TWAS President Quarraisha Abdool Karim delivered two major addresses at the 5th International Forum on Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (FBAS 2025), in Beijing, China, which took place from 6–8 September.
The forum promotes global collaboration in leveraging big data for sustainable development. There, participants share experiences and practices in applying digital technologies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), jointly develop a technological blueprint for driving sustainability through digital innovation, and seek to accelerate progress toward the SDGs over the next five years.
The forum was hosted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and organized by the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS) and the Aerospace Information Research Institute of CAS, and supported by many international organizations, including TWAS. The forum attracted over 700 representatives from nearly 50 countries and 17 international organizations.
As a keynote speaker, Abdool Karim delivered an insightful address on the role of scientific innovation and equitable access to technology in advancing global sustainable development. She underscored that big data and artificial intelligence hold the potential to either accelerate progress in the global South or exacerbate existing digital divides. The outcome will hinge on the global community's dedication to inclusivity and cooperation. She emphasized the need to strengthen the capacity in developing countries to handle big data and AI, recognize the global South’s contribution to scientific research, and foster collaborative international partnerships.
During FBAS 2025, the TWAS Young Affiliates Network (TYAN) co-organized the Youth Innovation Special Session — focusing on youth action in using digital intelligence to drive sustainable development — in collaboration with the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS), the CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence on Space Technology for Disaster Mitigation (SDIM), the International Society for Digital Earth, and other partners. The event brought together TYAN members and over 100 young scientists and experts from nearly 20 countries, including Fiji, Jamaica, Nepal, Malaysia, Pakistan, and others from around the world.
During the session, Abdool Karim delivered opening remarks, inspiring the next generation of scientists to take the lead in driving interdisciplinary and international efforts toward sustainability. Abdool Karim praised TYAN for advancing collaborative research, promoting scientific capacity building, and aligning its programs with the SDGs. She expressed hope that TYAN could foster broader partnerships to leverage big data and AI for sustainable development. She also engaged in a discussion with TWAS Young Affiliates, including Fang Chen, co-chair of TYAN, Basanta Raj Adhikari, Nurfashareena Muhamad, and Zainun Mustafa, along with other early-career participants.
Muhamad, who is a disaster-prevention researcher from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, emphasized the need for TYAN to foster collaboration using digital technologies. “Big data analysis and AI-based comprehensive assessments can better help us understand the complex trade-offs and synergies among different indicators of the SDGs,” she said.
In addition to TWAS, FBAS 2025 was supported by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the International Decade of Science for Sustainable Development (2024–2033). Additionally, 11 international organizations, including the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), the Committee on Data of the International Science Council (CODATA), the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO), and the Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall (PAGGW), serve as international partners.
Fang Chen
TYAN co-chair