"Future Earth", one of the most ambitious and most prestigious international  programs of global sustainability,  announced on  2nd July that the management of the program was entrusted to an international consortium in which  The Cyprus Institute is a key participant,  in charge of managing the "hub" for the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region. The announcement came from the International Council for Science, on behalf of the members of the Science and Technology Alliance for Global Sustainability.

‘Future Earth’ is a 10-year international research initiative aiming to develop the knowledge for responding effectively to the risks and opportunities of global environmental change and for supporting transformation towards global sustainability in the coming decades. It promotes the engagement of researchers across all fields of knowledge, policy-makers, businesses and civil society in the definition of research priorities and the production of knowledge that can effectively inform decisions and actions.

The initiative will have a new Secretariat with a unique and innovative structure that spans three continents. Since challenges are global in scope, but regionally variable both socially and environmentally, Future Earth must work effectively at multiple scales.

After a thorough selection process, a consortium, forming the Central Secretariat has now been selected. A group of five Global Hubs comprising a single corporate entity, but being physically located in Canada (Montreal), France (Paris), Japan (Tokyo), Sweden (Stockholm) and the United States (Boulder) together with initially four Regional Hubs covering Latin America, Europe, MENA and Asia will constitute the Future Earth Central Secretariat.

Yuan-Tseh Lee, President of the International Council for Science (ICSU) said: “Solutions to the major sustainability challenges facing humanity require integrated science and a closer relationship with policy makers and stakeholders than we have seen to date.  Future Earth has been designed to respond to these urgent needs, and I am impressed by the innovative consortium that has come together to drive the programme forward. The consortium will work with tens of thousands of scientists already engaged in excellent global environmental change research, attract new communities, and build new partnerships to achieve the goals of global sustainability”

The Cyprus Institute (CyI) has been selected to manage the MENA Regional Hub, covering the Middle East and North Africa including the Eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf States. This choice constitutes a recognition of CyI’s regional leadership role and of its rising international prestige. The selection of CyI will bolster national, regional and global research partnerships and will allow scientists from the country to play a significant part in solving pressing environmental change issues.

To read the official announcement from the International Council for Science click here.
To read the Greek translation of the announcement from the International Council for Science please click here.