In May 2023 the Royal Society organised a conference in partnership with the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN); the Fund of the President of Ukraine for Education, Science and Sports; and the Embassy of Ukraine.
The conference brought together policy makers and researchers from Ukrainian and UK universities to explore how research can help tackle some of the challenges facing policy makers, from rebuilding Ukraine’s economy, to addressing the complex needs related to health and wellbeing, re-imagining regional security and partnerships, and planning for a green recovery. The conference followed a meeting last year between the Polish Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the US Academy of Sciences, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, the ALLEA European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities, and the Royal Society that identified ten action steps for rebuilding Ukraine’s science, research and innovation. The conference was designed to pump prime discussions at the UK government’s Ukraine Recovery Conference, which took place earlier this month.
Day one of the conference provided delegates with opportunities to understand the challenges being faced in Ukraine and what work is already underway to tackle them, including research on reconstruction, infrastructure, urban systems, and green recovery.
Day two of the conference saw a series of invited roundtables. UKCRIC was privileged to join the Infrastructure Roundtable, chaired by Prof Paul Monks, Chief Scientific Advisor for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), and comprising UK and Ukrainian policy makers, government and national agencies, and researchers. The discussion focussed upon how recommendations from day one of the conference could translate into policy initiatives and roadmaps for recovery, and what those around the table could offer to make this happen. Priority areas included energy, agriculture, food, social infrastructure, basic community services, digitalisation, and green technologies.
The Royal Society is compiling the offers made, including convening UKCRIC members to address priority areas. We have already been directly contacted by the Ministry for Restoration of Ukraine regarding the digitalisation and modelling of urban systems. If you are interested in engaging with the ongoing discussions and activities arising from the conference and roundtable, please contact Joanne Leach at j.leach@bham.ac.uk.
Update: 14/12/23 : The post-conference report is now available on the Royal Society website.