Researcher Symposium

Congress delegates involved in research activities or interested in the interaction between research and policy were invited to participate in the ICLEI Researchers Symposium which had a session apart from the main delegation on June 18th, 2009. The Researchers Symposium brought together approximately 60 established researchers in the field of local sustainability.  


On June 18th the researchers had a day of interaction focusing upon the constraints and opportunities for sustainability research, particularly with regards to linking research with local action for sustainability.  We are very fortunate to have the following outstanding group of keynote speakers who ‘set the stage’ for our discussions:

There will be two periods of facilitated roundtable discussions.  These involved smaller groups and centered upon a diverse range of topics related to the overarching theme of the symposium.  The roundtable format offered an excellent opportunity for group brainstorming and innovation.  It also functioned as a starting point for ongoing discussions and relationships that would continue past the end of the Symposium.   

Outcomes

The outcomes of the Researcher Symposium, as presented by Professor Mark Roseland at the end of the conference, included the assessment that there are over 700 researchers doing local sustainability work, and that a network of these researchers should be created. Funding for provisional network will be sought, and the Secretariat is intended to be based at the University of Alberta. It was declared that a larger scale researcher symposium should take place at the next ICLEI World Congress.

Thursday, 18 June 2009: Research & Practice: Strengthening the Link

Upload the PDF of this day.

8:00 - Registration Open

08:00 - 8:45 Networking Breakfast   

09:00  Setting the Stage: Research and Practice    

9:00 – 9:15  Welcome and Introduction

9:15 – 11:00 Keynote Speakers



11:15  Roundtable Sessions: Constraints and Opportunities

The roundtable sessions for the researchers were an open ended exploration of the relationship between research and local sustainability.  They presented the opportunity for researchers from diverse background to explore the constraints and opportunities that arise when researchers seek to link research to application.  Each roundtable focused on specific themes within the broadly defined topic area.  Discussion in each roundtable was facilitated by a table host and a rapporteur so that the insights garnered through the discussion could made available to participants and to ICLEI. Roundtable explored questions such as the following:

  • What roles can research play with regards to local sustainability?
  • How do current institutional structures (governance, funding, and otherwise) act as a barrier to integrating research outcomes into policy?  As researchers, how can we overcome these barriers? How can we act to change institutional structures to allow for closer linkages between research and policy?
  • How can researchers act collaboratively to influence global change?


12:30 Lunch and Afternoon Plenary Sessions    

12:30 – 13:15 Lunch

13:15-14:45 Keynote Speakers   

15:00 Keynote Roundtables   

During this second round of roundtables, each keynote speakers chaired a roundtable discussion on the the integration of research and local action for sustainability.  The keynotes guided the discussion with a focus on their own personal experiences and topic areas while inviting others to bring their own experiences to the table. This was a fantastic opportunity to interact with the keynotes in a small group setting.


16:15 Tying it all Together and Setting the Stage for Future Directions    

16:15-17:00 Keynote Speaker

17:00 – 17:15 Concluding Thoughts