MONDAY 2 NOVEMBER
10:00 Welcome and presentation of the annual meeting
BECCs coordinator Henrik welcomed everyone to BECCs 5th annual meeting with the agenda:
- Celebrating that we (BECC) have existed 2132 days!
- Discussing what BECC have achieved!
- Informing us about the use of scientific research in international efforts to assess biodiversity and ecosystem services
- Setting the stage for the BECC research agenda the next five years
- Discussing how to realize the research agenda in BECC
Presentation can be found here
10:15-11:30 Achievements from BECC 2010-2015 and result from the SRA evaluation
BECCs deputy coordinator Ben talked about BECCs results from the last years as well as BECCs excellent outcome in the SRA evaluation.
Presentation can be found here
11:45-12:30 Key-note: Mapping of ecosystem services
Paula Harrison, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford joined the meeting by Skype and gave a talk around her research around Mapping of ecosystem services. Paula is also a member of BECCs Scientific Advisory Board.
Presentation can be found here
12:30 -13:30 Lunch
13:30-14:00 Vice-chancellor representatives from LU and UGOT
Stacey Sörensen (LU) and Staffan Eden (UGOT) talked about the need for the universities to recognize and take advantage of achievements made by BECC and other strategic research areas (SRAs). Also important for BECC to be actively involved in new strategic plans locally as well as be involved in solving global challenges.
14:00-16:45 Identification of Grand Challenges and connections to BECC research
To continue carrying out excellent research that answers the questions in society today, it is important that large research programs like BECC aim for tackling the “grand challenges”, i.e. the issues where a lack of scientific understanding constrain our ability to make informed decisions.
Annica, board member of BECC, presented the idea, behind this session, to identify scientific challenges that could be the scientific focus of BECC the coming years in relation to the criteria and vision for the future.
The two appointed discussion leaders for the five groups where given the mission to report back and attending researchers were suggested to join the groups.
- Conservation of biodiversity in a changing world leaders: Johan Ekroos and Robert Björk
- Managing ecosystem services in the green sector leaders: Veiko Lehsten and Yann Clough
- Understanding the global carbon cycle at multiple scales leaders: Per Bengtson and Tobias Rütting
- Land-use and climate change - adaptation and mitigation leaders: Åsa Knaggård and Johan Uddling
- Learning from the past to envision the future leaders: Helena Filipsson and Paul Caplat
16:45- 17:30 Report back from group discussions Identification of Grand Challenges and connections to BECC research
The board aka cluster leaders thanked the group leaders and researchers for a most fruitful discussion around Grand Challenges.
Outcome of these discussions will guide the future research and activity plan and thus organisation of BECC. They are also important in guiding internal research funding initiation as for example Horizon 2020 or other larger funding that might be needed in order to tackle BECCs grand challenges.
Summary of the group discussions can be found here
19:00 Dinner
TUESDAY 3 NOVEMBER
08:30-09:00 Summary of day 1
Annica and Anders summarized outcomes and reflections from day one and stressed the importance for the leadership in BECC to incorporate yesterday’s discussions concerning Grand Challenges into the upcoming activity plan as well as the budget for year 2016 and onwards also in the organization.
BECC is a joint, long-term commitment and it is important to continue the excellent work without delay.
09:00- 09:40 Keynote Marie Stenseke about IPBES
Professor Marie Stenseke from University of Gothenburg as well as a member of MEP (Multidisciplinary Expert Panel) in IPBES (Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) introduced the concept of IPBES, upcoming deliveries and many possible ways for researchers to be engaged in the work.
Presentation and opportunities can be found here
09:40- 11:15 Workshops - Planning for the future
Ben introduces the workshops and the “mingle with the board” session.
First half of this session was four organized workshops about ClimBEco, how to develop the connection between education and research, interdisciplinary research and Skogaryd. Reporting back after lunch.
11:15- 12:00 Mingle with the board
Second half was mingling around; internal integration and cooperation in BECC, internationalization, infrastructure and research funding. This session was also reported back after lunch.
12:00-13:00 Lunch
13:00-14:00 Report back from workshops and concluding discussions
Workshops
- Anna Ekberg, coordinator of ClimBEco reported from the ClimBEco workshop. Workshop outcome can be found here
- Åsa Kasimir reported from the workshop on how to develop the connection between education and research. Workshop outcome can be found here
- Kimberly Nicholas reported from the workshop (and the whiteboard) about interdisciplinarity. Workshop outcome can be found here
- Leif Klemedtsson reported from the Skogaryd workshop. Workshop outcome can be found here
Mingel
- Annica reported from the mingle session “Internal integration in BECC”. There is a need to think about how to organize research in BECC for future to make sure the internal structure becomes more dynamic and flexible than today. Maybe it is also possible to focus on themes for different time periods? Important to define what BECC is and can do for a researcher e.g. crash course on web site.
Mingle outcome is currently missing.
- Ben reported from the mingle session “Internationalisation”. There are great possibilities for BECC as well as research groups and researchers in BECC to join large research projects in e.g. Future Earth, involvement can also have spinoffs for the future invitations to consortia, expert assignments and likewise. One way to start is through the Swedish Secretariat for Environmental Earth System Science (SSEESS). Mingle outcome can be found here
- Henrik reported from the mingle session “Research funding”. BECC have the possibility and resources to make sure BECC as a research area receive large grants. One way forward is to host different types of meetings/trainings/workshops/retreat to generate larger applications within BECC. Mingle outcome can be found here
14:00-14:30 Concluding discussions - and the road forward
Håkan summarized the two day BECC meeting. Aim of this annual meeting was to generate as much input as possible to the way forward, both in research and organization. During November-December both budgets, activity plan and cooperation agreement between Lund and Gothenburg will be finalised for year 2016. The board will make use of the discussions when setting the plans and structure for the future. We need to make BECC more visible both on twitter and in more traditional ways and continue to build on our established BECC platform for the future. Presentation: “End discussion 2015”