Workshops, Sessions & Other Events

Workshop at IMC 2025: The science-policy interface for regional mountain governance
Innsbruck / AT, 14.–18.9.2025

At the International Mountain Conference IMC, held in Innsbruck from 14–18 September 2025, ISCAR president Janez Nared co-convened a workshop exploring The science-policy interface for regional mountain governance. Under the lead of Raphaël Lelouvier (Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention), participants discussed the role of science and research in helping us understand the complex interactions of environmental impacts in mountain ecosystems, informing decision-making, and exchanging best practices.

Among the institutions contributing to the workshop were the Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention, the Andean Mountain Initiative, CIPRA International, the Caucasus Network for Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions, ISCAR, the Alpine Convention, Mountain Research Initiative and the ARCOS Network. In an open exchange, participants tried to grasp the research needs of decision-makers and explored the benefits of inter-regional exchange. The panelists highlighted various regional and international perspectives, but one of the common threads was the importance of up-to-date information and scientific knowledge for effective decision-making. The need for strong monitoring as well as collaboration between decision-makers and science was also mentioned by several of the speakers.Furthermore, several ISCAR committee members attended the IMC 2025 and hosted sessions and workshops on behalf of their home institutions (see paragraph “Activities 2025 of ISCAR Committee members in the field of Alpine research”).

Young Academics Award 2024 and Workshop “Scientific writing for young researchers”
Brdo / SI, 21.1.2025

The biennial Young Academics Award (YAA) is a joint initiative of the Alpine Convention and ISCAR to award outstanding master’s theses on Alpine-relevant topics. The 2024 edition, supported by the Slovenian Presidency of the Alpine Convention (2023/24), concluded with the award ceremony during the evening reception of the XVIII Alpine Conference on 21 January 2025 in Brdo, Slovenia. Three main prizes and six special prizes (by the Alpine Convention Infopoints) were awarded.

For the 13 participants of the final event of the YAA 2024 (7 finalists for the main prizes and 6 recipients of the Infopoint prizes, selected from 31 applications) invited to Brdo to present their work to the award jury, Valerie Braun (IGF/ÖAW), ISCAR committee member and editor of eco.mont, together with Rok Ciglič and Mimi Urbanc from Acta geographica Slovenica, hosted a workshop on “Scientific writing for young researchers”. The workshop was also open to interested students from Slovenia. The young researchers were given the opportunity to discuss with the journal editors all questions and insecurities around the preparation of an article for a scientific journal, in order to facilitate their first steps in scientific publishing. 

ISCAR roundtable and session at the ESEH Conference “Mountains and Plains”
Bern / CH, 22.–26.8.2023

In a roundtable organized by ISCAR on the «Past, present, and future of mountain research networks», a selected group of interested participants engaged in a thoughtful discussion on the significance and role of mountain research networks in the face of contemporary global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity crises. The discourse underscored the pivotal role of such networks in fostering interdisciplinary research aimed at addressing these intricate challenges. Additionally, the conversation delved into the crucial aspect of research communication and outreach and explored strategies for effectively addressing this need. The roundtable was chaired by Dr. Stefanie Gubler (head of ISCAR office) and co-chaired by ISCAR committee member Dr. Valerie Braun (Institute of Interdisciplinary Mountain Research (IGF), Austria).

Further, the Research Commission of the Swiss National Park (FOK) jointly with ISCAR organized a thematic session “On the history of nature conservation and rewilding in Switzerland and Europe in general” with the presentation of three papers. The initial presentation was delivered by Dr. Valerie Braun (ISCAR-P) on «Timelines of tension: trajectories of nature park creation in the Tyrolean Alps,» followed by Dr. Anna-Katharina Wöbse (University of Giessen, Germany) discussing «Follow the tracks! Rewilding Europe in the 20th century.» The sequence concluded with Tamara Estermann (Swiss National Park) presenting «Two Glances at the Landscape: Rephotography in the Swiss National Park.» The session was chaired by Dr. Stefanie Gubler (head of ISCAR and FOK office).

3rd International Winter School LabEx ITEM
Ticino / CH, 4.–7.4.2018

Organized by LabEx ITEM together with ISCAR and LabiSAlp (Università della Svizzera Italiana)

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Flussdialog Inn
Innsbruck, 13.–14.9.2017

Event organized by WWF, ISCAR and University of Innsbruck

Documentation

available on the Event website

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Exploring Alpine landscapes as potential agricultural heritage systems and their contribution to human well-being
Tolmin and Čadrg (Triglav National Park) / SI, 7.–8.9.2017

International Workshop organized by ISCAR, ICAS and ZRC SAZU

Documentation

Program

Scheurer, Thomas / Agnoletti, Mauro / Bürgi, Matthias / Hribar, Mateja Šmid / Urbanc, Mimi: Exploring Alpine Landscapes as Potential Sites of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme. Mountain Research and Development MRD 38:2, pp. 172–174.

Presentations:

• Matthias Buergi
• Ziga Zwitter
• Spela Ledinek Lozej
• Peter Moser
• Andrea Cottini & Stefania Cerutti
• Mauro Agnoletti
• Viviana Ferrari
• Mojca Golobic & Nadja Penko Seidl
• Cassiano Luminati
• Mateja Smid Hribar & Mimi Urbanc
• Hiroyuki Ono
• Engelbert Ruoss
• Drago Kladnik

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Interface between science and mountain protected areas: The role of scientific councils
Chambéry / F, 25.–26.6.2015

International Workshop, organized by ISCAR, LabEx ITEM and ALPARC

Documentation

Program

Arpin, Isabelle / Wallner, Astrid / Scheurer, Thomas / Braun, Valerie (2016): Recommendations for establishing or renewing scientific councils in protected areas. eco.mont 8:1, pp. 62–65.

Arpin Isabelle / Ronsin, Gaëlle / Scheurer, Thomas / Wallner, Astrid / Hobléa, Fabien / Churakova (Sidorova), Olga / Cremer-Schulte, Dominik / Braun, Valerie: The scientific councils of Alpine protected areas: an overview and analysis of their contribution to linking science and management. eco.mont 8:2, pp. 5–12.

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New Highlanders
Valposchiavo / CH, 4.9.2012

Workshop in the run-up to AlpWeek 2012, organized by ISCAR jointly with the Institute of Mountain Research Innsbruck IGF and in cooperation with the Italian Ministry for Environment, Territory and Sea, and the Working Group Demography and Employment of the Alpine Convention

Documentation

Program

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