IIASA | International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

News

IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber with Professor Andrea Lenzi and H.E. Ambassador Giovanni Pugliese

23 October 2026

IIASA and Italy deepen dialogue during visit by CNR President

On 19 October, Professor Andrea Lenzi President of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), visited IIASA for discussions on strengthening scientific cooperation and exploring future opportunities for strategic collaboration between Italy and IIASA.

André Nakhavali in front of Schloss Laxenburg

22 October 2026

André Nakhavali to receive prestigious 2027 Kamide Lecture Award in Biogeosciences

IIASA researcher André (Mahdi) Nakhavali will receive the 2027 Kamide Lecture Award in Biogeosciences from the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS), in recognition of the excellence, originality, and potential impact of his research. The award will be formally presented at the AOGS 2027 Annual Meeting, where he will also deliver an invited lecture to the international geoscience community.

22 October 2026

Global agricultural productivity growth is in decline

Global agricultural productivity growth has hit its lowest level since the 1970s, threatening future food security. IIASA researchers contributed to Chapter 3 of the 2026 GAP Report published by the Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Initiative at Virginia Tech, exploring how regenerative agriculture could help reverse this trend while improving farm profitability and resilience.

IIASA at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference

IIASA researchers will contribute to multiple side-events at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity – an international meeting bringing together governments, researchers, and policymakers from around the world.

IIASA at the Beijing Science Dialogue 2026: Science in a complex world – Science for a better future

IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber will participate in a high-level discussion on science as a global public good during an international gathering organized by the International Science Council (ISC) in Beijing, China.

Fisherman throwing his net during sunset

Uganda-Austria water partnership leaves scientific legacy for water management

IIASA Journalist in Residence Lisa Palmer's latest article in the Science Diplomat highlights an IIASA-led partnership which found about 60% of Uganda’s rivers in good condition while building national capacity to track pollution and manage growing risks.

Education © Svetlana Diacenco | Dreamstime

Training workshop: Demographic analysis with applications to aging, health, and education

IIASA, together with the College of Population Studies, Chulalongkorn University, will host an intensive and internationally recognized training in advanced demographic analysis with applications to aging, health, and education, taking place in Thailand from 2–25 November 2026.

Winter scene taken in the farming community of Chilliwack, British Columbia

Arms, food, and nuclear winter: An IIASA modeling story spanning 40 years

In the 1980s, IIASA researchers asked what cutting military budgets and redirecting these funds to agriculture could do for the world's food supply. Today, researchers at the Institute are asking the reverse question: what would happen to the world’s food if nuclear weapons were used? A folder of working papers from 40 years ago highlights some striking connections between these two questions.

Events

20 October 2026 Barcelona, Spain

ENFORCE Annual Project Meeting

21 October 2026 Online

Tipping points webinar series: Socioeconomic transitions

26 October 2026 Shanghai University

Workshop: Rethinking Urbanization in Asia

Vision and Members

The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is an independent international research institute with National and Regional Member Organisations in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe.

Learn more about IIASA

Vision

The IIASA vision for 2021 to 2030 is to be the primary destination for integrated systems solutions and policy insights to current, emerging and novel global sustainability challenges, threats, and opportunities.

Members

Each IIASA member is represented by a National or Regional Member Organization that governs and funds the institute and acts as a bridge to link the country’s research and policy communities to IIASA.