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Scientific Programmes

Since 1990, and under the auspices of its Framework Agreement with UNESCO, the ISSC has initiated and supported several international research programmes with the objective of fostering comparative, inter-disciplinary research by setting up networks of social scientists from different disciplines and regions of the world. Currently the Council sponsors or co-sponsors the following programmes:

• International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP)
• Comparative Research Programme on Poverty (CROP)
• Gender, Globalization and Democratisation (GGD)
• Research on Ethnic Conflict: Approaches to Peace (RECAP)
• International Global Social Change Programme (IGSC)
• Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR)

 

International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP)

The IHDP was initiated by the ISSC in 1990. Today it is a joint programme of the ISSC, the International Council for Science (ICSU), and the United Nations University (UNU).

The IHDP is dedicated to promoting, catalyzing and co-ordinating research, capacity-building, and networking on the human dimensions of global environmental change.
As an active partner in the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP), the IHDP collaborates with DIVERSITAS, the international programme on biodiversity science, the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) to achieve a comprehensive understanding of global environmental change processes and their consequences for sustainable development.

The IHDP’s work is guided by an international Scientific Committee, comprising reputable scholars from various disciplinary and regional backgrounds. Members of this committee are appointed jointly by the ISSC, ICSU and the UNU.

Chair: Prof. Oran R. Young Senior Officer-in-Charge: Falk Schmidt IHDP Secretariat UNU Campus Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 10 D-53113, Bonn Germany Tel: + 49 228 81 50 600 Fax: +49 228 81 50 620 Email: infoihdp.unu.edu For further information: http://www.ihdp.org/

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Comparative Research Programme on Poverty (CROP)

CROP is an international ngo representing an international, multi-disciplinary research network for poverty reduction. It was initiated by the ISSC in 1992.

The ISSC and UNESCO have helped to secure funding for CROP and promoted it internationally since its inception. Today CROP enjoys strong support from the Research Council of Norway, The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the University of Bergen and the University of Bergen Foundation.

The objectives of CROP are to:

• consider how the social sciences can contribute to the understanding of poverty in a global context;
• compare the different theoretical approaches and develop a joint arena for multi-paradigmatic poverty research;
• establish an international scientific network which will give impetus to a long-term research programme;
• generate and secure high quality data of importance for different social science approaches to the comparative study of poverty;
• create a body of scientific knowledge, which can be used for poverty reduction.

The ISSC’s General Assembly appoints the CROP Scientific Committee, which oversees the scientific work of this initiative.

Chair of the Scientific Committee: Prof. Atilio Boron Scientific Director: Dr. Asunción Lera St. Clair CROP Secretariat Nygårdsgaten 5 N - 5020 Bergen, Norway Tel: + 47 55 58 97 44/9184 Fax: + 47 55 58 97 45 Email: cropuib.no; asun.st.clairiuh.uib.no For further information: http://www.crop.org/

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Gender, Globalization and Democratisation (GGD)

The GGD programme began in 1998 as an ISSC Research Committee and was recognized as an inter-disciplinary scientific programme in 2004.

The programme’s objectives are to:

• offer a global organisational structure to bring together scholars working in the area of GGD; to develop joint research projects to generate knowledge that can be used as a foundation for policy initiatives to improve the lives of women;
• provide an output of scholarly publications and other materials to understand and address problems generated for women by globalization; to collaborate with international, national and local organizations, including other ISSC member organisations, in order to foster a sound financial and institutional foundation for a long-term research and training programme on GGD.

GGD programme activities are steered by a Scientific Programme, the Chair and members of which are appointed by the Executive Committee of the ISSC.

Chair: Prof. Jane H. Bayes ISSC/GGD c/o Political Science Department California State University Northridge USA Tel: +1 310 45 97 151 Fax: +1 818 66 74 502 Email: jbayescsun.edu For further information: http://www.isscggd.org/

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Research on Ethnic Conflict: Approaches to Peace (RECAP)

The ISSC launched RECAP in 2004 in order to take stock of the current state of research in the area of ethnic conflict and its resolution, to act as a clearing house for internet resources in this area of study, and to bring the latter to the attention of a wider public, including policy makers. The specific objectives of RECAP are

• to take stock of existing research on the origins of ethnic conflict and on the range of approaches that are available to eliminate it;
• to reduce it in intensity or at least to mitigate its effects;
• to identify the principal gaps in current research in the area of ethnic conflict and conflict resolution;
• to encourage further research in those areas in which obvious gaps have been identified; and
• to ensure that research findings in the area of ethnic conflict and its resolution are readily available within the public policy sector, at the level both of national government and international bodies.

RECAP is directed by a Steering Committee appointed by the ISSC.

Coordinator: Prof. John Coakley RECAP c/o University College, Dublin Belfield Dublin 4, Ireland Tel: +353 1 71 68 397/81 82 Fax: +353 1 71 61 171 E-mail: john.coakleyucd.ie

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International Global Social Change Programme (IGSC)

The IGSC was initiated in 2004 as a Standing Committee, designated by the ISSC General Assembly. IGSC activities are being developed through the work of individual working groups, which include groups focusing on:

• Linear vs. polarising trends in world social processes
• Global players in the 21st century
• Culture, sustainable development and migration
• Migration, labour and human rights
• Social policy and global social change

Co-ordinator: Prof. Lourdes Arizpe IGSC c/o Centro Regional de Investigaciones Multidisciplinaria (CRIM) UNAM, Av. Universidad s/n, Cuernavaca, Mexico Email: lourdeslourdesarizpe.com

 

Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR)

The 29th International Council for Science (ICSU) General Assembly in 2008 mandated the establishment of a major new interdisciplinary programme of ten years' duration entitled Integrated Research on Disaster Risk – the challenge of natural and human–induced environmental hazards (IRDR). The programme is co-sponsored by the ISSC and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR)

The IRDR programme addresses the impacts of disasters on regional and global scales and brings together the combined talents of the natural, socio-economic, health and engineering sciences from around the world. IRDR will focus on hazards related to geophysical, oceanographic, climate and weather trigger events – and even space weather and impact by near-Earth objects.
There are three major research objectives:

1. to address the gaps in knowledge and methods for the effective identification of disaster risks;
2. to better understand just how decisions can contribute to hazards becoming disasters – or reduce their effects; and,
3. to develop knowledge-based actions that will reduce risk and curb losses.

Three cross-cutting themes will support the objectives:  capacity building, including mapping capacity for disaster reduction and building self-sustaining capacity at various levels for different hazards; the development of case studies and demonstration projects; and assessment, data management and monitoring of hazards, risks and disasters.
An important element of the programme is the development of case studies that will analyse disasters caused by natural phenomena to establish what was done well and what caused failure – to avoid repeating mistakes.

IRDR activites are driven by a scientific committee. The committee members are jointly appointed by ICSU, ISSC and ISDR.

Chair: Gordon McBean Contact: Howard Moore ICSU Senior Advisor International Council for Science (ICSU) 5 rue Auguste Vacquerie 75116 Paris France Tel: +33 1 45 25 03 29 Fax: +33 1 42 88 94 31 E-mail: howardicsu.org For further information: http://www.icsu.org/1_icsuinscience/ENVI_Hazards_1.html

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