The Local 2030 Knowledge and Scientific Network (KSN) has been established as an initiative of the Government of Italy in partnership with UN-Habitat and CeSPI ETS, and anchored to the Local 2030 Coalition, with the aim of connecting experts and scholars from all around the world on SDG localization to bridge the gap between knowledge, research and policy making at the local level.
The KSN objective is to close the gap between university knowledge and real-world policy-making by integrating insights from academia with the practical needs of decision makers. The KSN reaches across the world, involving various continents and fields of study, with a specific focus on interventions in two pilot countries, Jordan and Tunisia. This network doesn't just store information but actively works to bring research-based ideas from local contexts to the big picture of global policy dialogues.
At the core of the mission is engaging with a wide array of researchers. These researchers, especially young people from Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean, join forces in global and regional networks to bring new ideas and relevant solutions into policy-making. The KSN supports these efforts with many activities, such as setting up an academic programme on SDG Localization in Jordan and Tunisia and leading research labs that help turn academic discussions into actual policy ideas and concrete proposals to orient strategies.
At the country level, the KSN leads a cluster of 12 PhD students and young researchers from Jordanian and Tunisian Universities. The cluster of researchers participate in a yearly academic programme on SDG Localization composed of 8 modules, and, at the same time, conduct research activities on specific SDG-related themes in collaboration with four cities: Aqaba and Irbid in Jordan, and Kerkennah and Sousse in Tunisia.
At the international level, the KSN works through the Local2030 Coalition to advocate at the global level for evidence-based policy making on SDG Localization. The KSN leads thematic workshops, events, as well as the creation of normative products by gathering the knowledge and inputs from academicians and researchers worldwide.
Learn more about the Knowledge and Scientific Network, download the summary sheet.
