Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI) executives, led by Director Assoc. Prof. Patamawadee Pochanukul, attended the 11th Annual Meeting of the Global Research Council (GRC) in The Hague, the Netherlands, from May 29 to June 1.
Co-hosted by the Netherlands' Dutch Research Council (NWO) and Brazil's São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), the 11th GRC was held under the themes of "Rewards and Recognition" and "Climate Change and Climate Change Initiative." It was attended by 175 participants from 81 research funding organisations across 63 countries. Associate Professor Dr. Pongpan Kaewtatip, TSRI's deputy director, and Dr. Ornkanok Panraksa, senior specialist of foreign affairs, also attended the meeting.
During the 11th GRC event, TSRI collaborated with the National Research Council of South Africa (NRF S. Africa) to host a side event meeting with the theme "Leveraging Transdisciplinary Research for Community Impact: Global South Experiences" on May 29th.
The side event emphasised the participation of stakeholders, including research funding units, researchers, academia, local organisations, communities, and individuals throughout the research process. It marked Thailand's first initiative to host a side event at a high-level global gathering, with a tremendous success of 85 registered participants from all continents. Thailand received high commendation and was asked by the NWO to champion the advancement of Transdisciplinary Research (TDR). TSRI intends to further promote the TDR agenda during the Global Research Council Asia Pacific Regional Meeting in Manila, the Philippines, from October 18 to 20, 2023.
Regarding the theme of "Rewards and Recognition," the meeting agreed that key indicators for research results should not be solely quantitative but should also encompass impacts on society. Additionally, acknowledging that the issue of climate change is greatly influenced by national political agendas, the meeting formulated a Statement of Principles, demonstrating a strong commitment to enhancing cooperation in addressing the impacts of climate change. The next meeting will take place in Interlaken, Switzerland, from May 27 to 31 next year.