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Day 2: Options and Opportunities . Theme: Meeting Global Needs

Challenges of Integration

Gernot Klepper, German National Committee on Global Change Research/ Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Germany; Wolfram Mauser, Dean of the Faculty of Geosciences, Ludwig Maximilans University, Munich, Germany; Heide Hackmann, International Social Science Council, France; Rik Leemans, Earth System Science Partnership / Wageningen University, Netherlands

Interdisciplinary research and stakeholder involvement are essential in global change science. This is prominently stated in the grand challenges paper of ICSU/ISSC, together with the need for integration of science disciplines. Integration is highlighted as one of the key elements of future research approaches to create new knowledge and come closer to the common goal of global sustainability.

But do we know how to integrate the disciplines of natural and social sciences? What about differences in temporal and spatial scales, time lines, disciplinary methods? How to integrate different sources of expertise and knowledge as well as different stakeholder voices? What are the experiences with different approaches towards integration? Are there any barriers (institutional, scientific, cultural, personal) and if so, how can we overcome them? What is the added value of such complex approaches? Do we need new educational schemes to inspire the next generation of global change scientists and enhance its interest in such a complex field of research?

This session will address these questions by giving practical examples of ‘integrative’ flagship initiatives that focus on global change challenges such as water, oceans, carbon, food systems and sustainable land use as well as multidisciplinary educational schemes. Papers addressing these issues also from a developing world perspective are welcomed.

Learning from the past 10 years, the future challenges of global change science, pressing research questions, transaction costs and the role of ICSU/ISSC grand challenges will be discussed in this session together with young academic professionals, academics, stakeholders and decision makers.