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In this Issue


FinCEAL+ BRIDGES updates:
1. The Rolling Call is currently closed
2. Grantees to AESCON - Singapore selected
3. FinCEAL Infobank

4. News from BRIDGES Grantees

5. Other Funding Opportunities and Calls for Papers
6. Events Relevant to the SDGs and BRIDGES Regions

7. Publications and Consultations

Issue 1/2020

 

Internationalizing Finnish Science: Building Sustainable Bridges to Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean (BRIDGES)


FinCEAL+ BRIDGES updates
 
1. The FinCEAL Plus BRIDGES Rolling Call is currently closed for all components (Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean).
All components committed all their funding for 2019, and the call was closed in October 2019. If the Rolling Call is re-opened for 2020, it will be announced on the UniPID website, as well as the other UniPID and FinCEAL social media channels and mailing lists.
 
2. FinCEAL Plus BRIDGES Asia Grantees to AESCON - Singapore Selected!
The BRIDGES Asia-component launched a Targeted Travel Grant Call to support the participation of interested researchers and experts in the Asia-Europe Sustainable Connectivity Scientific Conference (AESCON). We have selected a delegation of 3 experts from 3 Finnish Higher Education Institutions to highlight Finland's perspective in the areas of international connectivity, globalization, and their impacts on sustainable development. Find more information about the grantees here.
 
3. FinCEAL Infobank: Add and edit project information, and create a researcher profile to showcase your expertise!
The FinCEAL Infobank is a multidisciplinary expert and project database. The Infobank includes Finnish researchers' profiles as well as research and capacity building projects carried out by them on/in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and facilitates knowledge exchange, communication, and cooperation opportunities between researchers. Infobank users can search for either projects or people with different criteria: theme or topic, key words, institution or focus country. The database is also used by Finnish ministries and missions abroad to identify experts for different purposes. Find out more and register here!

The next Newsletter will be published at the end of February 2020.

4. News from FinCEAL Plus BRIDGES Grantees


Research Team Leader Tommi Vuorinen from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland attended the 3rd Indonesia Circular Economy Forum (ICEF) in November

Tommi Vuorinen from VTT participated in the 3rd Indonesia Circular Economy Forum that gathered participants interested in the latest developments and practices of sustainable resource utilization. The speakers presented state-of-the-art circular economy technologies and practices in a variety of areas ranging from construction to tourism. In his speech, Tommi Vuorinen discussed circular plastics and key messages and good practices on recycling. Find out more here!


Photo by ICEF.

5. Other Funding Opportunities and Calls for Papers


ALL REGIONS

Business Finland: Research to Business
Formerly known as TUTLI, this renewed funding instrument supports the preparation of research-based ideas for commercialization and carrying out applied research which support the commercialization. The deadline of the first call is March 5. More information.

Business Finland: Co-innovation funding
In Co-Innovation projects research organizations and companies co-create new knowledge and innovations for the needs of international business. Funding is aiming at simultaneously increasing the competences of research organization and new export business. Funding can be applied for at any time. More information.

H2020 Future and emerging technologies FET - Open Calls
FET Open supports early stage science and technology research exploring new foundations for radically new future technologies by challenging current paradigms and venturing into unknown areas. A bottom-up selection process widely open to any research idea builds up a diverse portfolio of new research directions. Early detection of promising new areas, developments and trends, along with attracting new and high-potential research and innovation players, are key factors. More information.

H2020 Energy Efficiency Call 2020 - Open Calls
The last Work Programme for Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy under Horizon 2020 is designed to facilitate a smooth transition to the future Horizon Europe and LIFE programmes. The two intervention areas:  "Buildings in energy transition" (B4E), and “Smart and clean energy for consumers” (EC) bring together 18 topics focusing on energy efficiency as a cornerstone of the energy transition. The work programme operates on a budget of close to €120 million of EU funding. More information.

H2020 ERA-NET Cofund & CSA 2020 - Open Calls
The ERA-NET Cofund instrument under Horizon 2020 implements the co-funded joint call for proposals that leads to the funding of trans-national research and/or innovation projects. The European Commission has launched the final round of calls for the ERA-NET Cofunds on 10 different topics. Find out more about the topics, links to calls, and call deadlines on the ERA-LEARN website.
 

