Academic Round Table: Science for Sustainability - Translating Science and Innovation into Tools for Development

Academia and research institutions, as innovation and knowledge hubs, are crucial partners for FAO in achieving the organization’s strategic priorities and in the realization of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

On 25 February, the Flanders Department of Chancellery and Foreign Affairs and Wallonie-Bruxelles International jointly organized an academic round table entitled: “Science for Sustainability. Translating science and innovation into tools for development.”

The round table saw the attendance and active participation by close to 20 Belgian academic institutions and scientific entities.

The event was an opportunity for FAO and representatives of Belgian academia and research institutions (ARI’s) to come together and exchange on how to enhance collaboration, both in Belgium and globally. Director of the FAO Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division Marcela Villarreal moderated the event.

FAO has been collaborating with Belgian universities for several years and representatives from UCLouvain, UGent and ULiège presented some of the latest developments and achievements in their partnerships with FAO.

In his concluding remarks, FAO Brussels Director Raschad Al-Khafaji thanked the organizers for the timely and highly relevant meeting.

He stressed that “Innovation is at the core of FAO’s priorities - not only innovation in the technological sense, but also innovation in our ways of interacting: sharing knowledge, expertise, best practices and experiences”. He added that he was “proud to note that the current collaboration between FAO and Belgian academia partners has also been tailored to support some of our projects with beneficiary countries”.

He added that this academic roundtable certainly set the ground for even more fructuous collaboration with Belgium’s academic and research institutions.

Director Al-Khafaji concluded the event by emphasizing the role of the youth: “Young people across the world are connected like never before. They propose innovative solutions and drive social progress”; adding that “young people are our future.”