The Academic Network for Development Dialogue (ANDD) is a fundamental step in creating synergy and strengthening the cooperation and dialogue between the United Nations (UN) and Academia. It acts as a think tank in the region to influence the UN's work and the global dialogue on policy options to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The ANDD was established as a partnership between universities and educational institutions regionally and worldwide with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) supported by the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) and Qatar University (QU).
The ANDD will create an intellectual sharing process to bridge the local knowledge gap and foster academic expertise and scientific findings to support progress towards sustainable development in the region, including supporting evidence-based action by the UN system. It supports an action chain approach, where small scale actions (individual or institutional research and workshops) lead to new broader progress, which ultimately inspires more actions (i.e., region-wide effect). This linkage between academics, expert practitioners, and the UN assumes a foresight role for the group, not just an advisory one.
Objectives
ANDD focuses on creating an intellectual sharing process to bridge the national knowledge gap and streamline academic expertise and scientific findings to supporting progress towards sustainable development at the national and regional level in the Arab region. The network also acts as a facilitator of engagement with other international academic networks and provides support for evidence-based action by the UN system. The network supports an action chain approach and thus it will not focus on highlighting the problems, but on finding solutions to “wicked” problems in the Arab region. ANDD will stimulate and support small-scale actions (individual or institutional research and workshops) building towards transformational solutions to broader progress. Ultimately, these results will inspire more actions (i.e., region-wide effect). This network of academics, expert practitioners, and the United Nations assumes a foresight role for the group, not just an advisory one.
Relying on national academic expertise to advise on new UN programs and policies is an initiative to drive the region towards proactive policy-making, in line with national plans for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This collaboration will support the global conversation and cooperation between partners and Academia in the region. It will provide the UN with needed information about the region from the region.