AFRICA

EEP Africa Call for Proposals: Clean Energy Powering Green Growth
EEP Africa invites innovative project developers to submit applications for early stage clean energy projects in active development phase in Southern and East Africa. Application deadline is 10 March. More information.

6. Events relevant to the SDGs

 
ALL REGIONS


Health Tuesday: Germany becoming a top country in digital health, 4 February, Helsinki, Finland
February's Health Tuesday focuses on the digital health care market in Germany, and includes first-hand information on the digital healthcare act, networking, and a round table session on German digital healthcare opportunities. The meeting is also available via webcast. More information.

The 10th session of the World Urban Forum: Cities of opportunities - connecting culture and innovation, 8-13 February, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Organized and convened by UN-Habitat, the World Urban Forum has become the foremost international gathering for exchanging views and experiences on sustainable urbanization in all its ramifications. Online registration deadline is 31 January. More information.

Social Innovation in Marginalized Rural Areas (SIMRA) final conference, 19-20 February, Brussels, Belgium
SIMRA seeks to advance understanding of social innovation and innovative governance in agriculture, forestry and rural development, and how to boost them, particularly in marginalised rural areas across Europe. The event will showcase the project’s main findings and discuss their policy implications at all levels (EU, national, regional, and local), and with regards to the legislative reforms still in discussion for the next EU programming period 2021-2027. More information.

World Biodiversity Forum, 23-28 February, Davos, Switzerland
Organized for the first time, the World Bio­di­ver­si­ty Fo­rum will bring to­geth­er lead­ing re­searchers, ear­ly ca­reer re­searchers, prac­ti­tion­ers, rep­re­sen­ta­tives from dif­fer­ent sec­tors, de­ci­sion-mak­ers, and so­ci­etal ac­tors to have a con­ver­sa­tion on the kind of fu­ture we want for bio­di­ver­si­ty. It aims to re­de­fine and set the agen­da for bio­di­ver­si­ty as a fo­cal point across sectors over the next 10 years. Registration deadline is 16 February. More information.

Development Days 2020: Inequality Revisited: In Search of Novel Perspectives on an Enduring Problem, 26-27 February, Helsinki, Finland
The Development Days Conference is organized to rethink inequalities in development research and practice through multi- and transdisciplinary approaches – to learn and share beyond disciplinary boundaries. Registration deadline is 15 February. More information.

NERA 2020: Rethinking the futures of education in the Nordic countries, 4-6 March, Turku, Finland
The conference addresses a wide array of topics from the areas of education, teaching, and learning with the objective to rethink the futures of educational sciences in the Nordic countries. Registration deadline is 19 February. More information.

CLIMATE2020 - The worldwide Online Climate Conference, 23-30 March
The objective of the online conference is to convey the most recent research results on climate change and its impacts, as well as to provide especially early career researchers from all over the world with the opportunity to present their findings at a global level. The conference is organised by the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. More information.

Adaptation Futures: The 6th international climate change adaptation conference, 27-30 April, New Delhi, India
Hosted by The Energy and Resources Institute and the World Adaptation Science Programme (WASP), Adaptation Futures is a unique platform to facilitate dialogues towards action oriented solutions from a diverse range of stakeholders that includes academia, practitioners, scientists and policy makers from across the world. The overall theme of the event is "accelerating adaptation action and knowledge to support action", and it is addressed through multiple themes such as governance, fairness, finance, and nature-based solutions. Registration deadline is 31 March. More information.

2nd United Nations global sustainable transport conference, 5-7 May, Beijing, China
The conference brings together key stakeholders from governments, UN system and other international organizations, the private sector, and civil society to discuss the integrated and cross-cutting nature of sustainable transport and its multiple roles in supporting the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement. Registration deadline is 2 March. More information.

STI Forum 2020: 5th annual Multi-stakeholder Forum on science, technology and innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals, 12-13 May, New York, USA
As in previous years, the theme of the 2020 STI Forum will be ‘Using science, technology and innovation for accelerating action and transformative pathways.’ Stay tuned to the event website for more information.

