30 October 2018
IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria

Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs H.E. Karin Kneissl visited IIASA

IIASA leadership and a selected group of IIASA Program Directors welcomed Austrian Federal Foreign Minister H.E. Karin Kneissl to explore ways to strengthen collaborations between IIASA and its host country Austria.

Albert van Jaarsveld (IIASA Director General and CEO) and H.E. Karin Kneissl (Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs) © FFAB | IIASA

Albert van Jaarsveld (IIASA Director General and CEO) and H.E. Karin Kneissl (Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs) © FFAB | IIASA

Austrian leaders emphasize the unique role Austria plays as an East‑West hub and as a moderator between industrialized and developing countries. Neutrality and multilateral problem solving are cornerstones of Austria’s long‑term foreign policy and have seen Vienna become one of the most important headquarters of international organizations in the world.  

IIASA contributes to this policy by building international consortia of researchers to find global solutions to global problems. At the IIASA headquarters just outside Vienna, these multinational teams gather to research today’s major global challenges ranging from climate change and sustainable energy systems to water scarcity. The Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs (BMEIA) supports these efforts both in Austria and abroad.  

In this meeting, IIASA Director General and CEO Albert van Jaarsveld, Acting Deputy Director General and CEO Nebojsa Nakicenovic, IIASA Program Directors, and Austrian Federal Minister H.E. Karin Kneissl discussed a range opportunities to cooperate, e.g., regional projects (Eurasian Economic Integration, Arctic Future Initiative, Air pollution South-East Asia), national partnerships relevant for Austria, and collaborations with the Austrian Development Agency

H.E. Karin Kneissl was accompanied by her colleague Marcus Bergmann, envoy of Department V.3, responsible for scientific cooperation and dialogue of civilizations. 

The last official visit of an Austrian Federal Foreign Minister dates back to 2010 when Michael Spindelegger joined United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at a meeting at IIASA.

BMEIA has sponsored a range of major international conferences organized by IIASA, including its 40th anniversary conference in 2012 (held at the Hofburg) and the Vienna Energy Forum in 2013 (held at UNIDO). Furthermore, it brings together ten Vienna‑based international organizations dealing with energy to further develop a cluster of innovative international expertise in energy in Austria via the Vienna Energy Club

18.10 H.E. Karin Kneissl visits IIASA

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Last edited: 31 October 2018

Infosheet on IIASA Activities with Austria

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