The 9th Annual Science & Policy Workshop was held in Johannesburg, South Africa from April 7–8, 2025, hosted by the University of the Witwatersrand. With the theme Improving Water Security, the event brought together global minds to address one of the most urgent environmental and policy challenges of our time. The workshop was organized in partnership by the IIES, UNA Europa, the University of the Witwatersrand, the University of Edinburgh, and Trent University.
This year’s workshop welcomed 97 participants from 22 institutions across 14 countries. The group included 21 IIES-supported students, 39 local students and students from other interested institutions, and 37 professors, staff, and professionals from the policy and industry sectors.
Throughout the two-day event, participants delivered individual research presentations that spanned a wide array of water-related topics—from ecosystem health and sustainability to the mitigation of emerging and priority contaminants, transboundary water cooperation, and just transitions in response to climate change. These sessions offered a platform for colleagues to learn from one another, ask questions, and build professional connections across disciplines and borders.
Image (from left to right): Professor Ariel Valdés Barrera (USS), Lena Helińska (Jagiellonian University), and Professor Piotr Szwedo (Jagiellonian University).
We extend our sincere thanks to the session chairs for generously volunteering their time to lead each session and guide the discussions. Their contributions helped ensure that the program ran smoothly and fostered thoughtful and productive engagement.
We are also deeply grateful to the University of the Witwatersrand for allowing us to host the event at the school. The warm hospitality and excellent facilities provided an ideal setting for collaboration and exchange.
Special thanks go to the organizing committee, whose efforts behind the scenes were essential in making this event possible. Their dedication and attention to detail ensured a well-coordinated and meaningful workshop experience for all involved.
We would also like to express our appreciation to our plenary speakers—Professor Martina Vijver, Professor Piotr Szwedo, Professor Keagan Pokpas, and Professor Sarah Nuttall—for their insightful and inspiring presentations. Their expertise helped frame the broader context of the workshop and sparked valuable conversations throughout the event.
To help attendees connect ahead of the workshop, an informal ice-breaker event was held the evening before the sessions began. This relaxed gathering gave participants a chance to get to know each other, setting a collaborative and collegial tone for the days that followed.
Many of the workshop attendees also continued on to participate in a follow-up program, the 8th International Graduate Student Forum, at the Wits Rural Facility in Acornhoek, South Africa. There, participants engaged in interactive sessions and had the opportunity to explore local wildlife areas in a unique blend of academic and experiential learning. (More details about the Graduate Student Forum can be found in this article here.)
The 9th Annual Workshop once again demonstrated the value of bringing together diverse voices to tackle complex environmental challenges through research, policy, and partnership.
We are excited about the continued collaboration with the University of the Witwatersrand and look forward to building on the strong relationships established during this year’s workshop. This partnership marks an important step in deepening our engagement in the region, and we are hopeful that future initiatives will allow us to expand our network across South Africa. By connecting with more institutions, researchers, and students throughout the country, we aim to strengthen our collective capacity to address environmental challenges through shared knowledge, innovation, and inclusive dialogue.
If you’d like to hear more, check out some articles written by the workshop participants:
Pearl Finkelzon – Master’s Student
Thiare Carrasco-Delgado – Master’s Student
Shepherd Baidoo – Master’s Student
Tendai Ganduri – PhD Candidate
