Welcome from the Council Chair and the Director General

(L-R) Michael Clegg – Council Chair; Albert van Jaarsveld, – Director General and CEO;

In 2018, IIASA researchers continued to produce world-class research and independent, science based insights that contribute to the achievement of global societal objectives like those embedded in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – especially for the world’s poor and marginalized.

One of the institute’s strengths is that it is truly multidisciplinary. Using both established and newly developed IIASA models and tools, crowd sourcing, and innovative games, researchers explored the challenges of issues like reducing disaster risk, building resilience, and ultimately contributing to sustainable development. This year’s report also highlights how IIASA scientists are delving deeper into topics like climate smart agricultural policies, better air quality management practices, and technological innovations for achieving the SDGs, while engaging with science and policy communities in countries across Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe.

The institute’s work is made possible through the support of the countries, organizations, and individuals that share our belief that finding comprehensive, practical solutions to the challenges the world faces. We would like to thank our member organizations and all our donors, for their continued support and generosity in 2018. We are truly grateful for their commitment to the IIASA mission. With their continued support, we will continue to build on the values that led to the establishment of IIASA more than 40 years ago, and further our mission to contribute to informed policymaking and building bridges across political divides in the coming years.

We would also like to thank all the IIASA staff for their contributions in 2018, the previous Director General Pavel Kabat, for successfully steering the IIASA ship through much of 2018 and the Acting Deputy Director General, Nebojsa Nakicenovic for Acting as Director and CEO during the transition in September 2018. Your collective efforts ensured that we could approach 2019 with confidence.