IIASA

Tomorrow, the University of Salzburg will welcome representatives of IIASA and the Austrian IIASA Committee for a day dedicated to scientific exchange, dialogue, and exploring future opportunities for collaboration with IIASA.

Participants will hear from Christian Köberl, Chair of the Austrian IIASA Committee at the Austrian Academy of Sciences - Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften; Dimitris Simos, Professor at the University of Salzburg and Salzburg University of Applied Sciences; and IIASA Capacity Development and Academic Training Dean, Fabian Wagner, among others.

The event is particularly relevant for young researchers. A dedicated session will introduce opportunities at IIASA and provide insights into the Young Scientists Summer Program ( ) from recent participants.

Researchers, faculty members, students, early-career scientists, and interested members of the wider academic community and the general public are warmly invited to attend.

📍 University of Salzburg
📅 6 October 2026, from 14:30

Find out more and register 👉 https://iiasa.ac.at/events/oct-2026/iiasa-in-salzburg-discover-global-research-opportunities-for-your-career

Universität Salzburg, FH Salzburg

🧪🌍 Interested in a career focused on climate change and the environment?

💼 This is your opportunity to work with us!

Our Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE) Program is looking for three ambitious candidates to join the team:

⏳ Researcher / Research Scholar - Mitigation pathways (apply by 25 October)

⏳ Researcher - Exploring real zero (apply by 25 October)

⏳ Junior / Research Software Engineer - GAINS model (apply by 1 November)

Learn more about the positions and apply here 👉
https://iiasa.ac.at/employment/job-openings

🌊🤔 How can we align local river management and scientific frameworks that inform global water governance?

📑 In a new study, IIASA researchers propose a tool for guiding water management and planning at the river-basin level, aligned with the framework that defines global limits for water use, the Water Planetary Boundary.

🔧 The tool is focused on key water functions that are important for both people and the Earth system, helping to prevent local water overuse from developing into a bigger problem that has impacts at regional and global scales. It can be applied to any river basin worldwide, regardless of its size, to determine whether the basin is being managed appropriately and remains within a safe limit for water use.

🤝 The authors say that the proposed reframing could benefit a range of groups, from local communities and disadvantaged groups to policymakers, river basin authorities, and environmental agencies.

Learn more ➡️ https://iiasa.ac.at/news/oct-2026/where-waters-meet-connecting-global-limits-and-local-water-management

Science, responsibility, and the courage to act 🌍 IIASA’s Daniel Huppmann joins the discussion (in German) following “Das Gewicht der Welt”, opening the Klima & Umwelt Filmfestival Baden tonight. Looking forward to a thought-provoking evening! ⬇⬇⬇

⭐Eröffnungsfilm + Diskussion: Das Gewicht der Welt⭐

Ein paar Plätze für unsere Eröffnung morgen Abend gibt es noch!

Die Glaziologin Maria, der Chemiker Sebastian und die Molekularbiologin Nana erforschen die Folgen der Klimakrise aus nächster Nähe. Alle drei verbindet die Erkenntnis, dass Wissen allein nicht genügt, wenn die Konsequenzen des eigenen Forschungsfeldes immer deutlicher sichtbar werden. Eine ebenso persönliche wie hochaktuelle Doku über Wissenschaft, Verantwortung und den Mut, die eigene Komfortzone zu verlassen. Ein Film, der zum Nachdenken anregt, ohne einfache Antworten zu liefern und dabei überraschend hoffnungsvoll bleibt.

⭐1.10.26, 19 Uhr, nach dem Film ExpertInnengespräch mit Jasmin Duregger (Greenpeace), Daniel Huppmann (IIASA), Florian Heinzen-Ziob (Regisseur), Moderation: Aga Trnka-Kwiecinski (Uni Wien)

Tickets und weitere Infos unter: https://www.cinema-paradiso.at/baden/film/8257873

Ever wondered what it’s like to work at IIASA?

Our international, collaborative community brings together different disciplines and perspectives to tackle some of the world’s most complex challenges with plenty of opportunities to connect, learn, and grow along the way.

