Korea University-IIASA symposium: Towards integrated approaches for modeling ecosystem material cycles and climate crisis-related disturbances

This event, jointly organized by IIASA and the OJEong Resilience Institute at Korea University (OJERI@KU), builds on previous annual collaborations between IIASA and OJERI and will underscore the importance of integrated methodologies in confronting the climate crisis. Discussions will center on sharing research experiences and knowledge on ecosystem material cycles and climate crisis-related disturbances, as well as exploring opportunities for future collaborative research and establishing a researcher exchange program between the two institutes. Participants from Korea University, KU-IIASA Postdoctoral researchers, LOI organization members, and IIASA researchers are expected to attend.

The event will include two sessions:

Session 1
Integrated ecosystem modeling of KU-IIASA focusing on the agriculture-forestry-ecosystem.

The objective of this session is to foster a deeper mutual understanding of ongoing research employing integrated methodologies for modeling biophysical dynamics and ecosystem material cycles. Central to the discussion will be the utilization of key models from IIASA's Agriculture, Forestry, and Ecosystem Services Research Group, such as EPIC, G4M, FLAM, and BeWhere, which encompass agriculture, forest growth and disturbances, and system optimization. Emphasis will be placed on exploring their integrated applications while acknowledging their individual utility. Participants will engage in dialogue concerning modeling techniques and the current state of research advancement.

Session 2
Developing future collaboration towards understanding material cycles and integrated modeling.

This session will provide an overview of the accomplishments of the KU-IIASA collaboration to date and discuss student presentations and the future directions of research cooperation. The discussion will also cover the following topics: history of collaboration between KU and IIASA, agricultural modeling, ecosystem material cycles, and the impact of carbon emissions on ecosystems. Based on the presentations, participants will explore an agenda for future collaboration topics and researcher exchange programs.

Click here for the program

Following the seminar, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IIASA and the OJEong Resilience Institute (OJERI) at Korea University Seoul will be signed in a smaller bilateral meeting by IIASA Director General John Schellnhuber and Director of OJEong Resilience Institute at Korea University Woo-Kyun Lee. This MoU signifies a commitment to further strengthen this partnership and enhance the collective impact of IIASA and OJERI in addressing the challenges of resilience and sustainability.