THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY IS IRELAND'S LEADING BODY OF EXPERTS IN THE SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

The Royal Irish Academy/Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann champions research. We identify and recognise Ireland’s world class researchers. We support scholarship and promote awareness of how science and the humanities enrich our lives and benefit society. We believe that good research needs to be promoted, sustained and communicated. The Academy is run by a Council of its members. Membership is by election and considered the highest Academic honour in Ireland.

Read more about the RIA

Future Earth Ireland Activities

European Future Earth Regional Workshop in Paris

In May 2013, the Royal Irish Academy supported the participation of Professor Anna Davies, TCD, to attend the European Future Earth Regional Workshop in Paris. Her delegate’s report suggested that Ireland should look to create a mechanism within the national research system to connect researchers with the Future Earth initiative and to internationalise Irish researchers working within the Future Earth arena.

At the end of 2013, an interim transdisciplinary working group was established to raise awareness of the Future Earth initiative and a decision was taken to organise a townhall meeting on the topic.

Townhall Meeting

The Royal Irish Academy townhall meeting on the Future Earth initiative took place on Wednesday, 17 September 2014. The goals of the townhall were twofold: to raise awareness of the Future Earth initiative across the Irish research community in the sciences, humanities and social sciences, and to communicate potential roles and opportunities for Irish researchers pertaining to Future Earth.

The townhall meeting included a keynote address from Professor Frans Berkhout, ICSU and Interim Director of the Future Earth Initiative. Other speakers included:

  • Dr Tanja Suni, Secretary General Future Earth Finland and Executive Director, European Alliance of Global Change Committees,
  • Professor Tim O’Riordan FBA, British Academy,
  • Dr Christoph Ritz, Executive Director of ProClim - Forum for Climate and Global Change in Switzerland,
  • Professor Anna Davies, Trinity College Dublin,
  • Dr Valerie Cummins, National Maritime College of Ireland 
  • Dr Su-Ming Khoo, NUI Galway.

General discussion at the meeting revolved around developing awareness and identifying how Irish research could contribute to the global project. A record of proceedings was subsequently published by the Academy.

Doing Transdisciplinary Research: Lessons from the Frontline

On the 29th of November 2016, Future Earth Ireland, supported by the RIA and the EPA, organised a workshop on the topic: Doing Transdisciplinary Research: Lessons from the Front Line

The aim of the event was to provide an update on the activities of Future Earth and to provide an opportunity for an exchange of views on the challenges and opportunities of transdisciplinary research.

The event included an update on Future Earth Europe, a discussion of how transdisciplinarity can be used to protect our coasts, and a panel discussion on transdisciplinarity in practice.

The report from the workshop is available to download.

BEHAVE: Behaviour Change for Climate Change

On the 27th of November 2017, Future Earth Ireland held an event called ‘BEHAVE- Climate Change and Behaviour Change’.

The event comprised of keynote addresses by Dr. Charlie Wilson, University of East Anglia and Iain Watt, Forum for the Future, UK. There was then a panel discussion and a substantial Q+A session. The event proved to be extremely popular with over 150 people in attendance and a lively twitter discussion took place in parallel with the proceedings.

The full report of this event can be read here.

Stay up to date with the Royal Irish Academy newsletter

Sign up now