20 April 2015 - 21 April 2015
IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria

IIASA’s Science Advisory Committee

IIASA’s Science Advisory Committee brings together fifteen leading scientists from across the globe to IIASA this April to advise the Institute's Governing Council and Director General.

SAC meeting (C) IIASA

SAC meeting (C) IIASA

The Science Advisory Committee (SAC), under the leadership of Professor Mary Scholes of Wits University, South Africa, meets at IIASA on 20-21 April 2015. During this meeting, SAC will assess the progress of four new projects that were established in 2014 to develop innovative research that integrates expertise from across IIASA's research programs. The projects are:

  1. Accounting for Social Heterogeneity in IIASA Models
  2. Equitable Governance of Common Goods
  3. Systemic Risk and Network Dynamics
  4. Unconventional and Shale Gas. A possible bridge towards sustainable futures?

Scientific evaluations of the Advanced Systems Analysis Program, Risk and Vulnerability Program, and Water Program will be presented to SAC on the second day. Followed by discussions about IIASA's Research Plan for 2016-2020 and an Open Access publication policy.

SAC was founded in 2002 by the IIASA Council – the governing body of the institute. It is composed of eminent scientists from around the world, "to ensure that IIASA's work continues to meet highest standards in both scientific merit and policy relevance." The SAC advises the Council and the Director General on the scientific strategy for IIASA to fulfill its mission and goals, with a focus on how the Institute's science program should evolve to meet emerging global challenges. 

SAC members are appointed by the Council to 3-year terms, from a list of nominations solicited from IIASA’s National Member Organizations, staff, and IIASA's scientific network. Members are selected based on their scientific and policy experience in the areas of IIASA's research, with attention to balance regarding scientific disciplines, world regions, gender, and experience in global science policy activities.  

The Committee meets approximately once per year, or more often if required, and the SAC Chair is invited to participate in meetings of the IIASA Council.

The SAC presently comprises 15 members from 12 different nations with 13 attending this meeting. Current committee members are: 

Professor Mary Scholes (Chair) University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa 

Professor Dr. Mirjam de Bruijn, Africa Studies Centre, Netherlands

Professor Dr. Jingyun Fang Peking University, China

Professor Nils Petter Gelditsch, Peace Research Institute Oslo, Norway

Dr. Lea Kauppi Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Finland

Professor Ralph L. Keeney The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, USA

Professor Joon Sik Lee Seoul National University, Republic of Korea

Dr. Alexey Malovichko Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia

Dr. Jerry M. Melillo Marine Biological Laboratory, Massachusetts, USA

Professor Fred Roberts Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science at Rutgers University, NJ, USA

Professor Roberto Schaeffer, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Professor Dr. Igor Sheremet, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Russia

Professor Coleen Vogel University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

Professor Dr. Karen Helen Wiltshire, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Germany

Professor Tetsuzo Yasunari Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN), Japan

IIASA’s Science Advisory Committee meeting




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Last edited: 15 June 2015

Members of IIASA's Science Advisory Committee

TERMS OF REFERENCE OF IIASA's Science Advisory Committee

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Schlossplatz 1, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
Phone: (+43 2236) 807 0 Fax:(+43 2236) 71 313