22nd June, 2016 The Ministry of Lands, Survey and Natural Resources, TONGA in partnership with Australia National University and German Aerospace Center will host a scoping workshop with key stakeholders to formulate a policy framework for Science, Technology & Innovation (ST&I) for Tonga. The workshop will be held on the 23-24 June 2016 at Davina House, Vuna Road, Ma’ufanga.
The need for a ST&I policy framework. The moto of the Kingdom of Tonga’s top-level, integrated planning and budgeting instrument, the Tonga Strategic Development Framework, 2015-2025 (TSDF II), is “God and Tonga are my inheritance” . This moto, given to our united country by King Siaosi Taufaha’u Tupou I in 1839, encapsulates our values and aspirations. Building on that moto, the main agreed goal of the TSDF is “A more progressive Tonga supporting a higher quality of life for all.” The TDSF recognises that in order
to achieve that goal we need to have better technical knowledge, increased scientific and technical capacity and training and home-grown, appropriate and affordable innovation.
Tonga has a long and proud history of free public education and active participation in applicable research, technology and innovation in a broad range of strategic areas from agriculture and fisheries, through public health, natural resources and environment, as well as information and communication technology (ICT), to oceanography, hydrogeology, seismology and climatology, etc. There is a growing recognition, however, that our efforts are fragmented and uncoordinated and we do not always capture fully the benefits of this research, or have access to reliable information and appropriate technology.
The workshop is supported by PACE-Net Plus seed-funding grant to the Tongan Ministry of Lands, Survey and Natural Resources, The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Australian National University. PACENet Plus, the Pacific-European Network for ST&I, is a project funded by the European Commission (FP7-
INCO) to further bi-regional ST&I cooperation between the South Pacific island nations and the European Union. PACE-Net plus has 16 Pacific and European Partners and focuses on three societal challenges: Health, demographic change, and wellbeing; Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine
and maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy; and Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials.
The Workshop seeks to initiate development of a Tonga ST&I Policy Framework by analysing: (1) How other countries have developed and implemented their own science policies; (2) Priorities in Tonga that can be addressed by an ST&I policy framework; (3) What form of science or research policy would best
suit a more progressive Tonga; (4) A broad vision statement for an ST&I Policy Framework consistent with the Tonga Strategic Development Statement; and (5) The process required to support the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of such a policy.
Planned Outcomes are: (1) An agreed policy development process; (2) A general list of priorities to be considered in the policy framework; (3) A general list of planned outcomes; (4) An understanding of ST&I
policy frameworks in other relevant countries; (5) A draft broad vision statement for the policy framework; (6) A proposal for future funding of an ST&I process.
Should you be interested in contributing to the workshop, please contact 25-508.
ENDS