In a significant development for the field of sustainability research, Professor Doris Fuchs, the Consortium Lead for the EU 1.5° Lifestyles project, has taken up the role of Director at the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) in Potsdam, effective 1 October 2023.
Professor Fuchs, a distinguished political scientist specializing in International Relations and Sustainable Development, has joined forces with atmospheric scientist Mark Lawrence to lead RIFS into a new era of transdisciplinary research. The announcement follows the decision to relocate the project team, including Project Coordinators Dr. Pia Mamut and Dr. Halliki Kreinin, from the University of Münster to the RIFS institute, effective from 1 January 2024. Expressing gratitude for the fruitful collaboration with the University of Münster, the team looks forward to embracing fresh opportunities at RIFS as part of the EU 1.5° Lifestyles project. At RIFS, Doris Fuchs will reinforce the institute's transdisciplinary research profile and expand its focus on political economy aspects of sustainable consumption. The move aligns with her broader goal of addressing complex societal challenges through innovative research methodologies. This makes RIFS an excellent new "homebase" for the EU 1.5° Lifestyles project. In a statement on this move, Doris Fuchs emphasized, "Our time is characterised by complex problems that cannot be solved using conventional methods. RIFS has made a name for itself with its transdisciplinary approach, which has scientists entering into an in-depth exchange with policymakers, civil society, and business representatives. My goal is to further expand this approach with the RIFS researchers and thus develop suitable solutions for the sustainability transformation of our society". Doris Fuchs's responsibilities will also include shaping the integration of RIFS into the Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam – Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ), following its affiliation in January 2023. This integration holds exciting potential for synergies between GFZ and RIFS, contributing to the shared mission of sustainability transformation. For the EU 1.5° Lifestyles project this means further chances for collaboration and dissemination on the topic of societal transformation. Mark Lawrence, the longstanding director of RIFS, added, "Doris Fuchs is the perfect choice to continue the transformative, transdisciplinary sustainability research that has been established at RIFS in recent years. We are thrilled that she has accepted the position and will begin her new role with us very soon." For more information about RIFS and its publications, visit RIFS' official website.