Social and Human Sciences/UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia is calling for proposals about “Baseline Assessment of Artificial Intelligence in China, Japan and South Korea”. Please visit the website for more details: Baseline Assessment of Artificial Intelligence in China, Japan and South Korea.

Background:

UNESCO Beijing plans to carry out further landscape analyses and comparative studies of AI legal frameworks, policies, and applications in China, Japan, and South Korea. The goal is to assess capacity gaps, develop policy recommendations, and assist these countries in creating national AI roadmaps tailored to their unique circumstances, while also recognizing shared characteristics within the region. China launched the ‘New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan’ in 2017, demonstrating its proactive approach to AI and its ambition to become a global leader in the field by 2030, with a focus on ethical development. Japan’s AI policies emphasize improving quality of life, exemplified by the ‘Society 5.0’ initiative, which began in 2016. South Korea’s AI strategy emphasizes the ethical use of AI and governance frameworks that balance innovation with human rights.

Priority Areas:

The project aims to assess the AI landscape in China, Japan, and South Korea by examining existing legal frameworks, policies, and initiatives at the national level. It seeks to help Member States tailor their capacity-building efforts to the unique needs of each country, enhancing their ability to evaluate AI systems in line with UNESCO’s Recommendation. The objectives of this project are to:

1. Raise awareness among government, industry, academic, and civil society representatives in China, Japan, and South Korea about the importance of building internationally recognized AI standards, frameworks, policies, and initiatives, tailored to the national context and specificities.
2. Strengthen the national need for AI readiness assessments in China, Japan, and South Korea to help them develop AI standards, frameworks, policies, and initiatives that consider the needs of diverse stakeholders.
3. Identify gaps in AI capacity development related to AI and propose innovative solutions.
4. Improve existing policies and regulatory frameworks to support sustainable and ethical AI in China, Japan, and South Korea.
5. Engage National Commissions of UNESCO in China, Japan, and South Korea, as well as other stakeholders, to integrate UNESCO’s work into UNCT, strengthening UNESCO’s leadership in AI governance within the UN system.

The country-level analysis may include following areas subject to results from research and consultation with key stakeholders:

1. Legal and regulatory
2. Social and cultural
3. Scientific and educational
4. Economic
5. Technological and infrastructural

Project Period: February – August 2025

Scope of Work:

1. Identify, supervise, and coordinate the national expert in each country (national experts have sound knowledge on AI ethics and existing relationship with relevant local stakeholders), who will collect data and information, and engage the national stakeholders.
2. Ensure overall coordination between UNESCO, national stakeholders, and other relevant stakeholders involved.
3. Develop the roles and responsibilities for National Stakeholder Team that should serve as the entry-point and national coordination group during the exercise.
4. Identify stakeholders to be engaged in close coordination with UNESCO and the responsible Ministries.
5. Lead in data collection, data curation and analysis, ensuring quality and harmony across all report. 
6. Develop the template for report, in alignment with UNESCO’s global template (also used in other parts of the world), including qualitative and quantitative information, boxes, examples of good practices, highlights, etc., in close consultation with and support of UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia.
7. Please visit the website for other relevant scope of work: Baseline Assessment of Artificial Intelligence in China, Japan and South Korea

Deliverables:

1. The core deliverable of this project is a report that analyzes, compares, and contrasts the readiness of China, Japan, and South Korea to implement the UNESCO Recommendation on AI. This report will include a roadmap with policy recommendations to support ongoing implementation efforts and address capacity gaps, in line with the Readiness Assessment Methodology outlined in the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI.
2. The report will be prepared in English. The report will provide a state of the art in AI ethics in terms of existing and proposed regulatory frameworks, capacity and regulatory gaps, and a roadmap detailing steps to be taken at a national level to advance full implementation of the UNESCO Recommendation.
3. Please visit the website for more deliverables required: Baseline Assessment of Artificial Intelligence in China, Japan and South Korea

Minimum Content Application Proposal

The contractor (s) shall send their application proposal (in English) to UNESCO Beijing Office no later than January 21, 2025 (Tuesday), midnight, China Time via email to beijing@unesco.org with a subject titled “AI Research Application”.

1. A letter of interest, demonstrating the relevant expertise and capacity of the partner to carry out the relevant activities.
2. Organizational profile (main priorities, structure, type of legal entity, etc.)
3. A technical proposal with detailing the approach/methodology, Terms of Reference of the PI(s) and of the national experts, work plan, activities, timeline, allocated human resources, possible risks, and mitigation measures to implement the activities.
4. A CV of all the personnel involved, including PI(s). The PI(s) must have at least 5 years of demonstrable experience within the region and beyond in AI ethics and policy, including digital policy and data protection law/data policy; at least a Masters degree in a relevant social science degree (including law, public policy, etc.), and at least 2 relevant academic publications, or lead authorship on related research reports; and a wide networks in AI and digital spheres across research, civil society, regulatory bodies and political institutions, within the region.
5. CVs of the national experts, who must have experience working with national level policy- makers, with understanding of how to support evidence-led decision-making and engage in national policymaking processes, and solid networks in AI and digital spheres within the country.
6. A detailed itemized financial proposal for works described in the Terms of Reference, based on the form provided as part of this Terms of Reference.

If you are interested in pursuing this funding opportunity, please simply reply to this email by the end of Friday, January 10.