Page - 27 - in options, Volume winter 2015/2016

institute news 27winter 2015/2016 + optionswww.iiasa.ac.at news at iiasa United Kingdom joins IIASA In June 2015 the UK became the newest IIASA member country, joining the ranks of 22  other nations that make up this forward-thinking network across the globe T he UK took the decision to join IIASA after a detailed analysis of the benefits of membership. This process took six months and included a visit to IIASA by the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Mark Walport, together with a high-level team. The UK Minister for Universities and Science, Jo Johnson, announced the association during a speech at the University of Sheffield about science and innovation. He welcomed the membership, saying that it would boost the country’s international collaborations and give UK researchers access to world-leading data experts and knowledge to help tackle global change. The UK National Member Organization (NMO) is made up of three scientific institutions that together represent the country’s relevant scholarly community: the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The NMO is represented on the IIASA Council by Duncan  Wingham, chief executive of NERC (see page 10). Access to new data and methodologies was mentioned as a key benefit of IIASA membership by Walport and his panel. “The  panel was impressed with the quality of IIASA research and saw value, among others, in joining in order to develop UK capacity in integrated assessment modelling—something that IIASA has considerable expertise in,” Walport noted. Prospects for future IIASA–UK collaborations will include tailoring IIASA global models for UK use and establishing international integrated assessments in areas of UK strategic interest. IIASA will continue to partner with UK institutions to win international research grants. Since 2006, IIASA researchers have collaborated with 57 UK research partners, including the Government Office for Science, the Met Office, and Oxford University. These collaborations have ranged from enhancing UK expertise in developing and applying integrated assessment models, to analyzing how to feed a future global population of nine  billion  people. IIASA membership is considered an excellent adjunct to UK science diplomacy, creating links not just with IIASA but with all IIASA NMOs, from China to Germany and Japan to the USA. This is expected to result in even higher-quality research output on all sides. IIASA Director General and CEO Professor Dr. Pavel Kabat hailed the return to IIASA of one of its 1972 founding members at a time of such significance. “We are delighted that the UK is joining us as we begin conducting strategic planning for our new 2020–2030 research agenda, which will shape the future directions the Institute will take, in particular, the different pathways to sustainable development. The UK’s input on these matters is exceptionally important to us all.” KP www.iiasa.ac.at/UK VISIT OF THE UK PANEL TO ASSESS IIASA IN DECEMBER 2014 Left to right Prof.  Nebojsa Nakicenovic, Deputy Director General IIASA § Prof.  Nigel Gilbert, University  of Surrey § Dr.  Claire Craig, Director, Government Office for Science § Prof.  Mats Gyllenberg, representative of IIASA Governing Council § Prof.  David Fowler, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology § Prof.  Sir Mark Walport, UK  Government Chief Scientific Adviser § Prof.  Pavel Kabat, Director General and  CEO, IIASA § Prof.  Sir  Alan  Wilson, University College London § Giles  Robertson,  Private  Secretary to  Sir  Mark Walport § Michelle Wickenden, Head of Strategic Management Group, NERC Three UK research councils now jointly represent the UK membership of IIASA. They have established an IIASA National Member Organization that includes representatives from UK universities, learned societies, government, and the private sector to develop activities in multiple areas between IIASA and the UK.