The Formation of a Capacity Development Framework to Improve Research and Innovation in Disaster Resilience in Higher Education Institutions in Asia

The ERASMUS+ funded Advancing Skill Creation to ENhance Transformation (ASCENT) project aims to build research and innovation (R&I) capacity in the Asia Region 6 (as per ERASMUS+ guidelines) to enable the development of societal resilience to disasters. In collaboration with some Asian partner institutions from Thailand, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, a comprehensive methodology was utilised to examine research and innovation practices. Literature review, roundtable discussions with international experts, interviews with staff from selected Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from the aforementioned countries and national agents of influence, and a survey with academic and research staff in the selected HEI partners were performed. One main output of the comprehensive methodology was a Capacity Development Framework (CDF) - a conceptual framework bringing together results from the investigative methodology that outlined how research and innovation capacity can be developed within the said Asian countries. The CDF identified four main components of R&I practices within HEIs that allowed a conceptualisation of these practices in identifiable terms, i.e. research method skills knowledge, supplementary skills knowledge, utilisation of university-industry partnerships, and utilisation of international collaboration. These main components were in turn influenced by identified enablers and barriers of research and innovation practices. Therein, six main categories identified, i.e. policy, HR, training, funding, infrastructure, and cross-cutting. Finally, key performance indicators (KPIs) were developed within each of these categories to measure level of R&I capacity within the selected HEIs. The main components, enablers/barriers, and KPIs allow a comprehensive conceptualisation of research and innovation within the chosen Asian HEIs, that can be applicable to other Asia Region 6 countries as well. The CDF was eventually used to develop a comprehensive training package to improve research and innovation within Asian HEIs that directly aligns with practical steps for capacity development to further the building of societal resilience to disasters in this region.