Indo-Pacific Regional Summit was held from 9th -10th May 2024, Bangkok, Thailand with the theme Social Science Funding and Collaboration which was hosted by the Association of Asian Social Science Research Councils (AASSREC) jointly with National Research Council of Thailand, in partnership with the Global Development Network (GDN) and UNESCO, supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada. The summit aimed at fostering robust partnerships and enhanced the quality of social science research within the region through bilateral and multilateral collaboration thereby to achieve better outcomes through policy engagement and transcending research. With a comprehensive two-day program featuring panel discussions, workshops and networking opportunities, the event was poised to make a significant impact on the development and application of social science research addressing the complex challenges facing the region.
Ms Dilushi Munasinghe, Scientific Officer, Science and Technology Policy Research Division and Prof. Siri Hettige, Chairman of the NSF Working Committee on Social Sciences participated in the event representing the National Science Foundation.
The following key themes were discussed at the sessions.
- Role of evidence in making research systems more resilient and effective
- Innovation, impact and translation of social science research
- Ethical dimensions and the integration of artificial intelligence in social science research funding
- Effective ways of harnessing international collaboration
With an emphasis on international collaboration, highlighting best practices and exploring new opportunities for synergy, from deliberations of the summit, some research priorities for funding social sciences were surfaced. Over 90 delegates representing social science researchers and policymakers from 20 countries across the Indo-Pacific region participated in this Summit.
The identified priorities will be utilized for enhancing research through Grants schemes aligning with the AASSREC’s initiative ‘Boosting Social Sciences and their Contribution to Better Lives across the Indo-Pacific’, a collaborative partnership between the AASSREC and GDN and is funded by IDRC. The AASSREC has invited the participants to harness these opportunities partnering with each other for the upliftment of social science research and to enhance better lives in the region.