Panel discussion "Research for development: solutions for sustainability"

On 25 April 2024, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) celebrated the conclusion of the joint r4d research programme and the launch of the Solution-Oriented Research for Development Programme (SOR4D), aiming to promote demand-oriented, transdisciplinary research to achieve sustainable development and poverty reduction in developing countries.

A high-level panel discussed the importance of research for development, the challenges related to transdisciplinary research and the need to involve of a wide variety of stakeholders in these endeavors. On the panel were Sabin Bieri from the University of Bern, Smita Premchander, an independent development consultant, Jacques Ducrest from the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, Jean-Luc Bernasconi from SDC and Matthias Egger from the SNSF.

The main takeaways of the panel discussion were:

• The need for innovative solutions and new ways of thinking to tackle the Sustainable Development Goals.
• The value and impact of research for development in the context of sustainability.
• The importance of equitable partnerships
• The need for cooperation and collaboration across all levels and between different actors and sectors.

Around 80 participants from research, NGOs, the public administration and civil society attended this lively discussion.

Read more about the SOR4D programme: https://sor4d.ch/en