On 2 November 2018, the Department of International Organisations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, together with the Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand, organised the 2nd Seminar Series Roundtable on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) entitled “Mobilizing STI for SDGs: Partnerships for Sustainable Development” at Narathip Auditorium, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The seminar aimed to raise awareness on the importance of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) as key tools to address development challenges as well as to forge partnerships with the academic sector through the establishment of an education and research network on STI promoting sustainable development. 

 

H.E. Mr. Arthayudh Srisamoot, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered the opening remarks by emphasising the important role of the academic sector in promoting sustainable development. He also emphasised the importance of “Science Diplomacy”, as a tool to promote international relations and bilateral and multilateral partnerships to strengthen Thailand’s scientific capacity as well as to share Thailand’s best practices with other developing countries. 

 

On this occasion, H.E. Dr. Suvit Maesincee, Minister of Science and Technology, delivered a keynote speech on the “Balance of SDGs and STI for Thailand 4.0”. He emphasised that the 21st Century could be categorized into three distinct phenomena namely; (1) The Age of Extremity where extreme views on environment, politics, economy and social issues have led to many problems and conflicts; (2) The Age of Paradox such as globalisation that leads to more localisation; and (3) The Age of Disruption caused by new and emerging technologies. He also highlighted that there is a global imbalance between humans and nature, humans and humans, and humans and technology. Therefore, to achieve the global goals or the SDGs we must all strive to transition from imbalance to re-balance. For Thailand, the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) has been the key guiding principle in creating a balanced society. Furthermore, STI has been an important tool for Thailand in achieving the SDGs, which is also in line with the “Thailand 4.0” economic model. 

 

Speakers from the academic sector also shared their experiences. Professor Dr. Harro von Blottnitz, Director of Environmental and Process Systems Engineering, University of Cape Town, gave a special lecture about the role of academic institutions in responding to communities and societies’ needs. Assistant Professor Dr. Tanyanuparb Anantana, Director of Science and Technology Park, Chiang Mai University, shared his experience in creating an environment that promotes innovation by transforming academic institutions into innovative creators such as the Northern Science Park in Chiang Mai Province. Lastly, Dr. Choon Heng Leong, Professor and Deputy Director of Jeffrey Sachs Centre on Sustainable Development, Sunway University, shared his knowledge on the process of establishing the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), Malaysia, and its functions. He also encouraged Thailand to set up its own SDSN national chapter.

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the leading agency in implementing SDG17 (Partnerships for the Goals), is committed to strengthen partnerships with all stakeholders in promoting sustainable development in Thailand. The seminar was attended by over 150 people from academia, government, and private sector.