The Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress is a series of gatherings that unite global research leaders, experts, industries and innovators to inspire action and promote a sustainability transformation.
The Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress 2022 (SRI2022) will take place from June 20-24, 2022, in Pretoria, South Africa and online. Hosted by the Future Africa Institute at the University of Pretoria, SRI2022 will build on the success of the first SRI Congress which took place in June this year and featured 700 speakers and 2,000 participants from 100 countries. A joint initiative of Future Earth and the Belmont Forum, SRI is an emerging global platform of advocacy for sustainability scholarship and innovation, trans-disciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration, and knowledge to action.
South Africa will offer an inspiring environment for this second edition of the SRI Congress. A leader on the African continent and around the globe for sustainability science and innovation as well as participatory approaches to action research, it also provides a gateway to the wider African continent.
An important objective of SRI2022 is to amplify the voice of sustainability science and innovation in the Global South, specifically for the African continent through raising awareness and propelling discussions about sustainable priorities for Africa. Africa has much to offer to the global discussion on sustainability, and SRI2022, together with its host Future Africa, will provide a critical platform in collaboration with local, African and international partners.
SRI2022 will continue the momentum from SRI2021. The transdisciplinary nature of the event and its diverse agenda was praised by participants in a post-event survey, with 62% of respondents saying that SRI2021 broadened cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral connections and awareness with the sustainability community, and 94% saying they would attend SRI2022.
The call for session proposals closes on February 5, 2022, at 23:59 SAST (UTC +2).This is your opportunity to shape the program of SRI2022, which will consist of over 100 online and hybrid international sessions and events, highlighting the latest research and innovation in the field of sustainability. This call for session proposals is open to anyone working in sustainability science and practice, which includes the research sector, government, business, philanthropy, art and civil society.
Proposals should be submitted on one of the four Congress themes:
- Nexus issues
- Different ways of knowing
- New horizons
- African science and innovation (Cross-cutting theme)
Proposals can be submitted in English, French, Japanese, Mandarin and Spanish. SRI2022 accepts proposals for both online and hybrid sessions and offers flexibility with changing hybrid sessions to online sessions if needed. Explore the Congress themes, session types, submission guidelines and selection criteria on the website.