Past Events

Theme: Informing Decisions in a Changing World

The global scientific community must deliver to society the knowledge necessary to assess the risks humanity is facing from global change. It must provide knowledge of how society can effectively mitigate dangerous changes and cope with changes we cannot manage.

The Annual Meeting is one of the most widely recognized global science events, with hundreds of networking opportunities and broad global media coverage. An exceptional array of speakers will gather at the 2012 AAAS Annual Meeting from 16-20 February in Vancouver, B.C.

The 2012 Annual Meeting isn’t about talking heads. We already know that today’s challenges are complex and interconnected. Find the solutions here.

Conservation of biological diversity and the provision of ecosystem services are now widely recognised as important goals in landscape planning. However, the landscape planning process is complex and requires an understanding of the dynamics of biodiversity and ecosystem service provision with respect to environmental change.

Feeding the estimated 9-10 billion people who will inhabit the earth by 2050 is a complex global challenge. Though most agree that achieving sustainable food supply and distribution systems while preserving the environment is a laudable goal influenced by a variety of environmental, societal, technological and political factors, efforts to address these issues in an integrated way are not widespread.

The 18th International Conference on Ecological Modelling will be held in Beijing, China, and jointly hosted by Beijing Normal University, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Quebec at Montreal, Nanjing University and Peking University, on Sept. 20-23, 2011 on behalf of the International Society for Ecological Modelling (ISEM).

Abstract deadline is April 10, 2011.

Changing patterns in land use, over-exploitation, pollution, climate change and the threat posed by invasive species, all challenge the way we currently manage and conserve biological diversity. Consequently, there are increasing numbers of conflicts between those interested in conserving species and those with alternative goals, interests or values. This conference brings together academics from a range of disciplines, policy makers and practitioners to address how, when and why conflicts arise, and to identify mitigation strategies

The Midwest Summit on African Development at Michigan State University will provide a forum where scholars, students, members of the African diplomatic corps, the general public and representatives of foundations, governmental and non-governmental organizations can assemble for open discussions about their mutual and overlapping roles in support of African development.

For PhD students on 'Understanding coupled natural and social systems: feedback loops between land-use and ecosystem change'.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in February 2011 in Washington, D.C., was ground zero for CHANS activities -- a hotbed of ideas and information, opportunities for networking and the introduction of 11 new CHANS Fellows. CHANS scholars presented research at six CHANS-related symposia.