From professional development and flexible working arrangements to relocation support for international hires, wellbeing initiatives, social activities, and a workplace in the beautiful surroundings of Laxenburg, Austria, IIASA offers benefits designed to support our people professionally and personally.

And yes, your workplace really can be an 18th-century imperial palace! 🏰

Swipe through for a snapshot of life at IIASA and if you can see yourself here, explore our current opportunities: https://iiasa.ac.at/employment/job-openings

Climate risks rarely happen in isolation. Heatwaves, droughts, floods, and other extreme events can occur at the same time, one after another, or across different regions creating compound risks that can have far-reaching impacts.

A new invited perspective in Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, led by IIASA researcher Kai Kornhuber, explores how research on these compound events can better support people making real-world decisions.

The authors highlight four key ingredients for making this research more useful: clear and accessible information, a focus on users’ needs, timely insights, and transparency about uncertainties and limitations.

The article also emphasizes the importance of bringing researchers and stakeholders together from the start, helping turn scientific advances into practical tools for climate adaptation, risk management, and early warning.

🔗 Read the article: https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/26/4309/2026/

European Geosciences Union - EGU

Invited perspectives: Towards usable compound event research Abstract. Supporting stakeholders with science-based decision-making to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts is a central mandate of the climate research community. In particular, mapping out scenario-dependent climate risk landscapes is one of the most pressing challenges. Increasingly, com...

📢 We’re hiring a researcher to study education and human capital in Rwanda.

Join a project led by IIASA Distinguished Emeritus Research Scholar Wolfgang Lutz and work with colleagues at IIASA and the University of Cape Town. You’ll develop a Rwanda case study, using demographic, education, and socioeconomic data to explore how investments in education can shape long-term development.

We’re looking for someone in the final stage of a PhD or with a completed PhD who has strong quantitative skills, experience with large datasets, and proficiency in English and Kinyarwanda. Experience with demographic modeling or education and labor-market data is a plus.

📍 IIASA in Laxenburg, near Vienna, with home office options
📅 One-year, full-time position; start by February 2027

You’ll have the freedom to develop your research, collaborate with an international team, and benefit from opportunities to publish and travel.

Apply by 25 October: https://iiasa.ac.at/employment/job-openings?jh=7d1o76cpjqwb7ocuujdaxa3vq4vm9lx

🌍 How can systems analysis help address some of the most pressing challenges facing Sub-Saharan Africa?

This question was at the center of discussions during a recent visit to IIASA by a delegation from the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Member Organization (SSARMO), IIASA’s first Regional Member Organization. The discussions highlighted several concrete opportunities for building on the experience of past collaborations between African institutions and IIASA:

❗ Michael Roberts, Professor and UK-SA Bilateral Research Chair in Ocean Science and Marine Food Security, underscored the urgency of scaling up efforts with a focus on severe climate impacts affecting Western Indian Ocean ecosystems and the people who depend on them.

🪴 David Katerere, Professor at Tshwane University of Technology, emphasized the importance of the advancement of pharmaceutical and biotech research in Africa.

📊 Professor Ikechukwu Umejesi, Professor at the University of Fort Hare, reflected on past and ongoing collaborations with IIASA, with a focus on the forest and ocean economies, as well as “gendered poverty” in Zambia.

🌊 Bongani Ncube, Professor and SARChI Research Chair at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, highlighted opportunities to deepen collaboration on water and sanitation, alongside the importance of supporting sectoral knowledge transfer.

🌅 Ursula Scharler, Professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, drew on a history of collaborations with IIASA focused on advancing systems analysis and noted several important focus areas, including marine ecosystem health and the blue economy, as well as biodiversity and future ecosystems.

The delegation visit marks an important point in the collaborative work between IIASA and SSARMO and these discussions will help shape and scale up future work in the region.

Learn more ➡️ https://iiasa.ac.at/news/sep-2026/exploring-new-opportunities-for-regional-collaboration-across-sub-saharan-africa