Amid complex challenges in Vietnam’s localities, such as inequality, multidimensional poverty, and climate change, CKC promotes a knowledge co-creation approach and transdisciplinary partnership to better mobilize diverse societal resources.

Knowledge is not confined to academic or professional domains; it is also richly embedded within communities through indigenous knowledge, lived experiences, social practices, and the voices of vulnerable groups. When brought together through co-creation processes, these knowledge systems complement one another, enhancing the relevance, applicability, transparency, and inclusiveness of development solutions.

CKC expands traditional collaboration models by positioning local communities and indigenous knowledge holders as equal partners, engaging them throughout the process from problem identification to the application of results. Flexible methods such as community-based research, participatory dialogue, community-led monitoring, and storytelling through arts help surface tacit knowledge, foster learning, and build trust.

This approach aims to generate context-specific, practical solutions, while strengthening communities’ internal capacities, resilience, and autonomy, contributing to more equitable, empowered, and sustainable communities.

This work was presented by CKC as a discussion paper at a scientific conference on the role of intellectuals in innovation and urban development in Hue City, organised by the Hue Union of Science and Technology Associations (HUSTA) in May 2026. The paper received strong interest and constructive discussion, offering important insights into how science and technology organisations can strengthen connections, foster transdisciplinary partnerships, and mobilise intellectual resources to support Hue City’s sustainable development.

Photo credit: HUSTA