Making SENSE — column by Rik Leemans

In the first SENSE e-News in 2008, Prof. Rik Leemans gives us a brief overview of how we are presently 'making SENSE'. In this and future newsletters, he will contribute a column reflecting on relevant events and topics.

To begin with, a reflection on 2007 seems appropriate — 2007 was a hectic but also very successful year for SENSE...

Among others, Frank Biermann and his IVM colleagues organized the 2007 Amsterdam Conference on Earth System Governance. Many presented their work and got acquainted with that of others. I hope that SENSE will continue to organize such inspiring events.

In June 2007 an international committee visited and assessed all the different research groups of SENSE. The results were very positive. Most SENSE research and education was judged to be very good — comparable to the best international research groups. This is an immense achievement, especially when seen in a historic context. In the early nineties only few environmental researchers published in renowned journals. Over the coming years, we will implement many of the constructive recommendations of the committees.

The results of the evaluation were also essential for the renewed accreditation of SENSE, which was submitted late December 2007. Most likely, this accreditation will be granted in June 2008. Then we are all set for another six-year period. Fortunately, all SENSE partners hade decided to continue their role in SENSE.

One of the other highlights in 2007 was starting the dialogue between the ministry of VROM and SENSE. In this context, Ad van Dommelen and others set up the SENSE Questions website tool. The first submitted questions were discussed on 5 December 2007 with representatives of VROM, NWO, RMNO, VVM and SENSE. Everybody was enthusiastic and wanted to use this process to facilitate the development of a timely research agenda. One of the concrete outcomes was the support to organize an international workshop in April 2008 to identify the environmental research gaps on basis of IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report. This activity definitely strengthens SENSE's bridge function as a link between science and society.

Over the last years many SENSE researchers have contributed to the Fourth Assessment Report of IPCC. They all shared in the Nobel Peace Prize, jointly granted to Al Gore and IPCC. Congratulations to all of them!

All these achievements show that SENSE helped to surface the environment again in the center of public and policy attention. This also gives us a challenging responsibility. We now have to contribute to the solution of major environmental problems and advance sustainability science and its applications. Together with our Management team and its new member, Prof. Frank Biermann (VU) and Prof. Ernst Worrell (UU), who are full-heartily welcomed, we will soon present a strategy to achieve this. Let's make a start with its implementation in 2008!

Rik Leemans
Chair of General Board SENSE