Professor Bruce Glavovic receives 2024 Chinese Academy of Sciences Distinguished Scientist Award

This award recognises Professor Glavovic’s global thought leadership on how to make societal choices in turbulent times. His work focuses on climate change, natural hazards planning, coastal governance and collaborative planning and conflict transformation.

Every year, about 200 researchers are nominated for this award by the institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. From there, a committee of the President's International Fellowship Initiative selects around 30 researchers as award winners.

This prestigious award opens opportunities for Professor Glavovic to develop new collaborations with leading Chinese researchers. This builds on his previous collaborations with Chinese academics, chiefly through his leadership roles as vice-chair (2010-2015) and co-chair (2016-2020) of Future Earth Coasts – the leading global network of coastal scientists.

Later this month, Professor Glavovic will conduct a lecture tour at two Chinese Academy of Sciences institutes:

The Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Yantai, focuses on the study of land-ocean interactions, the evolution and sustainable development of resources and the nature of coastal zone environments, with a focus on the influence of global climate change and human activities.

The Institute of Urban Environment, Xiamen, focuses on the study of urban environmental quality changes and ecological health effects, urban environmental pollution control and waste resource utilisation, urban planning and environmental management, including building resilient cities.

He will share the latest research on ocean and coastal governance for sustainable development in the face of escalating risk in a changing climate.

Professor Glavovic has extensive science leadership experience, demonstrated through his contributions to the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment, the IPBES Nexus Report and the United Nations Third World Ocean Assessment, as well as his UNESCO advisory role on how to enable community-based coastal hazard risk reduction.

He will present lectures and seminars on:

• Land-ocean interactions and coastal hazard risk in a changing climate
• Sea-level rise and adaptation pathways over time
• Ocean and coastal governance and barriers and enablers for sustainable development
• Climate resilient development at the coast, with a focus on community-based efforts.

Professor Glavovic will also host leading Chinese academics at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University to co-design a new research programme.

“I am especially interested in studying the governance challenges and opportunities for empowering vulnerable coastal communities and building resilience in coastal cities and settlements in China.”