Opinion piece by Zakri Abdul Hamid, News Straits Time | September 4, 2023
On August 29, UCSI University established a new Centre of Excellence — the International Institute of Science Diplomacy and Sustainability (IISDS).
The vision is to position the university as a leader in science diplomacy and sustainability for the betterment of Malaysia’s interests and those of Asean’s and the Global South’s.
Such institutes are normally found in the Global North, where the awareness and preparedness to connect the scientific community with policymakers and politicians are more pronounced.
The IISDS may be the first fully-fledged center in the Global South. In welcoming the initiative, Professor Kiyoshi Kurosawa, the former science adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said “This may be one of the earliest efforts to offer such training to nationals of developing countries”.