2020 ITF Summit: Transport innovation for sustainable development, 27-29 May, Leipzig, Germany
The ITF Summit brings together ministers from around the world to share policy perspectives with CEOs, heads of international organisations, thought leaders from civil society and academia, and media, and address strategic and topical issues across all transport modes. The discussions focus on how innovation in transport can contribute to achieving the 2030 Agenda and what governance framework is needed to enable this. More information.

EU Green Week, 2-5 June, Brussels, Belgium / throughout Europe
This year, the EU Green Week will put the spotlight on biodiversity in the context of this broader ecological crisis. Calling for urgent action, the week will explore possible pathways for change and examine how a range of EU policies like the European Green Deal can help protect, restore, and sustainably manage nature, leaving room for it to recover and thrive. Registration for the high level conference in Brussels is not yet open. Stay tuned to the event website for more information.

SRI2020: Sustainability Research + Innovation, 14-17 June, Brisbane, Australia
First in a series of congresses, SRI2020 connects those at the forefront of sustainability science, innovation, funding, communication, and implementation across sectors and disciplines. The congress focuses particularly on pollinating ideas and solutions across the Global South and Global North, and across early-career and senior experts. Applications to present your work are open until February 16. More information.

18th International Triple Helix Conference, 15-17 June, Tampere, Finland
The theme of the 2020 Triple Helix Conference is Future of innovation and innovation for future. The conference promotes dialogue among researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners to evoke both scholarly debates and best practice sharing on how innovation could create a desirable society in the future and how innovation should be understood and approached for achieving such a goal. Early registration is open until 15 April. More information.

4th International Conference on Global Food Security, "Achieving local and global food security: at what costs?" 16-18 June 2020, Montpellier, France
The conference addresses the triple burden of malnutrition: hunger, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity. It also explores the state-of-the-art of interdisciplinary insight, addresses the trade-offs that occur – and synergies that can be sought – in transforming food systems. These are aimed at reconciling the competing environmental, economic or social objectives and outcomes towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals at different levels across spatial and temporal scales. Early registration deadline is 30 March. More information.

EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2020, 22-26 June, Brussels, Belgium / throughout Europe
This year EUSEW will cover four elements across the EU: the Policy Conference, Networking Village, EUSEW Awards, and the Energy Days. Organize your own Energy Day, submit your application for the EUSEW Awards, apply for the Networking Village, and/or take a look at the policy conference under preparation. Stay tuned to the event website.

Higher Education Close Up 10, 6-8 July, Lancaster, Great Britain
HECU is a peer reviewed biennial international conference, focused on issues relating to in-depth research into higher education. The theme for HECU10 is ‘Critical approaches to close-up higher education research’. The Call for Proposals is open until 1 March, registration deadline is 31 March. More information.

The 4th ISA Forum of Sociology, "Challenges of the 21st Century: Democracy, Environment, Inequalities, Intersectionality", 14-18 July, 2020, Porto Alegre, Brazil - Save the Date!
ISA 2020 forum will provide a platform for sociological analyses of these four global challenges with a focus on their interconnections and possible solutions. The Forum will delve into how both progressive and conservative actors and movements tackle these challenges and their conflictive perspectives as well as ask how our discipline has been meeting these four global challenges and it has been transformed by them. Early registration deadline is 19 March. More information.

The EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF), 5-9 July, Trieste, Italy
ESOF is a biennial, pan-European, general science conference dedicated to scientific research and innovation. Each conference aims to deliver stimulating content and lively debate around the latest advancements and discoveries in the sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Registration opens in February. More information.
 

AFRICA

Africa Climate Week 2020, 9-13 March, Kampala, Uganda
The Africa Climate Week aims to enhance the engagement of the private sector in implementation and delivery of national climate action plans under the Paris Agreement. The core areas to achieve this goal are: partnering for whole society engagement in implementation, managing climate risks, and seizing transformation opportunities. Registration deadline is 8 March. More information.

The Next Einstein Forum (NEF) Global Gathering 2020, 10-13 March, Nairobi, Kenya
NEF is an initiative of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in partnership with the Robert Bosch Stiftung. NEF Global Gatherings include exciting sessions such as NEF Fellow Spotlight Sessions – TED-like events where Africa’s top scientists share their research and innovations – live online discussions with special guests, discovery sessions that unpack ground breaking discoveries, an exclusive Ministerial Meeting, and the NEF’s signature continental innovation competition. Invitations may be requested through the event website.

