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MRI Europe History
A brief History of MRI Europe
The European Program of the MRI was launched at the first networking meeting organized by the MRI in Zurich, Switzerland in February 2007. This meeting responded to two insights: First, potential funding opportunities are strong drivers of research activities. Second, scientists play the determining role in defining and designing research projects. Accordingly, the MRI launched the MRI Europe network to foster high-quality research in mountain regions congruent with the GLOCHAMORE Research Strategy (Björnsen Gurung 2005).
The success of the Zurich Meeting spurred another networking meeting in Innsbruck, Austria in October 2007, with the Institute of Mountain Research (IGF), Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) as the main partner. Both meetings attributed high importance to interaction and target-oriented communication leading towards the development of new research activities. In doing so, the MRI Europe Program responded to the growing demand of the science community for effective information exchange and research partner fairs (see also Key Contact Workshops). The creation of effective science networks within the MRI Europe Program is seen as a means to achieve its overall goals: more, better, and better coordinated scientific research on global change in mountain regions.
In 2008, MRI Europe and the Institute for Mountain Research: Man and Environment of the Austrian Academy of Sciences started a joint implementation, which coincided with a stronger focus on mountain systems that have been neglected in the past, namely the Carpathians and the Balkan mountains.
Science for the Carpathians, S4C
In 2008, MRI Europe facilitated the establishment of the “Science for the Carpathians” (S4C) Initiative, a science network focusing on the mountainous region of Central Europe[1]. Against the background of the Carpathian Convention, the MRI-Europe Program Manager was requested to support the process of building a science network in the Carpathian region. In the consecutive months, she compiled a “Who’s who” for the Carpathian region and supported the organization of a S4C launching workshop at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland in collaboration with the European Academy (Italy), Joanneum Research (Austria), Humboldt University (Germany), and University of Applied Science (Germany). The workshop was co-financed by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Jagiellonian University and EURAC. It yielded in a synthesis paper on the current status of mountain research in the region and future priorities (Björnsen et al. 2009) (LINK) and a comprehensive workshop report (Ostapowicz and Sitko 2009) (LINK to WS page). The outcome of the S4C workshop were then presented to the representatives of the Ministerial Conference of Parties (COP) of the Carpathian Convention at the 2nd meeting in Bucharest, Romania (17-19 June 2008).
To ensure the maintenance of the network in the long-term, a S4C Scientific Steering Committee (LINK to S4C page) with scientists from the Carpathian countries was nominated during an official meeting with representatives of the National Academies of Sciences of the Carpathian countries (Bratislava, 10 June 2009) (LINK to EVENTS). The network obtained further impetus from the first Forum Carpaticum (Krakow, 15-18 September 2010) , an international mountain research conference, organized by the Jagiellonian University and the S4C. This event offered an unprecedented opportunity to gain a comprehensive picture of who is doing what and where in Carpathian research. The material gathered during the Forum was used to extract emerging themes for future global change research in the Carpathian mountains, which are compiled in a short strategic planning document: The Research Agenda for the Carpathians (Kozak et al. 2011). The document was produced upon request of the Interim Secretariat for the Carpathian Convention, UNEP-Vienna, to be used as a resource for the third COP Meeting scheduled for May 2011.
The 2nd Forum Carpaticum is organized by Dr. Lubos Halada, Institute of Landscape Ecology, Science Academy of Slovakia and convened in Stara Lesna in the Tatra Mountains (30 May - 2 June 2012).
Southeastern European Mountain Research Network, SEEmore
Upon request of the Balkan countries, the MRI-Europe Program assisted in the establishment of the Southeastern European Mountain Research network (SEEmore) in the Balkan and neighbour countries[2] (Borovets, Bulgaria, 24-26 April 2009 LINK to WS page). Despite the network's limited size, first steps towards a research strategy were taken in Borovets. The publication of the book "Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions" (Zhelezov 2011), which resulted from this meeting, is a milestone for Southeastern European mountain research testifying to the wish of local key researchers to move mountain research on the Balkan peninsula toward concerted actions with the ultimate aim of supporting sustainable development in the region.
