Co-Creating the Asia Science Mission for Sustainability
- Vincent Virat
- 5d
- 3 min read
Updated: 2d
Between September and December 2024, Inclusive Innovation supported Future Earth Asia in developing a proposal for an ISC Science Mission — the Asia Science Mission for Sustainability (ASM).
This pilot initiative, now a flagship program of the International Science Council (ISC) Regional Focal Point for Asia and the Pacific, brings together a diverse consortium of partners: Future Earth Asia, the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN), the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN), and the Fenner School of Environment and Society at the Australian National University.
The ambition behind the ASM is to co-create science-based solutions that reflect the needs and values of diverse Asian communities, addressing critical sustainability challenges across the region. The Mission aims to do this by facilitating co-design processes with key stakeholders, leveraging existing networks, and integrating fragmented knowledge across scales — from local to global — and across sectors.
“The workshop facilitated by Inclusive Innovation set the tone and mode of engagement for our consortium — grounding us in a collaborative leadership framework that built trust, clarified shared purpose, and shaped the very outlines of what the Asia Science Mission has become.”
Ria Lambino, Deputy Director, Future Earth Global Hub Japan
Our Role: Supporting Collaboration Across Boundaries
Inclusive Innovation worked closely with the Future Earth Asia coordination team to design and facilitate three key moments in the proposal development process:
Virtual Inception Workshop (4 hours)
In-Person Co-Design Workshop (2 days)
Virtual Consolidation Workshop (4 hours)
Each workshop built on the previous one, moving the group from shared visioning to concrete design and implementation planning.
Step 1: Setting the Foundation – Virtual Inception Workshop
The first workshop created a shared understanding of the Mission’s purpose and process. Participants — twenty-three members from across the consortium — had the opportunity to connect, share motivations, and begin shaping the Mission together.
Key moments included:
Future visioning sessions, where groups explored what success could look like for sustainability research in Asia.
Deep-dive discussions to surface ideas around the emerging proposal’s focus and structure.
This session emphasized relationship-building and openness, laying the groundwork for co-creation.
Step 2: Building the Blueprint – In-Person Co-Design Workshop
Over two days, participants gathered in person to design the architecture of the future Mission.
The workshop combined structured reflection, creative exercises, and strategic planning.
Highlights included:
Speed networking and leadership for co-creation, helping participants connect beyond their institutional roles.
Visualizing the Meta-Network, where members mapped the initiative’s key connections and opportunities.
Hub Hurdle Hunt, identifying challenges in areas such as governance, engagement, data, and fundraising.
Co-designing the Meta-Network Hub, where groups developed actionable strategies for each key component.
Workplan development, turning insights into tangible steps, roles, and timelines.
The session concluded with peer feedback and a collective reflection called “Growing the Forest,” integrating all ideas into a coherent ecosystem of solutions.
The outcome of the workshop were elements of a draft blueprint, a key document providing a strategic framework to guide the implementation of the upcoming mission.
Step 3: Bringing It All Together – Virtual Consolidation Workshop
The final virtual session focused on refinement and alignment. The Core Team presented an updated governance model, and four Task Forces worked in parallel breakout groups to define immediate priorities:
Fundraising and Resource Mobilization
Research Priorities
Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement
Research Infrastructure
This stage transformed the shared vision into a collaborative work plan to prepare for the launch of the mission.
From Design to Launch
The Asia Science Mission for Sustainability was officially launched during the Muscat Global Knowledge Dialogues in Oman on January 27, 2025.
For Inclusive Innovation, this process was a vivid example of what can happen when diverse expertise, trust, and structured collaboration come together to serve a shared purpose.