Sustainable Energy for All Forum: Building Speed, Reaching Scale, Closing the Gap, 26-28 May, Kigali, Rwanda
The 2020 'SEforALL' forum will provide a global platform to mobilize resources, connect partners and showcase action to realize the promise of the sustainable energy Revolution for everyone. The event will bring together a diverse group of energy stakeholders to take stock of progress towards implementing SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and provide an opportunity to develop new partnerships, launch new financial instruments to close the energy access gap, and connect with energy leaders from communities, cities, politics, business, and finance. More information.
 

ASIA

Asia-Europe Sustainable Connectivity Conference (AESCON): Strengthening Asia-Europe Links through Data and Research, 26-28 February 2020, Singapore
AESCON is the first scientific conference on Asia-Europe sustainable connectivity. At a time of increasing connectivity, the conference aims to provide an academic forum to discuss global challenges on transport infrastructure, energy transition, climate change, digital economy, trade and investment flows, security, people mobility, cultural exchanges, among others. The conference targets researchers and policy analysts working in the field of international connectivity, globalization and on sustainable development, with a particular focus on Asia-Europe connections. More information.

ENRICH in China Matchmaking Tour – Explore the Opportunities of Digital Economy in the Chinese Market, 20-25 April, Beijing and Hangzhou, China
  • Matchmaking with key Chinese tech-based companies and research institutes
  • Visits to leading Chinese innovators and Soft Landing Zones
  • Access for business and research opportunities in Beijing and Hangzhou
  • Free Access to 2nd Nordic Edge Smart City Summit in Asia
  • First-hand information on Chinese Science, Technology and Innovation Landscape and innovative activities in china
  • Contacts with high-level representatives from EU and Chinese governments
The deadline for applications is 23 March. More information.

ENVforum Annual Conference 2020, 29 June-1 July, Munich, Germany
The Asia-Europe Environment Forum Conference 2020 will take place on 29 June - 1 July in Munich, Germany and will be hosted by Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF). The ENVforum is:
  •  the only multi-stakeholder forum on the environment between the two regions;
  •  an interface between government and civil society for policy recommendations;
  •  an Asia-Europe network on sustainable development; and
  •  a contributor to the agenda of the ASEM Environment Ministerial and other Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) fora.
Please follow information updates on the Event website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

23rd ASEF Summer University (ASEFSU23) - ASEM Cities of the Future: Developing Liveable Habitats, August-September 2020, South Asia
The ASEF Summer University (ASEFSU) is a 2-week experiential learning journey and “Interdisciplinary Innovathon” for Asian and European students & young professionals. Designed to foster cross-cultural exchanges and networks among youth, it will offer you the opportunity to broaden your horizons, deepen your knowledge on contemporary issues, and propose concrete solutions to societal challenges. ASEFSU23 will be conducted under the theme "ASEM Cities of the Future: Developing Liveable Habitats" with a focus on the following core areas: Governance, Infrastructure & Technology, and Human Development. The event consists of a mix of practical team exercises, thought-provoking lectures, group research, and experiential learning. More information.
 

LAC

The International Higher Education Fair of Argentina (FIESA) 2020, 17-20 March 2020, Mar del Plata, Argentina
FIESA is an international meeting of Institutions of Higher Education that gathers representatives from around the world. The fair will feature five central conferences per each strategic value of the event: synergy, learning, innovation, diversity, and sustainability. There will be more than 20 seminars, talks and workshops with experts as well as networking spaces, poster sessions and videos of international experiences. Registration deadline is 29 February. More information. 

32nd annual FAUBAI Conference: Global Learning, Global Citizens, 25-29 April 2020, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Themed "Global Learning, Global Citizens", FAUBAI 2020 will explore strategies for advancing global education, developing global awareness and perspective, and an attitude of global engagement. The conference will bring together specialists on internationalization of higher education, Vice-Presidents, SIOs, Heads of International Offices from Brazil and abroad and those interested in internationalization of HE. Early registration deadline is 17 February. More information. 

