Located in Potsdam, Germany, the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies aims to identify and promote development pathways for a global transformation towards a sustainable society. The IASS employs a transdisciplinary approach that encourages dialogue to understand sustainability issues and generate potential solutions in cooperation with partners from the sciences, politics, the economy, and civil society. A strong network of national and international partners supports the work of the Institute. Its central research topics include the energy transition, emerging technologies, climate change, air quality, systemic risks, governance and participation, and cultures of transformation in the Anthropocene.
Organisation
The IASS currently employs around 120 persons, including Fellows from over 30 countries. In 2019 the Board of Directors was composed of the Institute's three Scientific Directors – Mark G. Lawrence, Patrizia Nanz and Ortwin Renn – and its Head of Administration, Jakob Meyer. The IASS receives funding from the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research and the Federal State of Brandenburg. The Institute's research programme currently spans five areas: Democratic Transformations; Systemic Interdependencies: Nature, Technology, Society; Perceptions, Values, Orientation; Energy Systems and Societal Change; Governance for the Environment and Society. These research areas are supported in their work by a cross-cutting research area tasked with facilitating dialogue between science, policy-makers, and civil society actors. The IASS is a registered voluntary association under German law. The Institute's supervisory, governing, and advisory bodies are its General Assembly, Board of Directors and Advisory Board.
History
The IASS was founded in Potsdam, Germany, on 2 February 2009. German politician and environmental policy expert Klaus Töpfer was the Institute's founding director. He led the Institute as its executive director until September 2015, together with scientific directors Carlo Rubbia and Mark G. Lawrence. At a founding symposium held under the patronage of Angela Merkel, the then Federal Minister of Education and ResearchAnnette Schavan stated: "Under Professor Töpfer's leadership, the Institute will be able to gain international prominence and underscore Germany's strong position in this field." The idea for the IASS was born in 2007 at the Potsdam Nobel Laureate Symposium "Global Sustainability – A Nobel Cause". The symposium brought together leading researchers and decision-makers and resulted in the publication of the widely regarded Potsdam Memorandum, which called for a concerted effort to tap into "all sources of ingenuity" to address the challenges of the twenty-first century. The memorandum urged the establishment of a new "global contract" between science and society to bring together relevant knowledge within and beyond the science system to meet challenges to sustainability arising in the Anthropocene.
Publications
The IASS uses a number of publications formats to disseminate its findings and policy recommendations. These include:
IASS Policy Briefs – Policy recommendations and assessments
IASS Fact Sheets – Brief overviews of research relating to topics addressed by the Institute
IASS Studies – Detailed research findings addressing a central issue
IASS Working Paper – Interim research findings and interventions in current debates
Other publication formats include articles in scholarly journals, statements, monograhs, and edited volumes. The institute also hosts a blog on its website.
