In our age of converging environmental, ecological, and health crises, decision-makers and commentators often state we need to “listen to the science”. But what structures lie beneath these assumptions of impartiality? STEPS Centre co-director Andy Stirling is featured in the most recent episode of the Forest of Thought podcast, discussing this question and its implications….
Podcast: Forest of Thought – Andy Stirling on ‘imaginations of control’
A manifesto for models: New Nature Comment article
A new comment article in Nature by a group of authors, including STEPS co-director Andy Stirling (SPRU), takes the form of a ‘manifesto’ for responsible mathematical modelling. This relates to the theme of Uncertainty which cuts across various important projects and research agendas. The article aims to persuade those developing and using models to examine…
Andy Stirling on Covid-19, modernity and control: video
STEPS co-director Andy Stirling gave an online talk on 15 May 2020 exploring ideas about modernity and the ‘futilities of control’, in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. The talk was given as part of ESG India’s seminar series Imaginaries for a Resilient and Inclusive New World. A video recording of the talk is available…
IDS podcast: The Politics of Green Transformations
In this month’s edition of the Institute of Development Studies podcast, Between the Lines, IDS Director Melissa Leach, STEPS co-director Ian Scoones and Sussex professor Peter Newell discuss their co-edited book, The Politics of Green Transformations. Drawing on international examples, they reflect on past transformations as examples of positive change and examine the factors that…
Uncertainty, politics and science
STEPS co-director Andy Stirling has written a series of three blog posts to introduce the STEPS Centre’s theme for 2019: Uncertainty. In the series, he explores how uncertainty is framed and closed down, how this framing is shaped by policy makers and those who advise them, and the implications for science and innovation. Although there…
How do pastoralists handle uncertainty? Insights from Asia, Europe and Africa
Pastoralists are experts in uncertainty. In a series of 3 blog posts, STEPS director Ian Scoones reports back from visits to the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, Isiolo (Northern Kenya) and the Tibetan plateau. The visits were carried out under the PASTRES (Pastoralism, Uncertainty and Resilience) project, which explores what can be learned from the ways…
A Food Brexit: Time to get real
The UK is unprepared for the most complex ever change to its food system, which will be required before Brexit, according to a new briefing paper published by SPRU, titled ‘A Food Brexit: time to get real’ (PDF). The report is written by three leading food policy specialists. They are Professor Tim Lang (City, University…
Small grants call announced for ‘nexus governance’ research in Southern Africa
The ‘Governing the Nexus in Southern Africa’ project has announced a call for small grants (up to £2,500 GBP) to cover field work expenses on research into nexus governance in southern Africa. Candidates for fieldwork fellowships should be MA students, PhD students or recent post-PhD researchers. Candidates who have not received substantial fieldwork funding, who…
Debating Open Data and Land Governance – 6-20 September
From 6-20 September, 2016, the Land Portal Foundation and the Cadasta Foundation will be jointly holding a debate on Open Data and Land Governance: Increased accountability and transparency as a means to overcoming poverty
STEPS at the Royal Geographical Society conference
STEPS co-director Andy Stirling is the keynote speaker at the Royal Geographical Society annual conference this week. This year’s conference focuses on ‘nexus thinking’. His talk, Meeting Nexus Challenges: from policy connections to political transformations, is on Tuesday 30 August at 18.30. Here’s the abstract: The advent of ‘nexus thinking’ in current global change research…