Professor Steven J. Hoffman available for comment
TORONTO, November 17, 2020 –The United Nations today launched the UN Research Roadmap for the COVID-19 Recovery . The development of this Roadmap was led by York University Professor Steven J. Hoffman in his role as Scientific Director of the Institute of Population & Public Health at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Hoffman is also the Director of the Global Strategy Lab and the Dahdaleh Distinguished Chair in Global Governance & Legal Epidemiology in York’s Faculty of Health and Osgoode Hall Law School.
Building on the work of the UN COVID-19 economic and social recovery plan, the UN Research Roadmap for the COVID-19 Recovery is intended to ensure national and international strategies are informed by rigorous evidence generated in anticipation of, and during, the COVID-19 recovery period.
Hoffman was invited by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed in June 2020 to lead this UN effort to rapidly develop a global research strategy for the post-pandemic socio-economic recovery. He was supported in carrying out this work by his team at the CIHR Institute of Population & Public Health, which is hosted by York University.
“We live in a world where people, systems and generations are all interdependent, which means the actions we take today during COVID-19 must simultaneously work towards a more equitable, resilient and sustainable future. Science represents the world’s best chance for guiding the attainment of that better future,” said Hoffman.
The UN Research Roadmap for the COVID-19 Recovery links urgent research initiatives to a unifying global framework and advocates for policies that are informed by evidence, address inequalities and place peoples’ human rights at the centre. It outlines 25 research priorities, five priorities for each of the five pillars of the UN’s socio-economic recovery framework:
- Health systems and services
- Social protection and basic services
- Economic response and recovery programs
- Macroeconomic policies and multilateral collaboration
- Social cohesion and community resilience
The UN Research Roadmap draws on the knowledge of a global community of researchers, funding agencies, governments and other international institutions. It engaged over 250 researchers, implementers, funders and citizens internationally to identify priority knowledge needs and research areas for rebuilding after the pandemic and safeguarding progress towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In her message that opens the Roadmap document, the UN Deputy Secretary-General thanks all who participated in and supported its creation, “in particular Professor Steven J. Hoffman and his colleagues at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.”
York is a global leader in the UN’s SDGs, recently ranking 33rd out of 767 universities around the world by Times Higher Education.
Professor Steven J. Hoffman is available for interviews via phone, skype and zoom.
For 10 weeks we worked on one of the most ambitious efforts I’ve ever led – the @UN Research Roadmap for the COVID-19 Recovery, which was released today. https://t.co/Bd79T59SJz #COVID19Recovery #UNResearchRoadmap pic.twitter.com/2UqJWReFvs
— Steven J. Hoffman (@shoffmania) November 17, 2020
York University champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. York U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, York is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.
Media contact:
Anjum Nayyar, York University Media Relations, cell 437-242-1547, anayyar@yorku.ca
