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At this talk, Jason will reflect on his exchange to Humboldt University’s Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys).

IRI THESys aims to institutionalise models of scientific practice that support transformations. This parallels the ANU’s ambitions to contribute to the international communities’ grand challenges through institutes like ICEDS and IWF. The three institutes share the explicit purpose of contributing to societal change through research, outreach, and teaching. By working with diverse partners and disparate disciplines they are doing research appropriate to our ‘crazy’ or post-natural, Anthropocene world. The institutes share common ambitions and challenges, including integrating big-purpose, transdisciplinary research within universities. Challenges include surviving long enough to seriously engage in understanding ways of governing the Anthropocene.

His exchange focused on understanding integrated research institutes’ roles in accelerating transformative approaches to complex, intersecting sustainability challenges, across land, water, energy, and food system. His report outlines major opportunities for international collaborations on:

1. Understanding the hydrology, chemistry, and sociology of coal-pit lakes.

2. Equitable, efficient, and adaptive water planning under climate change, including through comparative river basin research.

3. Cooperation on socially responsible, politically aware water modelling.

4. Scoping an international IRI network and strategic evaluations of IRIs work in transformation.

5. Using serious games as techniques for research-policy labs.

6. Designing and testing internationally networked transformation accelerators.

Kindly register via email id or you can join online using Zoom: 

Meeting ID: 663 393 4183
Password: 462534

About the Speaker:

Jason Alexandra is a senior research fellow at the Australian National University’s Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions (ICEDS) and the Institute for Water Futures (IWF). He researches transformative climate adaptation and adaptive water governance. He has worked on water research and policy reform since 1988 in a variety of roles, including in senior roles in government with responsibilities for natural resource management, risk assessment and climate R&D.