To all INGSA Members and supporters,

2021...What an incredible year for us all.

Despite the challenges, this has been a productive year for INGSA - our 4th biennial conference, our first election, our first Board meeting and a markedly increased global presence thanks to so many of our members dealing with science advice in a crisis mode.

The pandemic has highlighted the need for science advice capacity to be present at all levels of government - from global to local. Taking stock of the many and complex lessons will enable us all to be more effective in future. In this regard, I invite you to read comments from Peter Gluckman and I from a recent session at Science Forum South Africa.

INGSA's key event of the year was the hybrid Montréal conference - INGSA2021: Build Back Wiser - attended by a record number of participants from more than 130 countries. You can watch all the sessions from four days of high-level discussion, including one day in French! I personally wish to acknowledge the experts who wrote papers for the conference's Viewpoints compendium that we are releasing today in its final form.

The coming year also promises to be exciting for us at INGSA with the development of a new Strategic Plan (consultations will open in the second quarter of 2022). Among our key anticipated objectives are: further developing our network of regional chapters, the launch of a call toward the creation of a Francophone network in science advice, and exploring science advice to local-level governments.

As announced at COP26, INGSA has been invited to contribute to developing frameworks to help government effectively quantify and respond to the risks of climate change. INGSA is also looking forward to participating in international events such as ESOF and the WSF.

And thank you to our members for your continued support and involvement. Do not hesitate to contact us with news and opportunities from across our growing network.

Best wishes,

Rémi Quirion

President of INGSA

ANNOUNCING:

GLOBAL: Have you been wanting to watch the fantastic content from INGSA's Horizon Series interviews? Or to catch up on the best content from the INGSA20201 conference in Montreal?

In January, INGSA will be releasing yet another way to engage with the best content from the intersection between science, society and policy - The INGSA Horizons Podcast.

The podcast will bring you the best from the recent INGSA conference as well as interviews from the INGSA Horizon Series, including with Prof Dan Sarewitz and Prof Salim Abdool Karim.

The INGSA Horizon Podcast will be available on all your favourite podcast apps. Keep an eye on our Twitter in the new year to find out when the first 7 episodes will be released!

GLOBAL: What do the world's leaders in science advice think about the most pressing issues facing humanity today?

Read the INGSA2021 Viewpoints document to find out. Viewpoints brings together the cutting edge thinkpieces from the presenters at the INGSA2021 conference in Montreal.

These are the short, sharp and incisive commentaries that provide the guideposts for where the fields of science advice and science diplomacy are today, and where they need to be tomorrow.

Updated post conference, the new Viewpoints document provides insight, inspiration and direction for the field and is an invaluable companion resource to all the INGSA2021 conference content.

Opportunites:

News From Across The Network:

MEXICO, Mexico City: The Latin American Chapter of INGSA, in collaboration with the Mexican Association for the Advancement of Science (AMEXAC) and the Center for Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV) have developed an introductory semester course in governmental science advice for students in Mexico City.

Already about 20 graduate students are enrolled and are learning about the Science-Policy Interface, the main concepts and authors in the field, and differences between policy for science and science for policy, public policy, how to write a policy brief, the current role of academia in society, communication of science, etc.

It is hoped that the success of the course will enable it to be expanded into a general training program available to INGSA members. For more information on the course contact: [email protected]

ASIA: From October to December 2021, the winners of INGSA-Asia’s Grassroots Science Advice Promotion Awards 2021 have successfully organised 3 Grassroots Workshops in India and Indonesia, delving into the topics of cultivating livelihood through sustainable farming, disaster planning and management, as well as participatory science advice in policymaking through open science. 

INGSA-Asia would like to congratulate the winners for their efforts in promoting science advice at a grassroots level and express our gratitude to the Steering Committee Advisors for their mentorship and support.

We hope to facilitate more of such initiatives in the region in the future to continue to foster the culture of science advice across Asia.

To find out when the next ground of Grassroots Awards become available, follow INGSA-Asia on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

GLOBAL: INGSA has been supporting six research fellows to undertake deep dive case studies on their country’s use of evidence in policy pathways related to COVID-19.

Several of the Knowledge Associates have produced outputs based on their research findings that have had public reach, including in academic journals Critical Housing Review and Revue Internationale.

Knowledge Associate Pablo García de Paredes recently presented findings on public policy and Panama's pandemic response to the Central American University Congress of CSUCA Inicio in a presentation titled "Universities as Translators of Scientific Evidence for Public Policy.”

Read the profiles & updated project descriptions for the 2020-21 Knowledge Associates here.

LATIN AMERICA: The Latin American & Caribbean Chapter of INGSA (INGSA LAC) has joined the recently created Ibero American Forum of Linkage Indicators. This Forum has been conceived as a space for a collaborative discussion about the modalities and strategies of measuring the linkages between universities and society, including linkages into government.

During the first two days of December, the Forum held its first online meeting (Primer Encuentro del Foro Iberoamericano de Indicadores de Vinculación), which included several panels on managing and measuring university linkages with their social and economic environment.

In future activities of the Forum, INGSA LAC will be participating in promoting the analysis of indicators of universities' participation in science advice activities with local, regional and national governments.  

SOUTH AFRICA: In collaboration with SciCom – Making Sense of Science, INGSA hosted a session at Science Forum South Africa 2021 - If COVID-19 is the 9/11 moment for global science advice, what needs to happen next?

