21-23 October 2024, Kyoto, Japan – The Meta-Network Hub Co-Design Workshop took place at the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN) in Kyoto, bringing together participants to collaboratively develop the Meta-Network Hub for Sustainability in Asia. APN, represented by Dr Linda Anne Stevenson and Ms Rieko Tamura, participated as a consortium member in a three-day workshop organised by the Future Earth Asia Consortium. The workshop featured interactive activities, ice-breaking sessions, group discussions and solution-focused brainstorming to address key challenges related to the Hub’s infrastructure and processes. This event was funded by the International Science Council, Regional Focal Point for Asia and the Pacific, through the Australian Academy of Science.
The workshop commenced with ice-breaking activities that allowed the participants to get to know each other and create a safe space conducive to engagement and free discussions. The workshop then moved into its core session, where participants were divided into five groups of four to visualise the Meta-Network Hub and identify key challenges within its core components. These included:
- Engagement strategies for policy and user communities
- Governance structure and operational framework
- Research priorities and data infrastructure needs
- Monitoring standards and evaluation procedures
- Fundraising strategies and mechanisms
Participants reframed these challenges into “How may we?” questions to turn them into opportunities for innovation. This process of transforming obstacles into opportunities aligned with the workshop’s overall goal of converting identified barriers into actionable insights.
The second day focused on brainstorming solutions to address the challenges identified on Day 1. Participants, grouped in teams, explored responses to the “How may we?” questions to create innovative approaches for the Meta-Network Hub’s infrastructure. The workshop session emphasised the generation of new ideas and the prioritisation of solutions that had a significant impact and excitement factor (“wow” factor). Participants then presented these ideas to other groups for feedback, focusing on strengths, potentials, concerns and overcoming potential barriers.
On the final day, participants worked in their groups to refine their action plans, incorporating feedback from the previous day’s discussions and presentations. Each group focused on identifying key initiatives, outlining the necessary resources, assigning specific responsibilities and establishing clear milestones to ensure the successful implementation of their plans. This process referred to as “Growing the Forest”, aimed to build a robust and interconnected ecosystem of solutions that aligned with the Meta-Network Hub’s broader objectives. The finalised action plans were then presented to the rest of the participants for additional feedback and reflection, laying a strong foundation for the Meta-Hub’s future development.
Photo source: Future Earth Japan
