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YouthMobile training-of-trainers initiative launched in Namibia

Namibia reviews Technical and Vocational Education and Training; Higher Education; and Science, Technology and Innovation Systems

Stakeholders meet to validate the Namibia Arts, Culture and Heritage Policy

UNESCO report on TVET, higher education and innovation presented to Government of Namibia

September 14, 2016

Celebrating UNESCO’s 70th Anniversary in Costa Rica

December 4, 2014

Building intercultural competences in Costa Rica

UNESCO Windhoek Office - Vacancy Announcement

A look at the future of Education for Sustainable Development at Costa Rica event

Costa Rica launches implementation of UNESCO indicators to measure impact of culture on sustainable development

February 25, 2022

Online workshop held with Namibian STI leaders

On 14 October 2021 UNESCO and the Namibia National Commission for UNESCO organized a workshop to review programmes and activities implemented by the Sectors for Natural Sciences and Social and Human Sciences in Namibia as well as identify national needs and establish a roadmap for activities over the next two years The workshop was attended by 62 participants representing academia government parastatals the private sector and UNESCO The workshop included a panel discussion on the state of Namibias national innovation system featuring two university Vice Chancellors the Director of Research and Innovation at the Ministry of Higher Education Technology and Innovation and two representatives of the Minds in Action science learning centre The panellists identified a need to significantly improve communications relating to scientific results and issues ensure that research is adequately funded including by the private sector and provide stakeholders in the tech industry with sufficient legal protections for their intellectual property The panellists highlighted developmental programmes as a way of fostering innovation among the youth The challenges and opportunities highlighted by the panellists reflect some of the values inscribed in the Recommendations on Science and Scientific Researchers which calls on UNESCOs member states to Promote access to research results and engage in the sharing of scientific data between researchers and to policymakers and to the public wherever possible while being mindful of existing rights paragraph 16 av Treat public funding of research and investment as a form of public investment paragraph 6 Ensure that the scientific and technological results of scientific researchers enjoy appropriate legal protection of their intellectual property paragraph 37 and Lend their support to all educational initiatives designed to a strengthen all sciences technology engineering and mathematics education in schools and other formal and informal settings paragraph 14 a Namibia is one of six pilot countries taking part in the project Strengthening STI Systems for Sustainable Development in Africa an initiative funded by the Swedish International Development Agency SIDA As part of the project stakeholders in Namibia are conducting a baseline assessment of the countrys science technology and innovation system benchmarked against the standards of the Recommendations Having identified challenges and opportunities for Namibia the project will then seek to raise national capacity to design and monitor inclusive policies

January 31, 2022

Science Week Organized in Namibia to Boost Public Engagement with Science

Science Week was held in Namibia over 2226 November and 611 December 2021 under the theme Better Health Through Better Understanding Organized by UNESCO the Goethe Institute Ministry of Mines and Energy and Swakopmund Museum The objective of Science Week was to promote public engagement with science through handson enjoyable activities About 212 school children 20 young researchers and 20 members of the public participated in the activities Thirtysix secondaryschool children participated in two sessions of coding and robotics on 22 and 24 November supported by Minds in Action a Namibiabased organization with a focus on science technology engineering and mathematics Using SCRATCH coding software the learners simulated the transmission of the Covid19 disease A panel discussion was held on 25 November on the wellbeing of scientists featuring three scientists who represented the fields of metallurgy chemistry and engineering The audience comprised of about 20 university students and early career scientists threequarters of whom were under 30 years of age Panellists discussed some of the challenges faced by scientists in Namibia today including what they perceived as a shortage of laboratory equipment and chemicals and a lack of robust mental health facilities and support The panellists identified some opportunities to strengthen Namibias science ecosystem such as by expanding the provision of mental health clinics which could provide professional counselling promote lifelong learning improve policy implementation and raise public awareness of national success stories in science Some of the challenges and opportunities identified by the panellists reflect the provisions of the Recommendations on Science and Scientific Researchers an international accord that sets common standards for science adopted by UNESCOs 195 member states in November 2017 For instance paragraph 28 of the Recommendations reads Member States should encourage the provision of facilities so that scientific researchers enjoy lifelong opportunities for keeping themselves up to date in their own and in other scientific fields

January 31, 2022

Namibia Conducting Nationwide Data Collection Exercise

A multistakeholder team in Namibia has embarked on a nationwide data collection exercise to benchmark the countrys science technology and innovation system against the norms and standards of the Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers Namibia is one of six pilot countries taking part in the project Strengthening STI Systems for Sustainable Development in Africa an initiative funded by the Swedish International Development Agency SIDA In its latter stages the project will support Namibia in designing inclusive policies that integrate the recommendations standards and norms The benchmarking exercise will inform this process by helping to identify gaps needs strengths and opportunities in policy and practice Across the country about 700 stakeholders had completed online or physical questionnaires by early December 2021 Data were collected for all but two regions between 20 September and 1 October 2021 Many of these stakeholders reported that the data collection exercise had been their first opportunity to learn about or engage with the recommendation a significant portion also indicated that they wished to be consulted on the issues raised by the recommendation in future The data collection team consisted of stakeholders from Namibias National Commission on Research Science and Technology NCRST the Ministry of Higher Education Technology and Innovation and UNESCO On 17 September 2021 the team discussed the national exercise on the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation NBC TVs Good Morning Namibia show Members of the team also participated in interviews with regional radio stations to raise awareness on the data collection exercise

January 31, 2022

UN Call for Technology Solutions for addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts

In support to the UN SecretaryGenerals initiative in assisting Member States at the COVID19 crisis the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs requests your inputs in response to this Call for Technology Solutions for addressing the COVID19 pandemic and its immediate impacts This effort is undertaken in the context of the UN Technology Facilitation Mechanism TFM in particular experts active in its UN Interagency Task Team on Science Technology and Innovation for the SDGs including UNESCO and its 10Member Group for the TFM We are looking for proven affordable and scalable technology solutions that can accelerate progress towards providing basic health functions especially for vulnerable people We are looking for solutions from diverse sources and communities from all parts of the world All relevant submissions using the template provided below are welcome and will be reviewed carefully For this purpose it is very important to please include endorsements or validation information on your solution where available Upon review and acceptance promising solutions will be featured on the UN Website and used in UN materials in support of policy makers private sector leaders civil society and key representatives of the global scientific and technological communities We very much hope this Call will support building a community of likeminded innovators from around the world focused on technology solutions for COVID19 Thank you very much for your consideration Please provide your inputs no later than 20 May 2020 to ktzinovaunescoorg using the template for further submission to the Coordinator of the UN Interagency Task Team on Science Technology and Innovation for the SDGs For more information httpssustainabledevelopmentunorgtfm Download the template for Submission pdf Template for Submission Description and rationale When and where was it demonstrated Where was it used What were the results Validationendorsements Approximate cost Funding sought Contact details and further information please specify which elements could be published