‘Basic sciences are the sine qua non for sustainable development.’ Thus, the UN summarises its International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development (IYBSSD2022). The UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development drives all activities relating to the year’s celebrations, with its opening ceremony on 8 July 2022.
Sustainable development for our planet is impossible without the vital contributions of the basic sciences. The basic sciences ‘provide the essential means to meet crucial challenges such as universal access to food, energy, health coverage and communication technologies.’ They enable us to understand the impact of currently nearly 8 billion people on Earth and to act to limit our impact.
NITheCS endorses the approach, as well as the activities locally and internationally to mark this year. While we arrange our own events to support the goals of the UN programme, we also back national events relating to the international programme. In the process, we join others to convince stakeholders that with a basic understanding of nature, actions taken will be more effective for the common good.
We kicked off our own participation with Prof Francesco Petruccione leading the 4 July online panel discussion on The importance and impact of the IYBSSD2022 for South Africa (view here). More events will follow throughout the year.
View the IYBSSD2022 schedule.
Some of the highlights pertaining to the IYBSSD2022:
- IYBSSD2022 programmes tackling crucial challenges, such as universal access to food, energy, health coverage and communication technologies.
- Local programmes, such as the SA Institute of Physics’ project on 100 years of Physics in Africa – ‘Past, Present and Future’.
- The Young Scientists Competition