IFLA will be participating at a side-event at this year’s United Nations Science, Technology and Innovation Forum organised by University College, Dublin, and focused on “Open Science and Digital Innovation in SDG Education, Research and Science Policy Interfaces“.

As was most recently made clear in a UNESCO Recommendation, Open Science, and indeed openness more broadly, has a great potential to support the delivery of policy goals, not least the UN’s 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In particular, openness promises to facilitate teaching and learning about development goals – both in terms of raising awareness in the first place, but also helping build the understanding in order to allow for behaviour change. It is also crucial if we are to develop effective technologies, tools and policy responses to the challenges we face.

There are plenty of free resources out there, but it is increasingly clear, however, that openness on its own may not achieve everything.

The availability of public-interest platforms, the presence of trained librarians, the development of skills, expanding quality connectivity, and proactive efforts to ensure that the production of knowledge is spread, and not just concentrated in certain institutions or countries, all have a role to play.

A side-event, organised by University College, Dublin, will look at just these subjects, under the theme “Open Science and Digital Innovation in SDG Education, Research and Science Policy Interfaces”. Speakers will talk about topics ranging from science-policy interfaces to sustainability education on the ground, with IFLA summing up the steps needed to make sure that ‘open’ realises its potential.

The event takes place at 11:30 UTC, with registration via the UN platform mandatory beforehand.