SSRP Symposium 2024

Join us for the Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP) Symposium 2024! 

This annual event showcases innovative and impactful SSRP research on sustainability issues around the world, from the South Coast to South America and beyond. 

SSRP Fellows will give quickfire presentations on projects based in: Sussex, Ecuador, Brazil, Papa New Guinea, Syria, South Africa, the Horn of Africa, Nigeria and South Korea.

The presentations are categorised under the key SSRP research themes of:

• Ecosystems, Rights and Justice
• Sustainability Frontiers and South Coast Sustainability
• Sustainable Climate and Food Systems

Within these themes, we'll hear about research on everything from forest restoration in the Ecuadorian Andes to early weather warning systems in the Horn of Africa, river pollution in Sussex to the impact of conflict on ecosystems in Syria. 

The Symposium also enables attendees and presenters to network over complimentary coffee, tea and lunch.

Everyone is welcome, so we hope to see you there!

Programme

9.30am. Welcome: Coffee and tea

10am. Introduction to the SSRP Symposium 2024 

Joseph Alcamo, SSRP Director

10.05am. Research at Sussex

Professor Keith Jones, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation

10.10am. Theme 1: Ecosystems, Rights and Justice

Equitable and sustainable forest restoration in the Ecuadorian Andes
Fiona Mathews

Global Imaginaries: connecting young people through improvised collaborative
storytelling for sustainable futures
Perpetua Kirby

Practical implementation of ‘Rights of Nature’ for fair and sustainable futures
Mika Peck

Analysing systems architecture and orchestration for effective implementation,
compliance and enforcement of trade and deforestation regulations and SDG
outcomes
Emanuela Orlando

Revisioning territorial rights in the face of resource extraction: an action research
network supporting communities affected by mining in Minas Gerais, Brazil
Alex Shankland

Integrating action and policy on health, biodiversity, and climate in Papua New Guinea
(PNG), Bougainville, and across Melanesia
Jo Middleton

Panel discussion

10.50am. Coffee break

11.10am. Theme 2: Sustainability Frontiers and South Coast Sustainability

Ripple Effect: A waterway resilience initiative
Lucila Newell

Documenting the recovery of the Sussex inshore ecosystem post trawling byelaw using
environmental DNA
Valentina Scarponi

Building capacity for sustainable agriculture in Northwest Syria
Mirela Barbu

Using WMRE metrics to accelerate waste management and resource efficiency in
Lesotho and South Africa
Qingxiu Bu

Co-creating adolescents’ menstrual health research in Sussex, United Kingdom
Chi Eziefula

Panel discussion

11.55am. Theme 3: Sustainable Climate and Food Systems

Place-based sustainability: Understanding place-based knowledge and knowledge
boundaries for the transition to sustainable food systems
Shova Thapa Karki

Challenges and Prospects of Sustainability in Northwest Syria: Insights from a workshop with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Syrian Interim Government

Natalia Slutskaya 

Research and innovation (R&I) policy for climate change and sustainability in Northern
Nigeria
Abdulrafiu Abbas

New developments in people-centred early warning of climate events in the Horn of
Africa
Pedram Rowhani

Transformation labs in complex, adaptive, socio-hydrologic systems
John Thompson

Panel discussion

12.35pm. Video screening: Voices of the Paraecologists 

12.40pm. SSRP Support for Research: funding, organisational help, impact and visibility

12.50pm. Closing remarks

13.00pm. End of symposium and lunch

We look forward to seeing you for what promises to be a richly stimulating day.

Please note: Photographers and videographers will be recording the Symposium - please let us know if you would prefer not to appear in photos or on film.