Young Researchers for Interdisciplinary Sustainability Science (YRIS)

Sustainability issues can be understood as ‘wicked problems’, which require an interdisciplinary approach to be solved. Social and environmental problems can only be tackled by using a broader perspective including the consideration of engineering, natural science, and social factors. While new engineering solutions are indispensable, they can only succeed if matching sustainable business models and solutions to social problems are also developed.
While disciplinary silos have their advantages – deep knowledge is essential to tackling sophisticated problems – to achieve sustainable development scientists with different backgrounds should work together and cooperate.
For this reason, the EELISA Community ‘Young Researchers for Interdisciplinary Sustainability Science’ (YRIS) aims to support young scholars – both Ph.D.-students and young post-doctoral researchers – along their path to top quality research and publication. The target group includes all young researchers of the EELISA universities with various backgrounds (including, but not limited to the engineering, management, economic and natural sciences) who carry out or are open to implementing research at the intersection of the environmental, social, and economic domains of sustainable development.
Work within the YRIS Community may address any of the 17 SDGs with a main focus on SDG 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13 and 17.

Intended activities of this EELISA Community involve the organisation of conferences and workshops for both young scholars and their advisors to facilitate research in the topic, as well as other forms of networking, which will ultimately lead to joint research and publication activities.
By participating in the activities of the YRIS Community, young scientists can form research groups and other networks, which can identify relevant research problems, implement joint research, and secure funding from various sources and thus contribute to sustainability science.