Call for Abstracts: Land Use for Net Zero Hub Early Career Conference

Dear colleagues,

 

We are pleased to open the call for abstracts for the Land Use for Net Zero Hub Early Career Conference, which will be held on 7 September (1:00–6:00 pm) at the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen, ahead of the LUNZ consortium meeting (8–10 September). The call for abstracts will close on 12 June 2026.

 

The conference theme is: “Future Careers at the Science–Policy Interface: Exploring Opportunities and Challenges in LUNZ.”

 

We aim to bring together early career researchers and practitioners from LUNZ Hub and LUNZ Research, as well as other early career groups interested in the conference themes, to network, share work, and discuss careers at the science–policy interface.

 

We welcome abstracts for poster and oral presentations within the following themes. Submissions can include works in progress and unpublished research, as we aim to stimulate open dialogue, feedback, and learning. We also encourage contributions from partners beyond academia. The format of the day will be shaped by the level of interest across these topics:

 

• Transdisciplinary collaboration across sectors and knowledge systems
• Science communication and knowledge impact
• Modelling and evidence for land use change
• Integrating people, place, and nature in Net Zero transitions
• Just transitions and community resilience
• Community-based research in academia and policy

 

Please complete the following form to submit your abstract: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeOzhkowu0NdM3YlQz-XEIovSB3805zX5LTT4Fm7FzBPq3f7Q/viewform?usp=header

 

Once we have received and reviewed abstracts, we will open up registration to presenters and the wider community.

 

If you are interested in helping with the organisation of the conference at an early stage, we would be very happy to hear from you—please get in touch.

 

We look forward to your participation.

 

Best regards,

LUNZ Early Career Board

https://lunzhub.com/get-involved/early-careers-board/

 

Anita Lazurko (she/her)

Senior Transdisciplinary Scientist

Biodiversity and Land Use

--------------------------------

My source: At 'Ecologies of Care':

Henrike (Kika) Neuhaus

Pronouns: she/her, they/them

Post-doctoral Research Fellow in Anthropology and Art

Livelihoods and Institutions Department

Natural Resources Institute

University of Greenwich 

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1245-5881

Are concepts of adolescence from the Global North appropriate for Africa? A debate

'The proponents for the motion argued that adolescence is indeed a distinct developmental phase when puberty is achieved and the neurocognitive development that occurs shapes behaviours that impact health outcomes. This occurs universally, is marked by cultural rites, and recognised in legal frameworks and therefore geographical distinctions in understanding are unnecessary.'

'The opponents argued that adolescence is more than a biological or legally recognised transition to adulthood: instead, concepts, including that of adolescence, are shaped by beliefs, values and expectations founded within a cultural milieu. The concept is dissonant to Africa as it prioritises individualism over communalism, and attributes gender and social roles as accepted in the Global North.'

'Thus, many interventions targeted at adolescents in Africa have remained ineffective. The notion that the concept of adolescence, which originated in the Global North but is universally applied, is a consequence of colonialism giving less value to the lived realities and understandings of peoples from the Global South.

For achieving both epistemic justice and effective health policy and programmes in global health, acknowledgement and centralisation of context are critical. However, in a more interlinked and open world, there is a massive potential for cross-learning and collaboration across geographies to develop a concerted approach to improve the health of adolescents and for a more equitable global health practice.

However, adolescence is also a social entity shaped by beliefs and values within different cultural contexts. A move away from universal, often western-defined concepts of adolescence, to centring the distinct sociocultural factors that shape adolescence in different societies will enable more effective policies and programming.' (Summary box) 

INDIVIDUAL

|

   INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES              

humanistic ------------------------------- mechanistic

 SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL   

|

GROUP

debate (argumentation) mental space, mindset my beliefs values expectations ENCULTURATION Not just NORTH - SOUTH  but WEST - EAST philosophy of mind belief systems "I DID IT MY WAY" individualism

[Hodges' model] 'Health career' - 'life chances'  2018 - scientific symposium Mwanza, Tanzania 'Adolescence is widely defined as a distinct phase in the life-course during which an individual completes their biological development and transitions from childhood to adulthood.' Appropriate for Africa - health interventions and global health policy that are shaped by such concepts can be universally applicable and relevant? geographical distinctions physical place, space, locale biology - neurocognitive - puberty

communalism universal - cultural rites adolescence - global north culture but applied universally 'adolescence is also a social entity shaped by beliefs and values within different cultural contexts' ETHNOLOGY - SOCIO-CULTURAL Gender - social roles The rise of POPULAR CULTURE: Arts - music, film, drama, literature ... media, technology "WE DO IT OUR WAY"?! "Comme d'habitude"

legal - policy Is there a universal conceptual model to critique*: UNIVERSALITY 'GLOBAL HEALTH' UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE HEALTH FOR ALL HEALTH INFORMATION FOR ALL 'COLLECTIVE EMPATHY' EQUITY - EQUALITY ...? In policy can you ignore LONG-LAT? epistemic justice  effective health policy programmes in global health - aimed at adolescents acknowledgement centralisation of context  glocal/global - WHO - national/local

Many thanks to the authors:

Nothando Ngwenya, Chido Dziva Chikwari, Janet Seeley, Rashida Abbas Ferrand - Are concepts of adolescence from the Global North appropriate for Africa? A debate: BMJ Global Health 2023;8:e012614. https://gh.bmj.com/content/8/12/e012614

My source:
https://x.com/chidodc/status/1735564926423277571?s=20

Reminded of 'My Way' :: 'American Graffiti'

*I have long wondered what models of care, models of nursing, nursing and care theories may be found in Africa, across Europe, Asia, South America, Native North America, Australasia and Oceania?  

Is Hodges' model truly global and universal - is it (can a model of care be) culturally neutral? Perhaps, this is another conference debate, or might constitute a special journal issue?

23rd UKSS International Conference: Systems: Transition to a Sustainable World

23rd UKSS International Conference

Systems: Transition to a Sustainable World

15th of September 2023 in the Richmond Building, University of Portsmouth

The Conference programme for the 15th of September is as follows: UKSS 2023 Conference programme Friday the 15th of September Time Activity 10.00 – 10.30 a.m. Arrival and registration, Reception, The Richmond Building 10.30 – 10.45 a.m. Welcome by the UKSS President, Professor Stowell, Room 201 10.45 – 11.45 p.m. Keynote presentation, Ray Ison, Read More …

I thought I had posted this news, but it seems not. I'm pleased to do so now and have only recently  booked. As above, the conference is for one day and costs £25.00 while free for UKSS members, which will make you a UKSS member if not already. You can attend in-person or virtually.

As per 2018 when I presented Hodges' model in Portsmouth, I plan to attend physically, visiting Oxford on the way down.