IIASA and Italy deepen dialogue during visit by CNR President

IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber hosted the delegation, whose visit builds on Ambassador Pugliese’s December 2025 visit to IIASA and reflects ongoing efforts to deepen scientific engagement and cooperation between Italy and IIASA.

Italy has been central to IIASA’s history. Through CNR, it was one of the 12 founding members of the Institute, signing the IIASA Charter in 1972, and remained a member until the 1990s. As Italy’s largest public research organization, CNR conducts and supports research across a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines through its nationwide network of institutes. The visit marked Professor Lenzi’s first visit to IIASA, and he was accompanied by H.E. Ambassador Giovanni Pugliese, CNR President Spokesperson Chiara Spinato, and Scientific Counsellor Amedeo Staiano.

Stemming from Italy’s historic relationship with IIASA and decades’ long membership, IIASA maintains close ties with the Italian research community. Between 2021 and 2025, 52 IIASA staff members and 13 Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP) participants were from Italy. In the same period, IIASA researchers visited Italy 344 times, stakeholders from Italy came to IIASA 45 times, and 364 publications were co-authored with institutions from Italy.

Presenting to the delegation, Schellnhuber highlighted IIASA’s role as a global platform for science-policy engagement and international scientific cooperation. He set out the Institute’s interdisciplinary approach to addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges, including climate change, energy transitions, biodiversity loss, sustainable development, and resilience, and emphasized the growing importance of systems analysis and science diplomacy in navigating complex societal challenges and fostering international collaboration in a rapidly changing global landscape.

Ten IIASA staff members from Italy met with the visiting delegation to present their research activities and to discuss potential avenues for strengthening collaboration with Italian institutions.

Discussions covered what IIASA could offer Italy through closer engagement, including access to capacity building for Italian students and researchers; jointly working on IIASA research to respond to Italy’s policy needs; reciprocal learning through both CNR and IIASA’s multidisciplinary approaches; and access to IIASA’s ability to convene stakeholders to overcome complex cross-border issues through science-based multilateralism.

The visit highlighted the shared interest from both institutes to further explore the potential for collaboration and scientific exchange between Italy and IIASA. As follow-up from the visit, IIASA and CNR will facilitate contact between respective research departments to discuss possible areas of future cooperation.