Prof. Eric J. Strauss
Michigan State University, USA
Dr. Eric Strauss is Professor Emeritus of
Urban and Regional Planning at Michigan State
University. He received his J.D. from Northwestern
University School of Law and his PhD in Urban and
Regional Planning from the University of
Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to joining Michigan State,
he taught at the University of Kansas where he was
the Chair of the Graduate Program in Urban Planning
and Indiana University.
While at Michigan State University, he was a former
director of the URP program. In the School of
Planning, Design and Construction. He also was a
Visiting Professor at universities in South Korea,
Ireland, and Germany. He was a Fulbright Scholar to
Panama and to Romania. He was named the “Outstanding
Site Visitor” by the Planning Accreditation Board
for 2022. He is the current President of the
Advisory Academic Council on Signage Research and
Education (AACSRE).
Dr. Strauss had more than 40 years of experience in
planning practice in both the public and private
sector. He was a planner for federal and state
governments, a city and county planning director, a
city attorney, and a consultant to more than 50
organizations, both public and private, on a wide
variety of planning related issues. Strauss prepared
many comprehensive plans and land use regulations at
all levels of detail for many communities.
His current research interests include measuring the
impact of climate action plans adopted by local
governments and universities as well as policies for
sustainability. He has published articles in the
fields of renewable energy, climate change and
climate refugees.
Speech title "Integrating Climate Security into U.S. University Energy Planning and Policies: A Pathway to Sustainable Governance"
Abstract-As public institutions with significant
energy demands and policy influence, U.S.
universities play a crucial role in advancing
climate security through integrated energy planning
and governance innovation. This study examines the
incorporation of climate security principles into
public universities' energy policies and frameworks,
emphasizing their potential to drive sustainable
governance.
The research evaluates institutional practices and
perceptions within campus populations using a
mixed-methods approach, including policy document
analysis, semi-structured stakeholder interviews,
and community surveys. The findings reveal
significant variability in approaches to climate
security integration. Universities are categorized
into “proactive institutions” that formally embed
climate security principles into their energy
policies and align them with broader climate
objectives, and “reactive institutions,” which treat
climate-related risks as operational concerns
without strategic alignment to overarching
sustainability goals. This dichotomy underscores the
need for more comprehensive frameworks that
transcend reactive measures to address climate risks
holistically.
The research identifies three critical policy
pathways for mainstreaming climate security: (1)
aligning campus energy goals with regional and
national climate strategies to ensure coherence; (2)
strengthening governance through interdepartmental
collaboration and accountability mechanisms to
address risks comprehensively; and (3) adopting
justice-oriented engagement practices to prioritize
equitable access to resilient energy systems and
address social equity alongside environmental
considerations.
This research highlights the transformative
potential of institutional leadership and
multi-stakeholder collaboration by conceptualizing
universities as ‘policy laboratories’ for
climate-secure energy governance. Universities have
the opportunity to model best practices and
influence broader societal transitions toward
climate justice and security. In conclusion,
advancing climate security on university campuses
requires shifting from reactive to strategic
approaches in energy planning. By prioritizing
policy coherence, fostering collaboration, and
integrating principles of equity and justice,
universities can lead the way in addressing one of
the most pressing challenges of our time.
Prof. Roberto San Jose
Technical University of Madrid, Spain
Prof. Roberto San Jose is a Professor of the Technical University of Madrid (UPM). He studied Physics in the University of Valladolid (Spain) and made the Ph. D. in 1983 on relation to Atmospheric Boundary Layer. He became associated professor in University of Valladolid in 1986. He was on leave in the Max-Planck Institute of Meteorology in Hamburg (Germany) in 1989-1990 and He was a guest senior scientist in the IBM-Bergen Environmental Sciences and Solutions Center in Bergen (Norway) in 1990-1992. In 1992 he moved to the Computer Science School of the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) in Madrid (Spain). In 2001 he became head professor of the UPM. In 1992 He started a laboratory in UPM called Environmental Software and Modelling Group. Up to now, Prof. San Jose has been principal investigator in more than 200 projects related with Air Quality and Climate issues. The projects were down with private and public companies and also with European Union. More than 20 EU projects on the environmental area and Information Technology have been carried out.
Prof. Eric van Hullebusch
Université Paris Cité, France
Prof. Eric D. van Hullebusch received his PhD (Aquatic Chemistry and Microbiology) from Université de Limoges (France) in 2002. From November 2002 until October 2004 he was a Marie Curie Postdoctoral fellow at Wageningen University & Research (the Netherlands) where his research focused on the optimization of anaerobic granular sludge reactors by studying the speciation, bioavailability and dosing strategies of trace metals. In 2005, he was appointed as associate professor in biogeochemistry of engineered ecosystems at Université Paris-Est (France). In 2012, Eric van Hullebusch obtained his Habilitation qualification in Environmental Sciences from Université Paris-Est (France). The title of his Habilitation thesis is “Biofilms in the environment: from anaerobic wastewater treatment to material bioweathering”. From September 2016 until August 2018, he worked at IHE Delft as chair professor in Environmental Science and Technology and head of the Pollution Prevention and Resource Recovery chair group. In September 2018, he joined Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (France) as full professor in Biogeochemistry of engineered ecosystems.