The 3rd Open Science Forum of Latin America and the Caribbean - CILAC Forum 2020: Science that includes, 21-23 September 2020, Buenos Aires, Argentina
The CILAC Forum is the largest event of scientific knowledge at the regional level, taking place every two years in different cities with the aim of promoting sustainable communities through science, technology, and innovation. Call for programme proposals is open until 15 March. Stay tuned to the event website for more information.

7. Publications and consultation  


World Economic Situation and Prospects 2020
The UN report explores forecasts and risks for global economic development in 2020, and outlines the implications of the urgently needed shift in the global energy mix. Find the report here.

Nature Risk Rising: Why the Crisis Engulfing Nature Matters for Business and the Economy
The first report in the New Nature Economy (NNE) report series by the World Economic Forum explains how nature-related risks matter to business, why they must be urgently mainstreamed into risk management strategies, and why it is vital to prioritize the protection of nature’s assets and services within the broader global economic growth agenda. Find the report here.

Blog post: Are We Serious About Achieving the SDGs? A Statistician’s Perspective
In this IISD blog post, the writers argue that we are not on track to achieving the SDG targets because we are not measuring the SDG indicators and there are crucial gaps in global reporting. They call for a number of measures to be taken immediately, including expanded communication and a joint data validation platform. Find the blog post here.

AFRICA

Africa Agriculture Status Report 2019, "The Hidden Middle: Bringing Africa’s SMEs into the Light"
The report looks at the overlooked cohort of essential but unrecognized workers and enterprises' potential role in the transformation of African agriculture and the continent’s long-awaited green revolution. Find the report here.

Bridging Existing and New Approaches for the Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Between Finland and Africa 
This report is an output of the FinCEAL initiative. It aims to collate the experience and the lessons learned during 6 years of the initiative's activities in support of and enhancing Finnish cooperation with Africa on Science Technology and Innovation (STI). Find the publication here.

ASIA

OECD Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia, China and India 2020
This bi-annual publication discusses regional economic growth, development, and regional integration in Emerging Asia. It presents the regional economic monitor, looks at human capital development with a special focus on education for the digital era, and offers specific recommendations for each country. Find the publication here.

The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) Annual Report
ASEF's latest annual report has been released. Read about their projects, achievements, milestones and more in this report.
Find the report here.

Finnish Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation With Southeast Asia – Opportunities and Challenges
This report is an output of the FinCEAL initiative. It collates the experience and the lessons learned during 6 years of the initiative's activities in support of and enhancing Finnish cooperation with the Southeast Asia region on higher education, research and Innovation cooperation. Find the publication here.

LAC

OECD Economic Surveys: Colombia 2019
The report looks discusses and highlights key policy insights on Colombia's performance in terms of macroeconomics, social indicators, equality, green growth, and productivity growth among others. Available in both English and Spanish! Find the report here.

Finnish Research, Higher Education and Innovation Cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean: Roadblocks and Recommendations for Future Action
This report is an output of the FinCEAL initiative. It collates the experience and the lessons learned during 6 years of  the initiatives' activities aimed at supporting and enhancing Finnish cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean region on science, higher education and innovation. Find the publication here.

FinCEAL+ BRIDGES supports the Sustainable Development Goals.
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Contact us
 
 
Melissa Plath
FinCEAL+ Africa
UniPID - University of Jyväskylä
Tel: + 358 40 024 8075
melissa.plath[at]jyu.fi
 
Jarkko Mutanen
FinCEAL+ Asia
UniPID - University of Eastern Finland
Tel: +358 50 463 7775
jarkko.mutanen[at]uef.fi
 
Adrián Monge Monge
FinCEAL+ Latin America and the Caribbean
UniPID - University of Helsinki
Tel: +358 50 448 6185
adrian.mongemonge[at]helsinki.fi

Helmi Jyrkkänen
FinCEAL+

UniPID - University of Jyväskylä
Tel: +358 40 484 8127
helmi.o.jyrkkanen[at]jyu.fi

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[Image credits in order of appearance: Shandi-lee Cox, 2013 on Flickr; Steve pb, 2019 on Pixabay; OPCW, 2016 on Flickr; and Mark Robinson, 2009 on Flickr]

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