At the request of governments from all over the world, the IAEA has delivered COVID-19 testing support and equipment to 286 laboratories in 128 countries and territories since March 2020 for the rapid and accurate detection of the disease. The IAEA assistance is to help countries boost their use of real time reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction () tests the most accurate and widely used nuclear-derived method to detect specific genetic material from pathogens, including viruses. The COVID-19 assistance is the biggest emergency operation in the IAEAs history.
Science and Technology
marked the International Day of Mathematics, 14 March, under the theme ." Celebrating the beauty and relevance of mathematics, the Day highlights the essential role played by this discipline in reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
and partners jointly organize the for empowering women in the cybersecurity sector. The programme engages role models and leaders in this field and connects them with talented women worldwide, and it also offers technical and soft skills training courses. It is open to women working in cybersecurity at junior levels, as well as women seeking to enter the cybersecurity workforce. It aims to shift the mentality and encourage women to take on leadership roles in cybersecurity, and promote knowledge sharing of professional best practices.
A few developing nations are exhibiting stronger capabilities to use, adopt and adapt frontier technologies than their per capita GDPs would suggest, but most are lagging behind, according to an index of 158 countries in UNCTADs T. Frontier technologies are those that take advantage of digitalization and connectivity. They include artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things, big data, blockchain, 5G, 3D printing, robotics, drones, gene editing, nanotechnology and solar photovoltaic.
and the L'Or矇al Foundation honoured in the fields of astrophysics, mathematics, chemistry and informatics as part of the 23rd International Prize for Women in Science. , shows that although the number of women in scientific research has risen to one in three, women remain a minority. Every year women write as many scientific articles as men, but their chances of appearing in prestigious journals are lower, as are their seats on national science academies around the world.
Despite a shortage of skills in technological fields that are driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution, women still only account for 28% of engineering graduates and 40% of graduates in computer science and informatics, according to the forthcoming UNESCO Science Report whose chapter on gender in
It will soon be a year since WHO declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic. By now, every corner of the world has felt the devastating impact of the pandemic, and women and girls in science are on the front lines of response. They are healthcare workers and innovators. They are researching vaccines and pioneering treatments. They are leading us toward a safer world, and inspiring the next generation of girls to be forces of good in science and tech. This 11 February, were celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science by highlighting just some of the women and girls around the world who have made tremendous contributions during the ongoing crisis.
The outbreak of the pandemic has demonstrated the critical role of women researchers in different stages of the fight against COVID-19. At the same time, the pandemic also had a significant negative impact on women scientists, which need to be addressed by new policies, initiatives and mechanisms to support women and girls in science. Against this backdrop, this years celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science will address the theme . On 11 February, to celebrate the Days 6th year.
is inviting contributions for special issues of the , which provides complete coverage of all communications and networking paradigms.
UNIDO has contributed to a series of pilot online training workshops to build national capacity on science, technology and innovation in developing countries.
New technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, big data, and networks are expected to revolutionize production processes, but they could also have a major impact on developing economies. finds that new technology risks widening the gap between rich and poor countries by shifting more investment to advanced economies where automation is already established.
The - aims promotes and honours excellence in science and celebrates its role in the advance of sustainable development.
World Science Day for Peace and Development (10 November) highlights the important role of science in society and the need to engage the wider public in debates on emerging scientific issues. It also underlines the importance and relevance of science in our daily lives. At a time when the global COVID-19 pandemic further demonstrates the critical role of science in addressing global challenges, the focus of the World Science Day is on science for and with society. To celebrate the 2020 World Science Day, UNESCO organized on the theme of Science for and with society in dealing with COVID-19.
The annual observance of the International Week of Science and Peace is making an important contribution to the promotion of peace. The Week encourages greater academic exchanges on a subject of universal importance while also generating greater awareness of the relationship of science and peace among the general public. Based on observances of Science and Peace Week to date, participation each year is expected to increase, contributing to greater international understanding and opportunities for co-operation in the applications of science for the promotion of peace throughout the year.
Scientific discoveries and advances must be shared, according to the Declaration in favour of open science, science that is unhindered by barriers and frontiers, which was made jointly on 27 October by , and . The COVID-19 epidemic demonstrates the urgent need to strengthen scientific cooperation and to guarantee the fundamental right of universal access to scientific progress and its applications. The movement aims to make science more accessible, more transparent and ultimately more effective.