On year later, in August 2010, the MRI Europe Program and Prof. Constatin Vert, Department of Geography West University of Timisoara, Romania organized the second SEEmore conference devoted both to strategy development and networking. The participants produced a “Catalogue of Research Summaries” and elaborated 21 priority topics for future research activities within five themes: Tourism, Institutions, Mining, Climate Change Adaptation and Paleo Science.
Shortly after, Dr. Mariyana Nikolova, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, together with the MRI-Europe Program Manager organized a side-event during the Perth II Conference in Scotland on 27 October 2010 to enhance the visibility of the SEEmore partner countries within the global mountain research community. Then, in early 2011, Dr. Nikolova, organized a Bulgarian SEEmore workshop on "Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions: Science and Practice" (12 May 2011) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia, to inform representatives from scientific and governmental institutions of current mountain research priorities and challenges in Europe and Bulgaria.
At the thematic level, Dr. Marcel Mindrescu organized the workshop on "Climate Change in the Carpathian-Balkan Region during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene" in response to the needs highlighted in Timisoara. The event was hosted by the Department of Geography, University of Suceava, Romania, 9-12 June 2011 and sponsored by the Past Global Changes (PAGES) Office and MRI.
The 3rd SEEmore Conference on "Mountain Resources and their Response to Global Change" is organized by Prof. Mehmet Somuncu from 5-6 July 2012 at the Faculty of Languages, History, and Geography, Ankara University, Ankara, with partners from the region.
Outlook
On 23 November 2011, a Strategic Planning Meeting for MRI Europe was held in Innsbruck, Austria, to discuss the future network development with representatives of European mountain research. Apart from the establishment of an active Advisory Council for the MRI Europe Program, specific activities will be outlined as soon as the funding situation for 2012 has been clarified.
[1] Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine.
[2] Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey.
The European Program of the MRI was launched at the first networking meeting organized by the MRI in Zurich, Switzerland in February 2007. This meeting responded to two insights: First, potential funding opportunities are strong drivers of research activities. Second, scientists play the determining role in defining and designing research projects. Accordingly, the MRI launched the MRI Europe network to foster high-quality research in mountain regions congruent with the GLOCHAMORE Research Strategy (Björnsen Gurung 2005).
The success of the Zurich Meeting spurred another networking meeting in Innsbruck, Austria in October 2007, with the Institute of Mountain Research (IGF), Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) as the main partner. Both meetings attributed high importance to interaction and target-oriented communication leading towards the development of new research activities. In doing so, the MRI Europe Program responded to the growing demand of the science community for effective information exchange and research partner fairs (see also Key Contact Workshops). The creation of effective science networks within the MRI Europe Program is seen as a means to achieve its overall goals: more, better, and better coordinated scientific research on global change in mountain regions.
In 2008, MRI Europe and the Institute for Mountain Research: Man and Environment of the Austrian Academy of Sciences started a joint implementation, which coincided with a stronger focus on mountain systems that have been neglected in the past, namely the Carpathians and the Balkan mountains.
Science for the Carpathians, S4C
In 2008, MRI Europe facilitated the establishment of the “Science for the Carpathians” (S4C) Initiative, a science network focusing on the mountainous region of Central Europe[1]. Against the background of the Carpathian Convention, the MRI-Europe Program Manager was requested to support the process of building a science network in the Carpathian region. In the consecutive months, she compiled a “Who’s who” for the Carpathian region and supported the organization of a S4C launching workshop at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland in collaboration with the European Academy (Italy), Joanneum Research (Austria), Humboldt University (Germany), and University of Applied Science (Germany). The workshop was co-financed by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Jagiellonian University and EURAC. It yielded in a synthesis paper on the current status of mountain research in the region and future priorities (Björnsen et al. 2009) (LINK) and a comprehensive workshop report (Ostapowicz and Sitko 2009) (LINK to WS page). The outcome of the S4C workshop were then presented to the representatives of the Ministerial Conference of Parties (COP) of the Carpathian Convention at the 2nd meeting in Bucharest, Romania (17-19 June 2008).
