IIASA at the 2026 Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress

As part of the official program, IIASA and South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF) are co-convening the session “Systems Analysis for Action: Pathways for Bridging Science, Policy, and Society” on 25 June. The workshop will explore how systems thinking can strengthen science-policy-society interfaces and support evidence-informed decision-making in areas including climate resilience, food systems, water security, and urban development. A central theme of the discussion will be how African institutions can strengthen their capacity to translate evidence into policy and societal action.

IIASA Deputy Director General Karen Lips will open the session and moderate a panel discussion with representatives from research, policy, and science institutions across Africa. The program will feature a keynote address by Professor Kambidima Wotela of the University of the Witwatersrand on systems thinking for evidence-informed policymaking, as well as case study presentations by Dr Cynthia Fonta and Dr Tatenda Mugwendere of the University of Cape Town. The case study draws on the IIASA-led Human Capital for Sustainable Development project supported by the Yidan Prize project funds and led by IIASA Distinguished Emeritus Research Scholar, Wolfgang Lutz, which explores how education and skills influence future development pathways in Africa. The panel discussions will bring together perspectives from South Africa’s Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation (DSTI), the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Future Earth Africa, the University of Pretoria, and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to examine what helps (and what hinders) the use of evidence in addressing complex sustainability challenges.

Through these keynote presentations, case studies, panel discussions, and interactive dialogues, participants will examine practical ways to strengthen African-led science-policy systems and identify opportunities for future collaboration and capacity development. The workshop will also identify priority areas for regional cooperation, knowledge exchange, and future capacity-development efforts to support sustainability transformation across the continent.

Visit the conference website for further information and the full program.