ESEIA Strengthens Cooperation with its Member, University of Graz
On 7 November 2025, as part of ESEIA’s Member Integration strategy, ESEIA Director Brigitte Hasewend met with Rupert Baumgartner, Deputy Director, Institute of Systems Sciences, Innovation and Sustainability Research (SIS) at the University of Graz (KFUG). The meeting aimed to expand KFUG’s engagement in ESEIA activities and explore joint opportunities for cooperation.
The University of Graz, through its SIS institute, is a respected centre for sustainability research, transitions, and systems-science-based analyses, including topics such as circular economy, environmental transitions, and innovation for sustainability. The strong alignment between SIS’s research profile and ESEIA’s mission offers a solid foundation for deeper collaboration, particularly within ESEIA’s Working Groups and strategic initiatives.
During the meeting, the parties discussed concrete opportunities to:
- Increase the involvement of additional experts from SIS in ESEIA Working Groups, thereby enriching ESEIA’s expertise pool with SIS’s strengths in sustainability science, transition research, and applied systems analysis.
- Explore cooperation for the upcoming TIPARDIS 2027, an international research & development interchange on sustainability, to be held in the Graz region.
- Align contributions from SIS with ESEIA’s strategic planning for 2026, to ensure that upcoming work programmes benefit from SIS’s institutional expertise.
The meeting marks a significant step in strengthening cooperation between ESEIA and the University of Graz. Enhanced expert participation, joint activities and integration of SIS’s know-how into ESEIA’s agenda will reinforce KFUG’s role as a valuable member institution supporting ESEIA’s mission.
