GFAiR Executive Secretary Joanna Kane‑Potaka Keynotes SOR4D 2026 on Equitable Partnerships
31 Aug – 1 Sept 2026 Bern, Switzerland
“Are equitable partnerships enough to transform research for development?”
That’s the bold question Joanna Kane-Potaka, Executive Secretary of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research and Innovation (GFAiR), will explore in her keynote address at the SOR4D Research Conference 2026 in Bern.
Hosted by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) through the Solution Oriented Research for Development (SOR4D) programme, the conference brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to rethink how transdisciplinary work can drive real-world change.
Why This Keynote Matters
Despite growing recognition that equitable partnerships are essential to effective Research for Development (R4D), progress on the ground has been frustratingly slow. Fragmented efforts, unequal power dynamics, and limited local leadership continue to undermine impact, uptake, and scale.
In her address, Ms Kane-Potaka will tackle four critical questions:
- Are equitable partnership principles enough? – Examining the gap between commitment and practice.
- How do we move along the journey? – Building on progress to drive deeper systemic change.
- Where should we focus? – Leveraging comparative advantage for maximum impact.
- Can reducing funding waste help? – Exploring how smarter resource allocation enables fairer partnerships.
A Call to Action for the Whole System
Ms Kane-Potaka will argue that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—many of which remain seriously off track—requires collective action across the entire research and development ecosystem. This means:
- Stronger advocacy to keep equitable partnerships high on the global agenda.
- Practical methodologies that turn principles into everyday practice.
- Better evidence demonstrating how equitable partnerships drive sustainability and impact.
- Meaningful KPIs to measure progress and manage for change.
Crucially, researchers and research organisations cannot do this alone. National institutions, governments, research partners, and funders all have a role to play.
About the SOR4D Research Conference 2026
Under the theme “Advancing Transdisciplinary Research for Global Development: Crisis, Collaboration, and Change” the conference brings together the research and development community to advance transdisciplinary research for global development.
Today’s world is shaped by overlapping crises—geopolitical conflict, climate shocks, pandemics, and rising inequality. These challenges test the sustainability and scalability of development efforts, making it more urgent than ever to find new ways forward.
The conference invites participants to explore how transdisciplinary projects create knowledge and expertise that can address these complex challenges and deliver relevant, impactful, and scalable solutions.
Central to this discussion is a simple but powerful truth: no single discipline, sector, or actor can solve today’s challenges alone. By working across boundaries, stakeholders in agri-food research and innovation can co-create solutions that are tailored to local realities, inclusive, and ready to scale.
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Learn more about the SOR4D Research Conference 2026