Global Policy Outreach & Synthesis Center

The team of the Global Policy Outreach & Synthesis Center forges connections and bridges between diverse actors, from the local to the global level, in order to build a new societal contract around innovations for people and nature. Additionally, they support the synthesis of various perspectives and knowledge from academia, policy, and society. With an inclusive approach that includes the creation of safe spaces, they encourage curiosity and openness to experiment with and test new methods, and to challenge conventional thinking. Building on the evidence created and uncovered in such processes, they engage with various stakeholders, including the public and private sector, academia and society. In 2023, the team launched new initiatives, such as the youth-centered Changemakers Program, and engaged with youth as key stakeholders around central topics. Among them were the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework and the transformation of food systems.

Main achievements in 2023

1. Changemakers Program initiated

In 2023, the Wyss Academy launched its Changemakers Program: a training program to empower and equip young people from Kenya, Peru and Switzerland to play leading roles in fostering sustainable development. Over six months, participants gained transferable skills and knowledge to drive positive change in human-nature relationships within their communities. As a result of their innovative projects and the insights gained, Changemakers were able to showcase their projects as well as the program at several national events in their respective countries. 31 people were enrolled in the Program from June 2023.

2. Facilitation for systems change

The Wyss Academy’s staff and local partners attended a three day in-person training on co-designing, executing, and harvesting participatory work with diverse stakeholder groups. Engagement is one of the three pillars of the Wyss Academy’s mission and an essential skill for all units to drive change. It also requires systematic training in tools and methods tailored to the needs of our Solutionscapes. A digital Engagement Toolbox was developed, and practice of engagement tools and methods was regularly offered in Art of Hosting Community of Practice sessions.

3. First successes in gearing up for policy leverage

In 2023, the team began to systematically assess how to achieve policy leverage most effectively. They focused on the following topics: commodity regulations, food system transformation and Target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework (30by30), given their high relevance to the Wyss Academy’s Hub regions and the specific research conducted in these fields. With the Global Biodiversity Framework marking its first anniversary in December 2023, the Wyss Academy published a call to action for a just and effective implementation of this framework.

4. Circular societies promoted

In 2023, the Wyss Academy applied its inclusive approach to the topic of circular societies: merging diverse knowledge systems and perspectives to pave the way for actionable steps in systems transformation. The Global Policy Outreach & Synthesis Center involved global participants from the realms of science and practice, and partners representing local and Indigenous knowledge. The team conducted three initial workshops focused on transformations, global justice, and natural resources. Through the Art of Hosting method, they cultivated a safe space, emphasizing shared experiences and expertise to encourage people to co-create knowledge. They also facilitated two co-creation sessions to support projects that exemplify a circular society. The Wyss Academy’s engagement on the topic led it to become a member of the Executive Committee for a Global Roadmap for an Inclusive Circular Economy, initiated by the British think tank, Chatham House.