Chief Scientist represents Cyprus for first time at CSAR 2024 roundtable

Chief Scientist Demetris Skourides was in Paris on 6 September to attend the Chief Science Advisors Roundtable 2024 (CSAR-2024), entitled: “Fostering open science, bridging knowledge asymmetry, and building science advice capacity globally”, representing Cyprus for the first time ever.

The roundtable, organised by UNESCO and the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, took place at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris.

The main objective of the CSAR initiative is to carve out policy – Science for Policy – and it was first held in August 2023 in India during the G20 – Chief Science Advisers Roundtable 2023.

This year’s meeting looked at promoting free access in sciences and research so as to tackle the divide in access to knowledge on a national, regional and global level. It also discussed carving out a policy based on scientific research findings to tackle modern global challenges and phenomena.

The roundtable was joined by representatives from over 20 countries, including USA, Australia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, UK, Italy, Japan, Spain, Kenya, Cyprus, Latvia, The Netherlands, South Africa, New Zealand, Russia and Saudi Arabia. Representatives from important international organisations were also present, such as the International Network for Governmental Science Advice (INGSA), International Science Council (ISC), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Addressing the roundtable, Skourides developed Cyprus’ positions on promoting access and carving policy based on scientific findings, as well the importance the country attributes to these matters.

He referred specifically to the “National Policy of the Republic of Cyprus for Open Science Practices”, which was approved by the Council of Ministers in 2022 and is fully harmonised with EU laws and regulations. He added that the funding programmes of the Research and Innovation Foundation are also fully aligned with the National Policy.

Skourides referred to his participation in the Board of Governors of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Union, in particular the actions under the JRC’s “Science for Policy”, in the fields of health, energy, migration, environment and more. And he said he was also a member of the European Science Advisory Forum (ESAF), which aims to reinforce and incorporate science in the legal, executive and judicial procedures on a European level, by promoting cooperation, the exchange of knowledge and mutual learning.

Concluding, Skourides stressed that Cyprus will continue to actively participate and support the mechanisms providing scientific advice on a regional and global level, and enhancing the ability to manage uncertainty and global challenges.