Saturday Nov 02, 2024
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Saturday Nov 02, 2024
Tuesday, 3 September 2024 12:44 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Foreign and Sri Lankan delegates representing the BIMSTEC countries
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) held its Second Expert Meeting on Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Cooperation on 25th July 2024, at the Hilton Residence in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The event was hosted by the National Science and Technology Commission of Sri Lanka (NASTEC) in collaboration with the BIMSTEC Secretariat, and the meeting was presided over by Prof. Veranja Karunartane, Chairperson of NASTEC, and the Vice Chancellor of Sri Lanka Technology Campus, Padukka, as the head of the delegations.
The event marked a significant milestone for regional collaboration in STI, uniting delegates from member countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The main agenda was to discuss and ratify the Science, Technology, and Innovation Cooperation Plan of Action for 2024-2027. Under the Chairmanship of Prof. Veranja Karunaratne, each country representative presented the STI landscape and ongoing activities aligned with the objectives of BIMSTEC. The key highlights of the meeting included the ratification of the STI Plan of Action, accelerating the establishment of the Technology Transfer Facility (TTF), planning bootcamp activities on ‘Addressing Food Security to Eliminate Poverty, Combat Climate Change, and Achieve SDGs directed to Women Empowerment’, and enhancing public-private partnerships.
The meeting concluded successfully with fruitful deliberations among a diverse group of senior experts across the disciplines of STI from BIMSTEC member countries. The discussions emphasized the alignment of the Science, Technology, and Innovation Cooperation Plan of Action with regional priorities, addressing pertinent issues within the context of STI.
