G20 Education Working Group: Seminar on accessible science held in Pune

PUNE: The precursor events of 4th G20 Education Working Group Meeting and G20 Education Ministers Meeting started in Pune on Friday with a seminar on 'Accessible Science: Fostering Collaboration', an official said.

It was organized at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in collaboration with ELSEVIER and was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Education Dr Subhas Sarkar. Stakeholders engaged in fruitful discussions on best practices for accessible science in global development and provided a clear vision for G-20 countries to follow, the official said.

"Sarkar launched a report titled 'The status and relevance of research collaborations for development, considering G20 nations' on the occasion," he said.

Speaking at the inaugural session, Sarkar emphasized the importance of removing barriers to knowledge, promoting transparency, and fostering multidisciplinary collaborations. He cited several 'accessible science' initiatives of Union government, such as the Vaccine Maitri, Genome India Project, BHUVAN by the Indian Space Research Organization, e-Shodhganga, SWAYAM, and SWAYAM-NPTEL platforms, as examples of successful collaborative efforts that have led to meaningful change and sustainable development.

Sarkar further emphasized the potential for collaborative efforts to explore multi-dimensional aspects of Indian knowledge systems, including Ganita and Jyamiti (Indian systems of Mathematics and Geometry) and Vastu Vidya (Indian System of Architecture).

The seminar is part of the ongoing 4th and final Education Working Group (EDWG) meeting, which will take place here from June 19 to 21. "The overarching theme of the meeting is 'Ensuring Foundational Literacy and Numeracy', especially in the context of blended learning. The EDWG meeting comprises various precursor events, seminars, exhibitions, and heritage excursions, and will culminate with the Education Ministerial meeting on June 22," the official said.