The Council is the governing body of the Institute. The Council is responsible for governance oversight, approval of the institute budget, strategies and governing principles, areas for IIASA research, as well as ensuring that IIASA activities are in line with institutional objectives, the provisions of the Charter, and the interests of Member Organizations.

The Council meets twice a year, in June and November. The Charter, the Council delegation of authority, and Council resolutions, document the role of Council, as well as its processes and decisions. The Council appoints the Institute’s Director General (DG), Deputy Director General (DDG), the Chief Operations Officer (COO), and the Council Secretary.

Annual reports    IIASA Strategy 2021-2030    IIASA Charter
 

Council internal area (password protected)
 

Chair

Dr. Kazu Takemoto (from January 2024 until December 2026)
Visiting Professor of the University of Tokyo Institute for Future Initiatives (IFI), and President of the Overseas Environmental Cooperation Center (OECC)

  • Member country: Japan
  • Member of the Council Executive Committee

Vice Chairs

Professor Debra Knopman (from January 2024 until December 2026)
Adjunct researcher at the RAND Corporation and Professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School; Board co-chair, the Henry Luce Foundation

  • Member country: USA
  • Member of the Council Executive Committee

Council members

Professor Dr. Christian Koeberl, Department of Lithospheric Research, University of Vienna

  • Member country: Austria
  • Chair of the Council Finance, Risk and Audit Committee; Member of the Council Executive Committee 
Professor Lan Yujie, Vice President, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) 
  • Member country: China
  • Member of the Council Research and Engagement Committee
Professor Dr. Gina El-Feky, Acting President, Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT)
  • Member country: Egypt
  • Council Research and Engagement Committee
Professor Olli Varis, Water Resources Management, Aalto University
  • Member country: Finland
  • Member of the Council Research and Engagement Committee
Professor Dr. Helga Weisz until end of June 2025; Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Social Metabolism and Impact; and Humboldt-University Berlin. As of July 2025 - Professor Dr. Miranda Schreurs; Chair of Environment and Climate Policy, Munich School of Politics and Public Policy, Technical University of Munich
  • Member country: Germany
  • Vice Chair of the Council Membership Committee
Professor Pradeep Srivastava, Executive Director, Technology Information, Forecasting & Assessment Council (TIFAC)
  • Member country: India
  • Member of the Council Membership Committee
Dr. Ali Mohammad Soltani, President, Iran National Science Foundation (INSF)
  • Member country: Iran
  • Member of the Council Research and Engagement Committee
Professor Itai Sened, Dean, Founding Head of the School of Social and Policy Studies, Head of the Boris Mints Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions to Global Challenges, Tel Aviv University (TAU); The Gershon H. Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences
  • Member country: Israel
  • Member of the Council Finance, Risk and Audit Committee; Member of the Council Executive Committee

Dr. Kazu Takemoto
Visiting Professor of the University of Tokyo Institute for Future Initiatives (IFI), and President of the Overseas Environmental Cooperation Center (OECC)

  • Member country: Japan
  • Council Chair; Member of the Council Executive Committee
Dr. Kil-Choo Moon, President, University of Science and Technology (UST)
  • Member country: Republic of Korea
  • Chair of the Council Research and Engagement Committee; Member of the Council Executive Committee
Dr. Eva Falleth, Executive Director, Sustainable Development, The Research Council of Norway (RCN)
  • Member country: Norway
  • Member of the Council Membership Committee
Academician Professor Vladislav Panchenko, Chair of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research
  • Member country: Russia
  • Member of the Council Membership Committee
Professor Dr. Lubica Lacinova, member of the Presidium, Slovak Academy of Sciences
  • Member country: Slovakia 
  • Member of the Council Membership Committee
Dr. Sepo Hachigonta, Acting Executive Director Strategic Partnerships, National Research Foundation (NRF)
Dr. Magnus Tannerfeldt, Senior Research Officer, Department for Environmental Sciences, FORMAS - a Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development.
  • Member country: Sweden
  • Vice Chair of the Council Finance, Risk and Audit Committee; Member of the Council Executive Committee
Professor Dr. Olena Borodina, Associate Member of NASU, Institute for Economics and Forecasting, The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU)
  • Member country: Ukraine
  • Member of the Council Finance, Risk and Audit Committee
Dr. Sophie Hodgson, Associate Director of National Capability Research Programmes at Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Professor Debra Knopman, Adjunct researcher at the RAND Corporation and Professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School; Board co-chair, the Henry Luce Foundation
  • Member country: USA
  • Council Vice Chair; Member of the Council Executive Committee
Dr. Le Quynh Lien, Director General of International Cooperation Department, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST)
  • Member country: Vietnam
  • Member of the Council Finance, Risk and Audit Committee
The following Council Committees carry out the work of the Council:
  • Council Executive Committee
  • Council Finance, Risk and Audit Committee
  • Council Membership Committee
  • Council Research and Engagement Committee
  • Science Advice & Review Board

More details on the roles and the responsibilities of the IIASA Council can be found in the IIASA Charter, which was signed by all founding member countries in 1972 and subsequently by each new member organization.