Focali secretariat broadened to enhance collaboration on critical challenges
The Focali secretariat consists of Focali members from different research environments and act as an advisory group to the Focali management, coordination and communication staff at Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development - GMV. During the spring 2019 three new members were welcomed into the secretariat to broaden the team and strengthen links between the secretariat and network members, these were Harry Fischer, Aida Bargués Tobella and Johan Uddling.
Involvement in the secretariat is based on members’ voluntary interest to contribute to the development of their research network and it´s collaborations.
Additionally, the formal project management of the Focali network was during the spring handed over from Anders Ekbom to Maria Ölund after announcement of the position. Maria Ölund has been the Coordinator of Focali since 2012 (apart from maternity leave) and has gradually taken over the project management responsibilities. Anders Ekbom, Deputy Director of GMV, is still a member of the secretariat and act as a link between Focali and GMV – the host of the Focali secretariat. Since January 2019 GMV increased funding for work time of Focali staff (from a total of 40% to 60%) that enabled Linda Hansson to support the secretariat function one day per week with increased coordination and communication. In addition to the Focali network both Maria and Linda work part time within the Focali – SIANI collaboration with co-arranged activities and communication work.
The updated and broadened Focali
secretariat is now focused on further developing the Focali network and it´s
partnerships to enhance transdisciplinary collaboration and research – policy –
interactions around interlinked forest, climate and livelihood issues. The 5-6th
of November, the Focali network will organize its 2019 annual meeting and celebrate
the Focali 10-year anniversary. Old and new members as well as partners are
invited to Gothenburg for this event to get to know each other and discuss
joint collaborations on critical challenges that need broad and deepened
collaboration. More information about the event will be shared after the summer
holiday.
The current members of the secretariat:
Staff:
Maria Ölund, Project Manager, GMV
Linda Hansson, Communication
Coordinator, GMV
Researchers:
Harry Fischer, Department of Urban
and Rural Development, SLU
Aida Bargués Tobella, ICRAF Kenya and Department of Forest
Ecology and Management, SLU
Johan Uddling, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences (BioEnv), GU
Torsten Krause, Sustainability
Science, LUCSUS, LU
Jenny Friman, Environmental Social
Science, School of Global Studies, GU
Laura Kmoch, Department of Space,
Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology
Allison Perrigo, BioEnv, GU, and Director of Gothenburg Global Biodiversity
Centre (GGBC)
Anders Ekbom, Deputy
Director of Gothenburg Centre for Environment and Sustainability, GMV, and Team
leader of GMV’s Environmental Economics and Policy Group
Questions?
If you are interested to become a member of the research network or want to discuss possible collaborations with Focali please contact maria.olund@gu.se