To ensure the maintenance of the network in the long-term, a S4C Scientific Steering Committee (LINK to S4C page) with scientists from the Carpathian countries was nominated during an official meeting with representatives of the National Academies of Sciences of the Carpathian countries (Bratislava, 10 June 2009) (LINK to EVENTS). The network obtained further impetus from the first Forum Carpaticum (Krakow, 15-18 September 2010) , an international mountain research conference, organized by the Jagiellonian University and the S4C. This event offered an unprecedented opportunity to gain a comprehensive picture of who is doing what and where in Carpathian research. The material gathered during the Forum was used to extract emerging themes for future global change research in the Carpathian mountains, which are compiled in a short strategic planning document: The Research Agenda for the Carpathians (Kozak et al. 2011). The document was produced upon request of the Interim Secretariat for the Carpathian Convention, UNEP-Vienna, to be used as a resource for the third COP Meeting scheduled for May 2011.
The 2nd Forum Carpaticum is organized by Dr. Lubos Halada, Institute of Landscape Ecology, Science Academy of Slovakia and convened in Stara Lesna in the Tatra Mountains (30 May - 2 June 2012).
Southeastern European Mountain Research Network, SEEmore
Upon request of the Balkan countries, the MRI-Europe Program assisted in the establishment of the Southeastern European Mountain Research network (SEEmore) in the Balkan and neighbour countries[2] (Borovets, Bulgaria, 24-26 April 2009 LINK to WS page). Despite the network's limited size, first steps towards a research strategy were taken in Borovets. The publication of the book "Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions" (Zhelezov 2011), which resulted from this meeting, is a milestone for Southeastern European mountain research testifying to the wish of local key researchers to move mountain research on the Balkan peninsula toward concerted actions with the ultimate aim of supporting sustainable development in the region.
On year later, in August 2010, the MRI Europe Program and Prof. Constatin Vert, Department of Geography West University of Timisoara, Romania organized the second SEEmore conference devoted both to strategy development and networking. The participants produced a “Catalogue of Research Summaries” and elaborated 21 priority topics for future research activities within five themes: Tourism, Institutions, Mining, Climate Change Adaptation and Paleo Science.
Shortly after, Dr. Mariyana Nikolova, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, together with the MRI-Europe Program Manager organized a side-event during the Perth II Conference in Scotland on 27 October 2010 to enhance the visibility of the SEEmore partner countries within the global mountain research community. Then, in early 2011, Dr. Nikolova, organized a Bulgarian SEEmore workshop on "Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions: Science and Practice" (12 May 2011) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia, to inform representatives from scientific and governmental institutions of current mountain research priorities and challenges in Europe and Bulgaria.
At the thematic level, Dr. Marcel Mindrescu organized the workshop on "Climate Change in the Carpathian-Balkan Region during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene" in response to the needs highlighted in Timisoara. The event was hosted by the Department of Geography, University of Suceava, Romania, 9-12 June 2011 and sponsored by the Past Global Changes (PAGES) Office and MRI.
The 3rd SEEmore Conference on "Mountain Resources and their Response to Global Change" is organized by Prof. Mehmet Somuncu from 5-6 July 2012 at the Faculty of Languages, History, and Geography, Ankara University, Ankara, with partners from the region.
Outlook
On 23 November 2011, a Strategic Planning Meeting for MRI Europe was held in Innsbruck, Austria, to discuss the future network development with representatives of European mountain research. Apart from the establishment of an active Advisory Council for the MRI Europe Program, specific activities will be outlined as soon as the funding situation for 2012 has been clarified.
[1] Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine.
[2] Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey.