UNESCO Convenes STEPAN Foresight Workshop Online
Roughly 50 participants from 11 Asia-Pacific member countries joined a two-day online workshop on future-ready science, technology and innovation systems.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Education — General
The UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta convened a two-day online foresight workshop on 28 and 29 October 2026 for member countries of the STEPAN network. Approximately 50 participants from 11 countries, including policymakers, researchers, university students, and health and private sector representatives, took part.
Why it matters
The workshop builds on STEPAN's ongoing mapping of national science, technology and innovation governance systems using UNESCO's GO-SPIN methodology. It aims to help member countries strengthen skills and institutional capacities for preparing their STI systems for future challenges.
The workshop was held online over two days with approximately 50 participants from 11 STEPAN member countries. Participants conducted environmental and horizon scanning exercises to identify political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal trends, though no outcomes from those exercises have been published.
The players
UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta
The UNESCO regional office serves as the STEPAN Secretariat and convened the workshop as part of the organization's work on science, technology and innovation policy in Asia and the Pacific.
UNESCO Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Programme
The MOST Programme is a UNESCO initiative focused on social science research and policy, and co-organized the workshop with the regional office.
The details
Participants learned about the Global Anticipatory Policy (GAP) Coalition and the Education Beyond 2030 foresight exercise, which covers education, skills and learning from 2030 to 2045. The workshop combined discussions of key concepts and national experiences with practical exercises, including horizon scanning on the second day.
Timeline
28 and 29 October 2026: Two-day online foresight workshop held.
Before the end of 2026: UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta to gather participant feedback and meet with STEPAN National Focal Points.
Season Trajectory
The workshop extends STEPAN's ongoing mapping of national science, technology and innovation governance under UNESCO's GO-SPIN methodology toward forward-looking preparation. It moves the network from describing current systems to anticipating how they must adapt.
The workshop's consultations are meant to help STEPAN countries build skills and institutional capacity, which could shape national science and education policy over time. Its direct effects on everyday readers remain indirect and will depend on how member governments act on the feedback.
The takeaway
Forward-looking planning across science, skills and education is increasingly treated as an ongoing regional effort rather than a one-time exercise. Readers following education policy can watch how STEPAN countries translate workshop feedback into national strategies.
Further reading
Explore more in Education — General for context on how skills and learning systems are being planned for the decades ahead.
Source note: This article includes information reported by UNESCO.
