Geneva Global Games: a contest on the most innovative ideas for digital health and the green economy — Geneva Solutions
By Liv Martin
In the spirit of international collaboration, 10 think tanks from eight countries around the world will convene for a day of sharing, networking and feedback at the Geneva Global Games. They will participate in a series of tailored workshops designed to bring the winners’ ideas to the next level, whether that be via funding, marketing or receiving expertise. Hosted by Think Tank Hub, the event will take place virtually on 16 June, and is free and open to the public.
Think Tank Hub — spearheaded by the foreign policy think tank foraus and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs — has been organising events connecting think tanks, NGOs, international organisations, politicians, and more in international Geneva over the past eight years. This year marks its first Geneva Global Games, said Amani Bathily, communication and project manager at foraus.
One of the contestants is Lakshmi Boojoo, director general of the Economic Policy and Competitiveness Research Center (EPCRC), based in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. From researching the current state of women in business to publishing reports on green policy development and the banking sector, the EPCRC has examined many facets of the Mongolian society and economy. Some of their findings have exposed major inequalities.
“We developed gender-segregated data which was needed,” Boojoo said. “The main finding was that the majority of asset ownership is owned by men, meaning husbands. Therefore, women are struggling because they don’t have collateral they could use to get a loan or credit in a bank. For women [in Mongolia], this is a big issue.”
Boojoo has been a core member since the center was founded in 2010. Formed as an independent think tank, the center is the official Mongolian partner of the Swiss-based IMD World Competitiveness Center, and has worked with other international groups such as the World Bank.
The EPCRC has also turned its attention to green policy. In 2014, the United Nations named Mongolia a pilot country for adopting its Green Development Policy. Since then, much of the EPCRC’s research has focused on Mongolia’s progress in this area. At the Global Games, Boojoo will give a presentation on the green economy track.
Economic and financial pathways towards sustainable development and digital health solutions are two research areas being highlighted at the Global Games. The event will focus on green economies, an area international Geneva is well-versed in. The city is home to influential organisations such as The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), which helps transition countries to green economies, and the World Trade Organization, which has a set of sustainable development goals.
The Global Games will give participants the opportunity to present their future research projects to a panel of experts from international Geneva and connect with other think tanks who may be involved in the same research areas, which Boojoo is looking forward to.
“It will be an interesting experience to see what other think tanks are doing with green policy, for example,” she said. “It will also be interesting to see what kinds of issues and challenges they are facing.”
This article was realised in partnership with the Geneva Global Games 2022 , which was hosted by the Think Tank Hub — a joint platform by the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs and foraus.
Originally published at https://genevasolutions.news.
