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The mobilisation of science
for innovation and sustainable development
Introduction to the global UNESCO context
Increasing population growth, huge inequalities
and poverty-related problems, development
pressure on limited resources and enormous environmental problems. These are all factors leading
to high expectations of science to develop and
utilise new knowledge. Knowledge that will make
a difference to people’s lives and everyday activities
and foster ethically responsible and sustainable
development. Top agenda items include the need
for promoting the green transition and ensuring
employment and decent jobs for increasingly large
generations of young people in the south - and in
the north. This must be achieved at the same time
as the adaptation to climate change and energy
issues, extreme weather phenomena and natural
catastrophes, and the fight against new and old
diseases call for responses and action possibilities
from science and research.
Globally, UNESCO works in a spirit of solidarity for
open sharing of access to scientific progress and
results, and UNESCO supports specifically Member
States’ development of framework conditions
for research and higher education. This includes
securing data as a basis for the development of
evidence-informed policies in the area of science –
and, in general, fostering stronger linkage between
science, policy development and the common good.
In light of the complexity and gravity of global
challenges, UNESCO points at the necessity of
cross-sectoral and inter-disciplinary approaches to
research and development. This is reflected e.g.in
the most recent World Social Science Report 2013,
which argues “that social science needs to be at the
heart of understanding and responding to global
challenges such as climate change, pollution,
resource limits and planetary boundaries to economic growth”.
12 · Strategy for the UNESCO-related work in Denmark 2014 - 2017
Throughout the world, people living in coastal
communities are closely connected with and
dependent on the sea. With the Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission (IOC), UNESCO is a
leading actor in supporting international scientific
cooperation on the exploration and documentation
of the dynamics and challenges of the seas in
connection with natural catastrophes, pollution
and climate change. Huge opportunities are linked
to the economics of the oceans, but this depends
on responsible, coordinated and sustainable
management. The cooperation taking place within
the IOC framework focuses exactly on fostering data
exchange and collection, knowledge development
and knowledge sharing. Denmark participates and
contributes actively to the cooperation in UNESCO/
IOC.
In order to foster continued and intensified development of the contribution of the sciences to innovation and sustainable development, much attention
is required to the quality and relevance of science
teaching and education throughout the educational
system, and to the stimulation, motivation and recruitment of all with the right talent and potential
for contributing to science—irrespective of gender
and background.
Denmark has been involved in UNESCO’s
work on science and ethics for a great many
years, e.g. through Danish membership of the
Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee (IGBC).
A fine tradition has also developed in cooperation
with L’Oréal Denmark for profiling women in
science through the award of the L’Oréal Denmark
for Women in Science National Fellowship,
and for highlighting the finest contributions
to science and society through the award of
the UNESCO Niels Bohr Gold Medal. Over the
next four years, Denmark will be a member of
the Intergovernmental Committee for Physical
Education and Sport (CIGEPS) and Denmark’s first
UNESCO Category 2 Institute was opened in Aalborg
in spring 2014 - The Aalborg Institute for ProblemBased Learning in Engineering and Sustainability.
Both of these will open up new opportunities that
should be integrated in the further work.
National challenges and opportunities for the
UNESCO work
In the area of science, the national focus is placed
on two key challenges. One of these is to contribute
to the quality and relevance of science teaching and
to foster an interest in and boost the number of
applications for technical and science studies with a
special focus on the motivation for and contribution
to science among girls/women. The other is to
contribute to the development of the IOC’s work
in relation to the Arctic. In terms of opportunities,
both the well-established cooperation with L’Oréal
Denmark and the opening of the new UNESCO
centre at Aalborg University present interesting
per-spectives in this context.
National focal areas
• T
he UNESCO work contributes to the
profiling of the role of sciences for sustainable
development, globally and nationally, including
the interaction between science and the
humanities
• Contribute to placing focus on high quality in
science education throughout the educational
system and the provision of good role models,
e.g. through focused work regarding the
L’Oréal and Niels Bohr awards
• In connection with the work in relation
to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission of UNESCO, focus will be placed
on ocean conditions and climate change e.g.
with a view to new development conditions for
the Arctic region
• Denmark is a member of CIGEPS for the period
2013-2017. As responsible for the remit of
physical education and sport, the Ministry of
Culture performs this task.
This national focus can contribute to the target
of increased prioritisation of good teaching and
communication of research results at higher education institutions. In this connection, it is especially
important to communicate the link between science
and the humanities as crucial to the sustainable
development of society.
Strategy for the UNESCO-related work in Denmark 2014 - 2017 · 13