Thinking beyond the acute phase

Distinguished Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, the former Chief Science Adviser to New Zealand’s Prime Minister, has founded Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures as an apolitical and trans-disciplinary think tank within the University to address critical long-term global and national challenges arising from rapid and far-reaching social, economic, technological and environmental change.

The team in the centre is already is heavily engaged in addressing the unprecedented global and compounding challenges and complexity of the Covid-19 pandemic. Its value as a source of informed, insightful advice to public and policy organisations both domestically and around the world is already being demonstrated.

Sir Peter is focusing on the need for intermediate and  long-term strategy to be considered alongside the necessary reactions in this acute phase of the pandemic. Several governments have already called on Sir Peter’s expertise and strategic advice. In his roles as Chair of the International Network for Government Science Advice  and President-Elect of the International Science Council,  he is leading from the University of Auckland a  high-level worldwide collaboration on aspects of the pandemic. This includes coordinating global research on both the role of evidence and diplomacy and the nature of decision making in the acute phase and on the scientific, policy , social, broader dimensions  that will have to be addressed as we move ahead.