How is mountain research transforming society?

Labex ITTEM is about to join the team at the Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur la montagne (Cirm) at the University of Lausanne, with whom it is co-organizing a seminar on inter- and trans-disciplinary research experiences dedicated to the mountains on October 21 and 22.

In all, some thirty institutions, networks and research centers from the Alpine arc will be represented at this seminar entitled Inter- and transdisciplinary research institutions on mountains. How to make the difference for sustainability? to be held on the Sion campus.

With a self-reflective approach, the aim of the event is to share experiences (institutional set-ups tried and tested, best practices and obstacles encountered, successes and failures observed) and assess the societal impact of research.

More generally, it will also be a question of understanding the extent to which inter- and trans-disciplinary research – i.e. between territorial players and researchers – can contribute to the transition and sustainability of mountain regions, particularly in terms of social transformation, and possible avenues for progress: strengthening bilateral exchanges, consolidating existing networks or creating new ones, co-organizing events…

The seminar, led by Iago Otero (Cirm) and Raffaella Balzarini (Labex ITTEM), will take place on the Bramois campus (Sion). It will feature presentations by four specialists in inter- and trans-disciplinarity in the field of mountain research: Isabelle Arpin (Lessem/Inrae), Jörg Basliger (University of Geneva), Ricardo Beltramo (University of Turin) and Anna Giorgi (Unimont).

Below is the list of organizations represented at the seminar:

Academic research centers :

Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Eurac Research (Bolzano), Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research, Laboratoire Edytem (CNRS), Laboratoire Leca (CNRS), Laboratoire Lessem (Inrae), University of Berne, University of Bucharest (Faculty of Geography), University of Geneva, University of Grenoble Alpes, University of Innsbruck, University of Lausanne, University of Milan (Unimont), Université Savoie-Mont-Blanc, University of Turin (Department of Management).

Research networks :

Caucasus Network for
Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions, International Scientific Committee on Alpine Research (Iscar), Forum Paysage, Alpes, Parcs (Folap/SCNAT), Mountain Research Initiative (MRI), Network for European mountain research (Nemor), Science for the Carpathians.

Institutions :
Cipra international, Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment , United Nations Development Programme (Vienna), Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention, Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention, Unesco Chair “Natural and cultural heritage for sustainable mountain development”, United Nations University (Institute for Environment and Human Security).