The role of the Science Advisory Committee (SAC), established by the IIASA Council in 2002, is to ensure that IIASA work continues to meet highest standards in both scientific and policy relevant community.
Professor Jim Hall is the fourth SAC Chair, succeeding Professor Mary Scholes of the Wits University.
The SAC was established in 2002 by the IIASA Council – the governing body of the Institute with the main task to ensure that IIASA work continues to meet the highest standards in both scientific merit and policy relevance.
The Committee meets approximately once per year, or more often if required, and the SAC Chair is invited to attend Council meetings as a guest.
The Science Advisory Committee is an advisory structure constituted of independent scientists appointed by the IIASA Council with the task of providing scientific guidance and a research assurance function for IIASA. SAC has a dual reporting line. SAC directly reports to the IIASA Deputy Director General for Science and engages with the Director-General, and indirectly to the Research and Engagement Committee of Council.
SAC members are appointed by the Council to 3-year terms (and maximum of 6 years), from a list of nominations solicited from IIASA 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.
Current SAC members
Chair from January 2020 to December 2022
Professor Dr. Jim HALL
Professor of Climate and Environmental Risks
School of Geography and the Environment
Senior Research Fellow, Department of Engineering Science
Oxford University, Oxford, UK
*Member from Jan 2016 to Dec 2022
Dr. John R. BIRGE
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Chicago, IL, USA
* Member from Aug 2017 to Aug 2023
Professor Dr. Ruth DEFRIES
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology
Columbia University
New York, NY, USA
* Member from Aug 2017 to Aug 2023
Dr. Marianne Fay
Director for Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru, Latin America and the Caribbean of the World Bank
Lima, Peru
* Member from Jan 2022 to Dec 2024
Professor Dr. Bojie FU
Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Beijing, P.R. China
* Member from Jan 2017 to Dec 2022
Dr. Olga KORDAS
Director of Viable Cities (a Swedish strategic innovation programme for smart and sustainable cities)
Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)
Sweden
* Member from July 2020 to June 2023
Professor Dr. Christoph MEINEL
Internet Technologies and Systems
Hasso-Plattner-Institute
University of Potsdam
Germany
* Member from July 2020 to June 2023
Professor Yacob Mulugetta
Professor of Energy and Development Policy; Department of Science, Technology, Engineering & Public Policy (STEaPP) at the University College London (UCL), UK;
Founding Member of the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
* Member from Jan 2022 to Dec 2024
Professor Dr. Taikan OKI
Professor, Graduate School of Engineering
University of Tokyo
Japan
* Member from Jan 2022 to Dec 2024
Dr. Youba SOKONA
The South Centre and the University of Surrey
Geneva, Switzerland
* Member from Jan 2017 until Dec 2022
Professor Dr. Diana Ürge-Vorsatz
Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy;
Central European University
Austria
* Member from Jan 2022 to Dec 2024
Professor Elke U. WEBER
Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment
Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs
Princeton University
USA
* Member from July 2020 to June 2023