Cardiff Knowledge Hub Newsletter#
Summer 2017#
Update on the European Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM)#
The focus of the last three months has been on Food from the Oceans
, the first SAM project to be coordinated by the SAPEA (Science Advice for Policy by European Academies) Consortium. It has been led by Academia Europaea, with responsibility for delivery of the work given to the Cardiff Hub. We have been addressing the key question of how more food and biomass can be obtained from the oceans in a way that does not deprive future generations of their benefits.
I have represented the SAPEA Consortium on the Steering Group for the project, with Louise Edwards, Hub Manager, as Chair of the SAPEA Staff Team.
A priority was to establish two international working groups, one covering the natural sciences and the other the social sciences/humanities. The working groups have met five times in all, in May and June.
The primary task of the working groups has been to write the scientific evidence report, with the first draft due on 15th August, a challenging deadline for all involved, but one which was met.
Following formal peer review in the autumn, the scientific evidence report is expected to be published by SAPEA in late November.
From now on, the task of developing the policy-oriented scientific opinion is also under way, principally by the High-Level Group of Scientific Advisors and the SAM Unit. An expert workshop in Brussels on 14th September will establish a bridge from the scientific evidence to the policy recommendations.
A highly innovative aspect of the SAPEA work has been the public engagement activities, designed to promote our work in Food from the Oceans. In this newsletter, we report on two such events, one held in Bergen and the other in Cardiff. I am delighted that the Bergen and Cardiff AE Hubs have collaborated very closely in hosting these events.
Half-Year Report 2017#
The Hub’s Half-Year Report, covering January-June 2017, will be published shortly and available on our website.
Recent Events#
The Cardiff AE Hub was at this event to promote our work on Food from the Oceans. It was organised by Cardiff University’s Sustainable Places Research Institute to mark World Oceans Day on 8th June. A report
is available.
The first public engagement event for the Food from the Oceans project was held in Bergen in June, presenting the perfect opportunity to strengthen the bond between the AE Hubs of Bergen and Cardiff. It marked the UNESCO Sustainable Gastronomy Day and Bergen’s status as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.
A series of colourful stalls offering food samples attracted around 2,000 visitors and it featured on the main news of TV2, Norway’s principal commercial channel, reaching up to 1 million viewers.
A programme of public talks and an open debate
on the theme of Food from the Oceans took place during the afternoon.
The annual Cardiff International Food and Drink Festival is visited by around 80,000 people. The Cardiff Hub, working closely with colleagues in Bergen, organised a programme of public talks on the theme of Food from the Oceans. A highlight was the public debate
, Can we get more food from the ocean? The events were hosted at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay, which was celebrating its 25th anniversary following renovation. We were delighted to be joined in Cardiff by Professor Carina Keskitalo, member of the SAM High-Level Group and Chair of the FFO Steering Group.
A programme of public talks and an open debate on the theme of Food from the Oceans took place during the afternoon.
Forthcoming Events#
- Crossing boundaries: new approaches to science for policy in Europe. Tallinn, 13th October.
- Brexit revisited: future prospects for university research. Cardiff University, 19th October
- International networks: creating opportunities for collaborative research and funding. Cardiff University, 28th November.
Our Cardiff-based events are free and open to all. See the events pages on our website for more details.
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