Moderated by Prof. Himla Soodyall, CEO of the Academy of Science of South Africa, the panel included:

• Prof Remi Quirion (President of INGSA),
• Sir Peter Glcukman (Former Chair of INGSA),
• Prof Ene Ergma (former Politician & Speaker of the Estonian Parliament)
• Professor Derrick Swartz (Special Adviser to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of South Africa)
• Dr. Miyoko O. Wantanabe, Executive Director, Japan Science and Technology Agency

It was a excellent discussion and the recording will be available in the new year. Follow INGSA on Twitter to see when it's released.

GLOBAL: The International Science Council (ISC) has announced the establishment of a Global Commission to mobilise a $100 million a year global fund for Sustainability Science Missions.

Off the back of its Unleashing Science: Delivering Missions for Sustainability Report, the ISC has brought together political leaders, scientists, and influential personalities to accelerate the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Commission members include former NZ PM Helen Clark, former UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, film producer James Cameron, and philanthropist Julie Wrigley.

Find out more and see the Commission members here.

New Reports:

Benefits of adopting an innovation-led approach to the design and delivery of public inquiries - IPPO

The International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO) has published a position paper on the range and variety in models of public inquiry and how to stimulate innovative inquiry design, process and practice.

In many countries, as the immediate short-term crisis moves towards a science- and data-led containment and control strategy, the political agenda is now shifting towards a focus on accountability and lesson-learning.

How can the inevitable public enquiries be design to get the best results and derive robust long-term lessons?

Read the paper here.

The Synthesis Gap: reducing the imbalance between advice and absorption in handling big challenges, from pandemics to net zero - IPPO

Prof Sir Geoff Mulgin presents a paper on how governments should synthesise inputs from many disciplines and sources to make decisions – whether during a pandemic or to guide a major strategy.

This paper draws on the first year of work by the International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO), collaborating with researchers and policymakers on how to respond to the many challenges of COVID-19, from education and care to mental health and housing. It also draws on decades working with governments around the world to improve strategic thinking and action.

Read the paper here.

Zero In On - Near-Term Warming and our Chances of Staying Within 1.5°C

The annual ZERO IN reports by the CONSTRAIN project provide information on scientific topics that are fundamental to the Paris Agreement, as well as background and context on new developments at the science-policy interface.

This third report provides additional context and background on the latest IPCC report on the physical science basis of climate change and addresses important questions around how likely we are to reach 1.5°C of global temperature increase.

Read the Report here.

JRC: Values and Identities

- A Policymaker's Guide

The European Commission's research service (JRC) has just published a new report “Values and Identities – a Policymaker’s Guide”. The report presents the interdisciplinary state-of-the-art scientific knowledge on values and identities.

The report provides essential perspectives for policymakers and science advisers to better navigate competing core values and group identities at play in every policy discussion when making the advisory leap from evidence to recommendation.

• Project website
• Read the Report 
• Watch the launch event

CODE-Africa releases series of reports on science advice in West and Central Africa

Founded by INGSA-Africa steering committee member, Madiagne Diallo, CODE-Africa is a platform reuniting over 500 high-level experts in 28 African countries. Its main objectives are to promote science advice by fostering better collaboration between scientists and decision-makers and to valorise the use of scientific knowledge for the economic development of Africa.

Last fall, CODE-Africa published a series of reports on science advice to governments in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, Senegal and Togo. The study, carried out with the support of the Fonds de recherche du Québec and the International Development Research Centre, focuses on evidence-informed policy-making for youth employability and female entrepreneurship. 

View the Reports (French only)

CODE-Africa diffuse une série de rapports sur le conseil scientifique en Afrique de l’Ouest et en Afrique Centrale

Fondée par Madiagne Diallo, membre du comité d’orientation de l’antenne régionale africaine de l’INGSA, CODE-Afrique est une plateforme réunissant plus de 500 experts de haut niveau dans 28 pays africains. Elle a comme objectifs de promouvoir le conseil scientifique à travers une meilleure collaboration entre scientifiques et décideurs et de valoriser l’utilisation des connaissances scientifiques pour le développement économique de l'Afrique.

L’automne dernier, CODE-Africa a publié une série de rapports sur le conseil scientifique aux gouvernements dans les pays du Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Mali, Sénégal et Togo. L’étude, réalisée avec le soutien des Fonds de recherche du Québec et le Centre de recherches pour le développement international, porte sur l’utilisation des connaissances scientifiques dans l’élaboration de politiques publiques sur l’employabilité des jeunes et l’entreprenariat féminin.

Pour consulter les rapports

Additional Resources:

New Papers:

• Tim Flink: Taking the pulse of science diplomacy and developing practices of valuation, Science and Public Policy, Nov 2021

New Covid-19 Resources:

• ARTICLE: Panama City, Inequality and Covid-19 - Pablo García de Paredes (2021 INGSA Knowledge Associate) published in collaboration with the Global Research Programme on Inequality (GRIP)
• ARTICLE: COVID-19 and the implications and response on urban and rural poor in Indonesia - Dr Laely Nurhidayah (2018 INGSA Research Associate) published in collaboration with the Global Research Programme on Inequality (GRIP)
• REPORT: The Role of Science in the Swiss Policy Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic - Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences

The International Network for Government Science Advice operates under the auspices of the International Science Council (ISC). 

The INGSA secretariat is currently hosted by the University of Auckland, New Zealand

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