “C2C Procedures and Administrative Issues,” “Cross-cutting Session: Open Science,” and “Cross-cutting Session: International Decade of Science for Sustainable Development.” In each session, UNESCO staff delivered presentations on various activities. In the “Introductory Session,” Ms. Brito spoke about the priority areas and programs in the UNESCO Natural Sciences Sector. The following are the main takeaways from her speech:
The C2C presentation session set five themes, and speakers representing C2Cs delivered presentations about their organizations. The themes included: 1. Water Science Research, Education and Capacity Development; 2. Hubs for Sustainability: UNESCO-designated Sites and Networks; 3. Water and Disaster Risk Reduction; 4. Addressing the Planetary Crises: Climate Change and Biodiversity; and 5. Revolutionising Capacity Building in Engineering for SDGs.
![]() with other discussion group members (from left: representing Korea, UNESCO, Malaysia, Ghana, Vietnam, and the United Kingdom) |
Chief Researcher Kuribayashi spoke on the second day of the presentation session under the theme “3. Water and Disaster Risk Reduction.” He introduced various ICHARM activities, including research on floods and droughts, doctoral and master’s programs, networking activities such as the International Flood Initiative (IFI) and the Typhoon Committee, and UNESCO projects in Africa. Asked for ideas to bridge the gap between scientists and decision-makers, the chief researcher explained IFI’s recent initiative, the “Platform on Water Resilience and Disasters” project.
On the afternoon of the third day, the participants were divided into five groups and discussed the advantages of being a C2C and how to strengthen collaboration and networking among C2Cs.
Kuribayashi participated in the C2C symposium for the first time, and it was a valuable opportunity to learn about the activities of UNESCO’s Natural Science Sector and other C2Cs around the world. It was also beneficial, for he could discuss views and ideas with representatives of other C2Cs, such as:
Overall, the symposium was an excellent opportunity to learn about other C2Cs; each organization is very active in research, capacity development, and networking. This inspiring experience helped ICHARM renew its commitment to ongoing and upcoming activities.