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Hello Future is a UNDP video series exploring the trends shaping our world. From digitalization to inequality, to the climate emergency, to crisis response, we examine the critical issues facing humans and the place we call home, and what we must do if we're to get out of this century alive.

brings us the case of how Mauritius is boosting tech careers for girls and women in Mauritius. The job prospects in the field of telecommunications are immense, especially as Mauritius is having mayor breakthroughs, such as their .  Now it the time for changing attitudes and encouraging girls to be bold, be brave and brake barriers.

Spending on science worldwide increased (+19%) between 2014 and 2018, as did the number of scientists (+13.7%). This trend has been further boosted by the COVID crisis, according to ’s new Science Report, . But these figures hide significant disparities: just two countries, the United States and China, account for nearly two-thirds of this increase (63%) while four out of five countries lag far behind, investing less than 1% of their GDP in scientific research. The scientific landscape remains largely a landscape of power.

Uneven access can hamper technology’s contribution to the UN’s SDGs and worsen global inequalities. But public-private partnerships can help reverse the trend and ensure new technologies, such as solar-powered electric grids, reach the poorest communities.

UNESCO's Director-General has welcomed the decision by the United States and many other countries to call for the lifting of patent protection on COVID-19 vaccines. This growing momentum comes in response to the  to open up science and boost scientific cooperation. The idea behind is to allow scientific information, data and outputs to be more widely accessible (Open Access) and more reliably harnessed (Open Data) with the active engagement of all the stakeholders (Open to Society).

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of digital technologies in African countries, and the latest provides new evidence on how digital is enhancing the productivity of existing jobs and creating new jobs, for people of all skill levels and backgrounds.

While the internet seems like it’s everywhere, more than 3 billion . On April 27 the UN General Assembly debate on closing the digital divide and greening the planet’s digital future will be held.

Girls around the world are using innovation and technology to solve problems, to unite communities and as a force for good and equality. And yet, women and girls are still under-represented in STEM fields. In an increasingly digitized world economy, the gender digital divide has severe repercussion for girls’ and women’s rights. To bridge this gap, at least three things need to happen: facilitate equal access to digital technologies and the internet for girls and women; encourage and invest in girls and women to build their ICT skills; and enable women and girls to take up leadership roles in tech. From creating open-source ventilators in Afghanistan to unifying and amplifying the voices of young activists in Chile, and working to end child marriage in Georgia, here are some girls and young women changemakers who inspire us.

By 2030, two billion people are expected to rely on so-called “assistive” technology aids in their daily lives to eat, see, hear and even get dressed, according to UN patent experts at , the World Intellectual Property Organization.

It will also be possible to flag when anyone suffering from severe depression or other degenerative brain conditions might need help from a relative or carer, as UN News’s Daniel Johnson.

While girls across the world tend to outperform boys in reading and writing skills, they continue to be under-represented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through (22 Apr), works with partners to build awareness about the gender digital divide, support technology education and skills training, and encourage more girls and young women to actively pursue careers in STEM. Visit the and join the global celebration.  are available to share your activities. #GirlsinICT

At the request of governments from all over the world, the IAEA has delivered COVID-19 testing support and equipment to 286 laboratories in 128 countries and territories since March 2020 for the rapid and accurate detection of the disease. The IAEA assistance is to help countries boost their use of real time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction () tests – the most accurate and widely used nuclear-derived method to detect specific genetic material from pathogens, including viruses. The COVID-19 assistance is the biggest emergency operation in the IAEA’s history.

marked the International Day of Mathematics, 14 March, under the theme “."  Celebrating the beauty and relevance of mathematics, the Day highlights the essential role played by this discipline in reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

and partners jointly organize the for empowering women in the cybersecurity sector. The programme engages role models and leaders in this field and connects them with talented women worldwide, and it also offers technical and soft skills training courses. It is open to women working in cybersecurity at junior levels, as well as women seeking to enter the cybersecurity workforce. It aims to shift the mentality and encourage women to take on leadership roles in cybersecurity, and promote knowledge sharing of professional best practices.

A few developing nations are exhibiting stronger capabilities to use, adopt and adapt frontier technologies than their per capita GDPs would suggest, but most are lagging behind, according to an index of 158 countries in UNCTAD’s T. Frontier technologies are those that take advantage of digitalization and connectivity. They include artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things, big data, blockchain, 5G, 3D printing, robotics, drones, gene editing, nanotechnology and solar photovoltaic.

and the L'Oréal Foundation honoured  in the fields of astrophysics, mathematics, chemistry and informatics as part of the 23rd International Prize for Women in Science.  , shows that although the number of women in scientific research has risen to one in three, women remain a minority. Every year women write as many scientific articles as men, but their chances of appearing in prestigious journals are lower, as are their seats on national science academies around the world.