Keynote Speakers



 


 

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.