About this video
Dr Arthur takes as the focus for improving implementation success of SDGs the need to advance research that crosses disciplinary boundaries. This has been dramatically demonstrated by the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. Another issue brought to the fore by COVID has been the importance of assuring respect and trust of society in science. Structural barriers prevent interdisciplinary connections such as less funding and fewer journals which affects the main measure of success in science: the number of papers a researcher publishes, which is easier in single discipline than in interdisciplinary settings. It would be more profitable to focus attention on the shared interests, e.g. energy, rather than disciplines, which is particularly applicable to SDGs and cross cutting issues such as gender and diversity. To advance this a much closer cooperation is needed between all relevant actors.