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Greece and Europe are entering a decisive demographic era. The Ithaca Demographic Forum 2026 convenes policymakers, diplomats and leading scholars to examine long-term population change, with a contribution by Wolfgang Lutz.

As Europe faces increasingly severe climate impacts, the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change is calling on the EU to urgently strengthen its policy framework for effective and coherent adaptation. A new report, with contributions from IIASA researchers, highlights that adaptation and mitigation must advance together to safeguard Europe’s future.

The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) convened the virtual workshop “Prospects of Carbon Farming in Greater Central Asia” to examine pathways for implementing carbon farming across the region. The event brought together scientists, policymakers, and practitioners to exchange evidence, share experience, and discuss pragmatic approaches to advancing carbon farming and related land-based climate solutions.

IIASA recently welcomed H.E. Ambassador Eduardo Paes Saboia, Ambassador of Brazil to Austria, for a high-level visit to the Institute’s headquarters in Laxenburg. The visit provided an opportunity for an in-depth exchange on IIASA’s research portfolio and on future avenues for strengthening cooperation between IIASA and Brazilian institutions.

In a commentary published by Süddeutsche Zeitung (South German Newspaper), columnist Heribert Prantl reflects on the renewed importance of science diplomacy amid growing geopolitical tensions, highlighting IIASA as a notable exception to the current global trend of disengagement.

Sergei Scherbov will present his contribution to the Bulletin of the World Health Organization’s theme issue on Health System Responses to Population Declines, at the launch event on 27 January 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. 

IIASA Director General, Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber will deliver a plenary keynote speech at the upcoming 2nd European Science Diplomacy Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark during which he will highlight the legacy of IIASA as a beacon of science diplomacy, the challenges in the current geopolitical environment, and possible solutions to facilitate international agreements across geopolitical divides through science. 

A productive meeting between H.E. Ambassador Haytham Shoja’aadin of Yemen and IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber set the stage for deeper collaboration on water security and regional cooperation. The exchange offered new momentum for science-based dialogue between IIASA and Yemen at a pivotal time for the MENA region.

On 3 December 2025, H.E. Ambassador Giovanni Pugliese and Scientific Counselor Amedeo Staiano of the Italian Embassy in Austria visited IIASA for discussions on strengthening scientific engagement between Italy and the Institute.

At the International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV 2025), IIASA researchers highlighted the critical role of cultural context in combating climate change disinformation. Presenting the Adaptation AGORA project, they showcased a suite of innovative digital tools, including a mobile app and a dedicated Disinformation Academy, designed to empower citizens and build climate resilience through inclusive, participatory governance. The project moves beyond top-down approaches to co-create adaptation strategies that are both scientifically robust and socially legitimate.

Africa is taking a leading role in shaping global dialogues by empowering researchers, institutions, and policymakers to influence decision-making and co-develop evidence, based solutions to shared challenges. At the heart of this effort lies systems analysis, a powerful approach for understanding and addressing the complex interconnections between food, energy, water, and climate systems.

Against the backdrop of negotiations at COP30 in Belém, a group of leading climate scientists has released the Búzios Scientific Statement, offering a clear assessment of the world’s remaining options to return to 1.5°C of warming by the end of the century. The statement reflects growing recognition that a temporary overshoot of 1.5°C is now unavoidable, while also showing that pathways back to safer temperature levels remain open if action accelerates quickly.

The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) have officially launched a "Feasibility Study on Carbon Farming Solutions in Greater Central Asia", marking a new milestone in the region’s efforts toward sustainable land management and climate-resilient development.

IIASA recently hosted an exploratory workshop titled, Together for water: Fostering collaboration in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The two-day event brought together around 50 representatives from international organizations, civil society organizations, research institutions, and diplomatic missions to explore new pathways for transboundary collaboration on water challenges across the region.

Dmitry Erokhin, Research Scholar at the IIASA Cooperation and Transformative Governance (CAT) Research Group, presented the study “Using Google Trends to Analyze Public Sensitivity to Climate-Related Natural Hazards and its Correlation with Nuclear Topics: A Proxy Approach for Societal Impact and Risk Communication”, coauthored with Nadejda Komendantova, Leader of the IIASA CAT Research Group, at the International Conference on Resilience of Nuclear Installations against External Events – Focus on Climate Change, organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

From 10 to 21 November 2025, Brazil will have the honor of hosting the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) where the world's experts come together to agree on the actions to address the climate crisis, helping vulnerable communities adapt to the effects of climate change and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Co-organized by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and IIASA, this event marks the Austrian launch of the Human Development Report 2025 "A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI" with a keynote presentation by Yanchun Zhang, the UNDP Chief Statistician, followed by a dialogue session that will examine the transformative societal impact and implications for human agency stemming from the rapid development of artificial intelligence.

IIASA Deputy Director General, Karen Lips, represented the Institute at the 2025 European Regional Meeting of the Global Research Council (GRC), convened by Science Europe earlier this week. The meeting provided an important forum for engagement with global research-policy networks to advance themes of open science, artificial intelligence, fairness, and sustainable research systems.

Martin Lees, Chair of the OECD-IIASA Strategic Partnership on Systems Approaches, returned to IIASA earlier this month to deliver a thought-provoking lecture, revisiting the origins and future of systems thinking in international policymaking and reflecting on decades of collaboration between IIASA and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

From 15 to 19 September 2025, IIASA hosted a Symposium on Human Capital for Sustainable Development – A Focus on Africa. Supported by the Yidan Prize project funds, the event brought together researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and PhD students from Africa and Europe to advance collaboration on education, demography, and sustainable development.