Context Matters: Science, Policy and the Lingering Effects of Colonialism

General wisdom is that robust scientific evidence can help inform smart and effective government policy – and many western countries have established science advice systems. But what about developing countries that are being encouraged to adopt similar practices to deal with the pandemic, meet the SDG goals, and battle climate change? The models and literature on science advice is largely western centric and doesn't necessarily accommodate the lingering impacts of colonialism or non-western contexts. We can do better.