Leading research to understand underlying fears and hopes in narratives that support or hinder movement toward sustainable futures in the context of online or geographically specific communities.Facilitating community dialogues on implementing sustainable futures relevant and feasible in the context of the community and region.Organizing public dialogues on critical issues of science, policy, and society.Developing games that make key ideas of sustainability of social-ecological systems accessible and engaging for people of all ages

Elected as an honorary member May 2012 "in recognition of his manifold contributions to innovative forms of public understanding of science as well as teaching and learning."

The Integrated Risk Governance Project was established under the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change in 2010 and is now a core project of Future Earth.

IASS has become the Research Institute for Sustainability Helmholtz Centre Potsdam as of 1 January 2023, coinciding with my departure from the institution.

Ilan is Head of Strategic Science Initiatives and Programs and Scientific Project Leader of the GSSF and KLASICA projects at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam Germany, where he has been since 2012. He is Scientific Project Leader of the Global Sustainability Strategy Forum (GSSF) with project manager, Solene Droy (IASS), which he co-chairs with Professors Ortwin Renn (IASS) and Sander van der Leeuw (Arizona State University (ASU)). GSSF is developing evidence-informed judgments on the state of affairs at the regional and global scales regarding effective, efficient, resilient, and socially-just transformations towards sustainable development. The Forum seeks to engage with diverse sectors of society and with different disciplines and knowledge sources in designing strategies and catalyzing pathways to fundamental societal transformations. The first Forum in March 2019 highlighted the profound changes in the science, learning, and praxis needed to address the complexity of transitions to sustainability. The mission of the KLASICA project, which Ilan co-founded and has led since 2007, is improving understanding of the interplay between knowledge production with diverse knowledge systems, meaning making, and decision making for societal change. The focus is on collective behavior change toward just and equitable sustainable futures in the diverse contexts and cultures of our world. We are approaching this by creating an analytical typology of condensed, affective narrative expressions (CANEs) of visions of futures and social identities from case studies in diverse communities across the world. Using inferred incentives and motivations from these CANEs, we are also testing the formation of agent-based models to explore dynamics of social movements toward sustainable futures. The model outputs then may serve to expand creative thinking about possible emergent collective behaviors.

The goal of KLASICA is improving understanding of the interplay between knowledge production with diverse knowledge systems, meaning making, and decision making for societal change. The focus is on collective behavior change toward just and equitable sustainable futures in the diverse contexts and cultures of our world. We are approaching this by creating an analytical typology of condensed, affective narrative expressions (CANEs) of visions of futures and social identities from case studies in diverse communities across the world. Using inferred incentives and motivations from these CANEs, we are testing the formation of agent-based models to explore dynamics of social movements toward sustainable futures. The model outputs then can serve to expand creative thinking about possible emergent collective behaviors.

Invited as visiting professor (January through May 2021) in DPRI (host) and GSAIS to 1) do research on adaptive governance for sustainable futures in communities in Japan; 2) organize and facilitate creative design seminars on complex systems and sustainability issues; and 3) collaborate with colleagues and mentor students on their projects.

My responsibilities include• Providing input to the Board of Directors on the strategic research agenda of the IASS.• Facilitating international research cooperation, partnerships, and network development.• Representing the IASS at Future Earth and other organizations, as required• Directing the “Knowledge, Learning and Societal Change" International Research and Action Alliance (KLASICA).• Guiding development of the international fellowship program at IASS and links to other institutions• Participating in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research efforts of the IASS, including co-leading the Arctic research project, SMART and collaborations with other Arctic research institutions.

At IASS in Potsdam my work includes 1) engaging with the new Emerging Technologies and Social Innovation (ETST) program, 2) developing and strengthening transdisciplinary (TD), transformative research practices at IASS in collaboration with a new TD program, particularly through the Arctic research project (see below) and case studies on transformations as collective societal change in conjunction with the Knowledge, Learning, and Societal Change international alliance (see www.KLaSiCA.org and information below).and 3) co-leading an inter- and trans-disciplinary research project on Arctic ecological, social, and economic transformations enabled by climate change, accelerated by resource extraction, and driven by resource demand from non-Arctic regions of the world. The resulting temporal and spatial feedback loops within and beyond the Arctic regions are evident in global economic, climate, weather, and social impacts. This Sustainable Modes of Arctic Resource-driven Transformations (SMART) project at IASS aims to (a) develop its research as a tool-building, collaborative process with rights- and stakeholders to address societally relevant issues in local contexts and (b) examine the tightening connections between the Arctic and regional and global economic, technological, legal and political processes. Our primary goal is to support informed and effective decision making processes at multiple governance levels for improving Arctic and global sustainable practices and policies. We are collaborating on Arctic research with several other international research institutions and groups, including the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, Columbia University, and Memorial University of Newfoundland. More information is available at http://www.iass-potsdam.de/en/content/sustainable-arctic-futures-regional-and-global-challenge

Develop strategic planning for a joint Waterloo Global Sciences Initiative and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology program on development of affordable and accessible energy for all

scientific research network on global change challengesIHDP as a program and secretariat has now been closed and like the other global change research programs (Diversitas, IGBP, and WCRP) has been subsumed into the overarching program of Future Earth as of June 2014. The many significant projects of IHDP and other global change programs are linking into Future Earth to continue their work and forge new directions for academic and action research with strong stakeholder participation to support moving toward sustainable futures for all.

