Towards Net Zero and Sustainable Cities with Resource Optimisation, Circular Economy and Research Network (NZS CITIES)

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Academic Lead

Dr. Trakarn Prapaspongsa,

Faculty of Engineering Mahidol University

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External Partners From

WUN Research Team

According to the Sustainable Development Report 2022, most countries around the world cannot achieve the sustainable development goal (SDG) 11 on sustainable cities and communities. This raises the importance in understanding and accelerating policies and practices to enhance the sustainability of cities. Meanwhile, cities are one of the key players driving the transformations to combat climate change and reach net-zero emissions. Although resource optimisation and circular economy have been proposed as potential solutions to these global and local challenges, their implementation has often been sluggish and fraught with problems.

NZS CITIES aims to:

The project consists of two parts: research and network development. In the research part, we will apply systematic review and indicator-based tools. City data and performances will be analysed and benchmarked. In the network development part, we will virtually conduct meetings, seminars and young researcher workshop. Short newsletters and a website will be prepared/developed for internal and external communications. The outputs of this work including a systematic review paper, the network, the short newsletters and the website will help empower cities to achieve their net zero and sustainability targets. Applications for further funding on this research will support the continuity of this network in the long term.

During the initial stage, NZS CITIES brings 23 professors/researchers, 4 PhD students and 1 master student from 12 universities in 5 regions (Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania and North America) to work together. With this WUN initiative, we are able to have a wide span of 12 sub-themes listed below which can ensure that the comparative analysis and research network will be comprehensive and inclusive. At the end of the project, the network will be both strengthened and enlarged.

12 Sub–Themes of NZS CITIES

In the long-term, the research outcomes have the potential impacts to “lead” cities with pathways in optimising their resource use, reducing environmental impacts, as well as increasing economic and social productivities by benchmarking their climate actions and sustainability performances and enhancing the resource optimisation and circular economy technologies and policies.

Reducing indigenous inequalities:

Contextualizing strategies and policies for achieving community empowerment in different global regions

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Academic Lead

Dr. Sumittra Suraratdecha,

Research Institute for Languages ​​and Cultures of Asia, Mahidol University

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External Partners From

WUN Research Team

The silencing of Indigenous languages has been part of colonialist efforts to suppress Indigenous cultures and deny Indigenous knowledge. Colonial and postcolonial language and social policies have resulted in personal/community insecurities and impediments, as well as the inequality of resource sharing and the loss of heritage knowledge. Throughout the world, efforts have been made to reclaim indigenous rights in many respects. By far, community empowerment emerges as the key to the sustainability of these efforts.

The design of successful language and culture revitalization programs and effective language policies is contingent on their surrounding socio-cultural-political contexts. Local linguistic and cultural heritage is also seen as an asset, an invaluable form of capital for self- and community development in a creative economy context. Revitalization programs in different regions of the world may address different domestic issues, including social, cultural, political and economic factors. This project, therefore, adopts a comparative approach to examine strategies and policies endorsed in different parts of the world to reduce inequalities in local contexts.

To promote “universal” social, economic, and political inclusion and ensure equal opportunities and end discrimination, both indicators of SDG 10, it is essential that international researchers share, exchange, and review the lessons learned and best practices from different parts of the world.

This collaborative project aims to examine and compare:

With support from WUN Understanding Cultures Global Challenge Steering Group, we can draw on the wealth and diversity of our experiences; our network of international team members from indigenous communities and academia can become a global team who continue to work together to make a long-term impact and to inform policy on strategies to reduce inequalities and attract future funds.

Responsible and Ethical AI for Future Actions:

Sustainable Development through Web Article and Online Initiatives

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Academic Lead

Dr. Tipajin Thaipisutikul,

Faculty of Information and Communication Technology, Mahidol University

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External Partners From

WUN Research Team

The Research problem

Overview of Current AI and Responsible AI Practices

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping numerous sectors, impacting areas like education, healthcare, logistics, and the legal field. While AI introduces enhanced accuracy, innovation, and efficiency, it also brings about concerns related to potential risks, ethics, and long-term implications. The broader community often lacks a clear understanding of responsible AI practices, creating challenges. This has sparked a worldwide dialogue on AI’s governance, transparency, accountability, societal, legal, environmental, and ethical dimensions, as well as its unbiased application to prevent negative consequences and biases. Tools and guidelines for Ethical AI aim to address these concerns throughout AI’s development.

