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Newly appointed program directors will address the institute’s research priorities to ensure that program objectives are aligned with the new IIASA strategy, while research group leaders in each program will manage their respective groups and support the program directors. ADVANCING SYSTEMS ANALYSIS PROGRAM DIRECTOR ELENA ROVENSKAYA The Advancing Systems Analysis Program will focus on a broad range of systems related methods including areas from data sciences, computational sciences, risk, and participatory action research. Rovenskaya comments, “I am delighted to embark on this new position. I envisage that the Advancing Systems Analysis Program will become an innovation lab of IIASA, pushing the frontiers of systems analysis methodology, including the interface with policy.” • Cooperation and Transformative Governance Research Group Leader: Nadejda Komendantova • Exploratory Modeling of Human-natural Systems Research Group Leader: Sebastian Poledna (Acting) • Novel Data Ecosystems for Sustainability Research Group Leader: Ian McCallum • Systemic Risk and Resilience Research Group Leader: Reinhard Mechler BIODIVERSITY AND NATURAL RESOURCES PROGRAM DIRECTOR YOSHIHIDE WADA The Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program will address ecosystem management and modeling, biodiversity and land use matters, and fresh water and marine issues. “It is my honor to take up this position. IIASA has an excellent track record of ecosystem and natural resources research. I strive to keep the balance of tradition and innovation, and I have a great passion to support the next generation of systems scientists," says Wada. • Agriculture, Forestry, and Ecosystem Services Research Group Leader: Florian Kraxner • Biodiversity, Ecology, and Conservation Research Group Leader: Piero Visconti • Integrated Biosphere Futures Research Group Leader: Petr Havlík • Water Security Research Group Leader: Taher Kahil INSTITUTE NEWS Message from the director IIASA CORNER The next decade will be characterized by unprecedented economic, environmental, and social change and challenges. At the same time, the required interventions will increase in complexity and scope. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed stark gaps in our interconnected world, but it has also shown that political and economic changes can be implemented faster than once anticipated. Could this global pandemic be a turning point and an impulse for pursuing high impact sustainable change? Stepping into a new decade of worldwide uncertainty, IIASA will embark on a progressive strategy to develop and apply systems science to support transformations to sustainability. Building on almost fifty years’ experience in inter- and multidisciplinary systems science, the IIASA Strategy 2021-2030 positions the institute to be the primary destination for integrated systems solutions and policy insights to current and emerging global sustainability challenges, threats, and opportunities. “Reducing footprints, enhancing resilience” is the key message and title of the unfolding strategy. The updated research structure that will be implemented to support this strategy – shown below – is rapidly taking shape and I look forward to working with the newly appointed research group leaders and program directors to turn this strategy into a reality. The program directors will provide research vision, steer the strategic positions of their programs, and foster broad institutional and external collaboration. This new generation of research leaders stand on the shoulders of historic scientific leadership at IIASA, while providing new direction and purpose, maximizing the institute’s research impact, and building on its record of scientific excellence. New leadership appointments to support strategic research objectives ALBERT VAN JAARSVELD © Dzmitry Baranau | Dreamstime © IIASA © IIASA 26 Options www.iiasa.ac.atWinter 2020