OBJECTIVE:

UCSI University is privileged to be chosen by the Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs this year to partner in organizing its annual Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme, serving the countries in the Global South.

Our current century is faced with a slew of sustainability challenges, which threaten our human wellbeing and the rest of life on this planet. Our overdependence on the usage of fossil fuels, land opening for agricultural production, infrastructure development, and human settlement, to name but a few, have resulted in deforestation and over exploitation of our natural resources.

Science can explain the state of health on our planet, while technology and innovation could also provide the answers to alleviate these problems of sustainability. While science is the underpinning, the dialogue and communication between people and nations could be facilitated by science diplomacy. Much of the adverse impacts of unsustainable development, is being saddled by those residing in developing countries, the so-called Global South. Against this backdrop, the international conference was timely, especially taking into account that Malaysia will be assuming the Chair of ASEAN in 2025.

Participants helmed from Angola, Croatia, Guinea, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Madagascar, Morocco, Namibia, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Senegal, Tajikistan, The Republic Of Kazakhstan and  Timor-Leste.

Conference Partners

The meeting is being led by the newly established UCSI International Institute of Science Diplomacy and Sustainability, UCSI University and strongly supported by the Science Diplomacy Center, USA; INGSA-Asia; Malaysia Industry-Government for High Technology (MiGHT), Asahi Glass Foundation, Japan; United Nations University-Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (UNU-IAS), Tokyo; Institute of Diplomacy & Foreign Relations (IDFR); Keio University; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)