Presented a masters course linking communication science with the challenges of finding pathways toward sustainable futures for all of society. This was developed and presented in collaboration with Professor Ortwin Renn of the University of Stuttgart. I also presented a well-attended public lecture at the city library in Stuttgart on IT tools for making meaning and making decisions for a more sustainable future.

The aim was to investigate and enhance public understanding and effective policy use of modeling to support the transition to future energy infrastructures in Germany as part of the Helmholtz Alliance project on Sustainability and Social Compatibility of the Future Energy Infrastructure. Specifically, in collaboration with Prof. Ortwin Renn at the University of Stuttgart, I designed a traveling public engagement exhibition, which includes an innovative game about the Smart Grid concept and collective actions in regard to the German energy transition. The game will also be the source of data for research using agent-based modeling of consumer attitudes and understanding of the energy transition.

GSDP was an FP7 funded coordination action to develop a research program for the study of global systems in an ongoing dialogue with decision makers. GSDP will operate as an open network evolving through workshops, working papers, publications, and open conferences.My particular focus in GSDP was the development of new action research on narratives for a sustainable future. It is essential that we catalyze the creation of powerful and meaningful narratives in multiple forms, cultures, and media that express new visions of a sustainable future and thereby motivate collective action. Equally important is that we conduct research to understand the impact and outcomes for sustainable practice and policies of such narratives.

in Dept of Applied IT from Jan 2009 to Nov 2011.Conducting research and directing the Gothenburg Center for Public Learning and Understanding of Science for Sustainability. Focusing on 1) improving communication of key ideas of natural and social science between stakeholders for sustainable resource governance, 2) improving conditions for innovation to support a sustainable future, and 3) including the full global spectrum of people and communities in adopting sustainable practices.

based in the Science and Technology Studies Section in the Dept of Sociology - simultaneous with appointment in Dept. of Chemistry at Chalmers University of Technology

Founded the first company in the world to design and produce inexpensive turn-key, hands- on science exhibits for museums and visitor centers. Over more than 20 years, these products contributed to improving the quality of science learning experiences available to many millions of children and adults in more than 200 museums and science centers worldwide; designed learning environments and galleries; conducted workshops in inquiry and experiential learning for science teachers; designed visitor center experiences for corporations, zoos, aquaria, and museums, including for NASA, IBM, Disney Imagineering, Malaysian Science Centre, and the Science Museum, South Kensington, London.Developed and tested concept of “Guerilla Science,” which uses existing commercial infrastructure and marketing budgets of businesses, rather than public funds, to engage children and parents in learning about science under the guise of entertainment. Placed resources for science learning in educationally under-served neighborhoods and promoted engagement of parents and caregivers in learning with children. Game-like entertainment products and toys based on science were purchased to attract and retain customers in business locations. Products were sold to companies, including Shop Rite grocery stores, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Pizza Hut, and McDonald’s. They were also effective in urban medical clinics where children often waited for long periods of time with little, if any, worthwhile entertainment or stimulation.

Developed and taught lecture and laboratory courses, including group theory and spectroscopy, physical chemistry, and instrumental analysis.

Represented the Exploratorium in meetings with federal, state, and local government agencies that resulted in increased visibility and funding for the Exploratorium and led to expanded collaborative programs and projects.Supported Director’s (Dr. Frank Oppenheimer) fundraising activities, including identifying donors, arranging fund-raising meetings, and making presentations to potential donors.Held significant responsibility for aspects of long-term strategic planning.Managed planning for special exhibitions and family programs and classes.Guided development of selected exhibits by museum staff and artists-in-residence.Organized and hosted “Speaking of Music” arts performance/discussion series for the public.

Conducted research and directed research groups in developing new, more accurate and sensitive methods of molecular detection and measurement using laser spectroscopy and other techniques. The innovative contributions included the first accurate measurement of sizes of liquid aerosol particles by Doppler-shift laser light scattering measurement, the first spontaneous Raman scattering instrument to make molecular measurements on a micrometer size scale, measurement of the time dependence of chemically-specific Raman measurements in turbulent combustion, and substantially improving coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) for chemical characterization, including for flow in a liquid-filled optical fiber.