An important event featuring the Italian Region Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) will take place on 25 February, at the Italian Pavilion set up at the Expo 2020 Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.
UNESCO-TWAS is among the international institutions invited to illustrate its activities in a section dedicated to research and innovation called "The Friuli Venezia Giulia Research and Innovation Ecosystem: established international partnerships and future potentials". Mohamed Hassan, the Academy's President is among the speakers.
The event has been outlined by Massimiliano Fedriga, the President of Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia, in a press conference held on 22 February, in Trieste, where UNESCO-TWAS is based. Fedriga highlighted the importance of FVG's presence in Dubai, aimed at building new international partnerships and attracting new investments to the region, after the hardships marked by the COVID pandemic. "The FVG day will provide the stage to exhibit three major areas of development we are proud of: logistics, scientific research and tourism," he said.
Expo 2020 Dubai will be a wonderful chance to showcase the region's scientific and technological skills, added Fabio Scoccimarro, the Regional Councillor for Environmental Protection, Energy and Sustainable Development, who mentioned how FVG is committed to meeting ahead of 2050 the European Green Deal goals.
The science and innovation session will be introduced by Alessia Rosolen, Regional Councillor for Labour, Training, Education, Research, University and Family. TWAS President Mohamed Hassan, a distinguished Sudanese scientist and a strong advocate for science in the South, will be the first speaker.
"TWAS was founded almost four decades ago, when the world was profoundly different from today. But in its almost 40 years of activity, the Academy has never ceased to be the voice of science in the South, striving to keep pace with a rapidly changing world in order to preserve its commitment towards the least developed countries," he recalled.
His speech will highlight how TWAS mission is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in particular with goal 4 on quality education. "By committing to the promotion of equitable access to education of girls and boys, the elimination of gender disparities and to increasing the number of people who receive higher education, TWAS concurs to the sustainable development that the world needs," he added.
To this purpose, TWAS programmes are internationally recognized for the support they grant. Each year, TWAS and its partners offer over 300 PhD and postdoctoral fellowships to scientists from the developing world, especially the least developed countries. All the local costs are covered by the hosting institutions in the developing countries and amount to about $5 million dollars each year. In addition, TWAS distributes nearly $1 million in research grants to individual scientists and research groups alike, and bestows prestigious awards.
TWAS network of international partners, including the Islamic Development Bank, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, and the International School for Advanced Studies, place TWAS, along with other scientific institutions, at the core of the Scientific and Innovation System of Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Cristina Serra