The POPJUS Program continues and builds upon research activities previously undertaken in the IIASA World Population and Risk and Resilience programs. Insights into current and future population sizes, structures, and distributions are fundamental to understanding human impacts on ecosystems and simultaneously, the impact of environmental changes on human wellbeing differentiated by sub-populations.

The program’s research agenda embraces the key priority in the IIASA strategic plan by identifying sustainable development challenges and exploring people-centric systems solutions for sustainable, resilient, just and equitable societies. The program focuses on strengthening the human-centered and population-based approach, taking into consideration equity and the just distribution of opportunities, outcomes, and processes. In doing so, the program builds on existing strengths and expertise in population and human capital modeling as well as expertise in understanding, managing, and equitably governing systemic and existential risks associated with global change. The program will continue to invest in advancing its methods, approaches, and data to deliver results that can be incorporated into system analytical models, inclusive policy processes, and ultimately into equitable and effective policy pathways and transformations. 

POPJUS Research Groups

EQU

Equity and Justice (EQU)

The EQU Group focuses on the human dimension of selected globally relevant policy challenges, with the aim of delineating and advancing their analysis, management, and governance with special attention paid to the design and application of equity and justice frameworks, both within the group and across IIASA.

MIG

Migration and Sustainable Development (MIG)

MIG focuses on applying advanced data collection and estimation methods to quantify and better understand the trends, patterns, drivers, and consequences of different types of migration considering its interactions with the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

MDM

Multidimensional Demographic Modeling (MDM)

Through its research, the MDM Group aims to advance demographic modeling methods to assess and forecast population dynamics with a focus on demographic and spatial heterogeneity under different socioeconomic scenarios at the global, national, and sub-national level.

SHAW

Social Cohesion, Health, and Wellbeing (SHAW)

The SHAW Group’s research activities directly and comprehensively addresses the measurement of human wellbeing in its multiple dimensions with a special focus on health as a key component and social cohesion as a key determinant of wellbeing.

Wittgenstein Centre

POPJUS is one of the three pillars of The Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital, a collaboration among the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the University of Vienna.

Read POPNET Newsletter          WIC Report of Activities 2018–2022

Models, tools, datasets

stakeholder groups

Social and Policy Simulations

Population of the world

Wittgenstein Centre Human Capital Data & Graphic Explorer Version 3.0 (WCDE)

Population

POPULATION AND HUMAN CAPITAL PROJECTIONS (SSP 2023)

EU flags

Demographic scenarios for the EU

Projects

Wildfire

Systems approach to EU wildfire risk management project (FIRELOGUE)

handshaking in modern open green work space

Sustainability Performances, Evidence and Scenarios (SPES)

grandparents using tablet

Cognitive health in aging society – The role of context for cognitive functioning and related policy implications in Europe (CHIAS)

People figurines on a map of Western Europe

Policy REcommendations to Maximise the beneficial Impact of Unexplored Mobilities in and beyond the European Union (PREMIUM_EU)

Staff

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Kedi Liu

Research Assistant (MDM)

Nicholas Gailey profile picture

Nicholas Gailey

Researcher (MDM, MIG)

Raquel Guimaraes profile picture

Raquel Guimaraes

Guest Research Scholar (MIG)

Claudius Ströhle profile picture

Claudius Ströhle

Researcher (MDM)

News

War in Ukraine. Little girl on mom`s shoulder. Refugees from the evacuation train from Mariupol, Berdyansk, Kryvyi Rih

10 July 2024

Latest European Demographic Data Sheet highlights lasting impact of war and migration

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the consequent displacement of millions of people will have a significant impact on the country’s long-term population structure. Researchers from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, IIASA, and the University of Vienna are forecasting a substantial population decline of 21-31% by 2052.
Justice

09 July 2024

IIASA Justice Framework

The IIASA/EQU Justice Framework is now available on the IIASA website and as a IIASA working paper.
nature based solutions (NbS)

13 June 2024

Finance Innovation Festival shines a spotlight on Nature-based Solutions and Insurance

The Finance Innovation Festival took place at IIASA on May 23-24. The hybrid event featured 44 speakers in plenary and discussion sessions and attracted 119 participants.

Events

Focus

Butterfly on a pink flower

17 July 2024

Biodiversity lessons from nature

IIASA researchers Silvia Artuso and Juliette Martin reflect on a recent workshop presented at the Institute as part of the IIASA School Engagement Initiative, during which they introduced students to systems analysis and took them on an adventure to explore the amazing biodiversity of Laxenburg park.

27 June 2024

TRUST

Researchers from the IIASA Advancing Systems Analysis Program, Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program, Energy, Climate and Environment Program, and from the Population and Just Societies Program share their expertise to carry out the IIASA Tools for Raising and UnderStanding Trust in systems science through citizen engagement (TRUST) Strategic Initiative.
speech

Publications