Why it is important to scholars and/or society generally.

Promoting responsible and ethical AI is challenging due to underdeveloped frameworks and varying progress rates across regions. Many organisations prioritise AI growth over responsible innovation. Existing frameworks often lack comprehensive implementation resources, and ethical tools don’t seamlessly connect theory with practice. No universal tool or platform captures the advancement of responsible AI globally. As AI integration grows across industries, there’s a pressing need for AI skills. Yet, there’s a significant gap in individuals proficient in responsible AI, underlining the need for online training programs in AI ethics and explainability.

Research Design

Our approach is threefold. Firstly, we will launch online AI courses designed by multidisciplinary experts and share them on a YouTube playlist. Secondly, we will conduct an online symposium, gathering professionals from various sectors to share expertise; each network partner will bring in another participant. Finally, based on thorough research, we will craft a web article comparing responsible AI methodologies and tools.

Project Objectives

This project, therefore, plans to tackle the above challenges with the following plans.

The Role of Human Rights in the Prevention of State Perpetrated Nationalist Hate Speech and Disinformation

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Academic Lead

Dr. Mike Hayes,

Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies , Mahidol University

WUN Research Team

Hate speech is becoming a global phenomenon with increases in homophobic, racist, and sexist speech. However, most discussions focus on private or individual offences, and do not look closely at speech which is instigated and disseminated by States. Through negative nationalism, nationalist paranoia, or simply hate-mongering, governments use hate speech in a variety of ways to garner support or in election campaigning. This phenomenon, which is more widely recognised in countries such as Myanmar, Russia, and Turkey, has been used in many other places.

This study will explore how this hate speech is disseminated, and the challenges to confront it. A key area of investigation is why specific groups, such as youth, non-citizens, sexual minorities, or ethnic minorities, are targeted, and the challenges to confront State based hate speech.

The Research problem

While there are many studies on hate speech, there is a limited understanding of how to respond to State-based, or electoral hate speech. Even though it is a well-known tool of autocratic regimes and seen as a key element in the authoritarian handbook, many responses to hate speech rely on State actions, such as legislation, monitoring by government agencies, or public service education. These responses will be ineffective if it is the State itself conducting the violation. Hate speech perpetrated by a State is challenging to combat or prevent because speech by State officials is often protected. Criticising States or senior government officials in many countries is illegal or dangerous. Further, political groups can be adept at signalling hate speech without explicitly engaging in it, for example the tactics of ‘gaslighting’ or ‘dog whistling.’

Research Design

The research project asks the question: Are current human rights or national non-discrimination standards sufficient to counter State based hate speech?

To do this the research team, comprising of four universities, will collaborate on writing a research article on the legal, political, and social context to hate speech, from both a regional and global perspective, as the universities are from four separate regions.

The second phase of the research project is to develop educational resources that can be used in a relevant undergraduate course. The objective of the educational resource is so students are more attuned to identify, and possibly counter, State based hate speech. This learning resource will be in both English and a regional language (selected by the regional lead researcher)

The learning resource could take the form of a chapter for a textbook with additional teaching materials, which may be, for example, small group exercises, case studies, legal analysis, debates, or role plays.

The research project will be led by the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies at Mahidol University, in partnership with the Centre of Human Rights at University of Pretoria, Maastricht University, and Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. By bringing together researchers from different regions, this research aims to study regional or national characteristics and certain target groups, focusing on youth and children with connections to education, crime, and sexuality, as well as ethnic and religious minorities, migrant workers, including refugees.

Project Objectives

Aligned with the WUN Strategic Plan of 2023-2026, which aims to achieve sustainable development and foster international research collaboration, the project addresses social justice, human rights, and inequality, seeking to reduce and eliminate hate speech by governments. The expected output is a collaboration of research articles on the legal, political, and social context of hate speech, both from regional and global perspectives. Resources will also be utilised as additional teaching materials for undergraduates to raise awareness of the state’s perpetration of human rights violations.