Risk and Uncertainty in Societal Transformations
Date: 8-9 September 2025
Location: University of Luxembourg, Esch/Alzette, Campus Belval, Maison du Savoir.
In an era defined by unprecedented challenges and rapid societal transformations, understanding and addressing risk and uncertainty has never been more critical. This conference brings together thought leaders, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to explore how societies can navigate complex, interrelated risks while fostering resilience and sustainable development.
The interplay of global challenges—ranging from climate and energy crises to cyber threats, geopolitical shifts, and the sustainability of essential systems such as finance, agriculture, and space—demands innovative methodologies, interdisciplinary dialogue, and actionable solutions. By engaging with these pressing issues, we aim to deepen our understanding of the vulnerabilities and inequities that shape risk landscapes and co-create pathways for equitable and sustainable futures.
Draft Program
Monday 8th September
11:00 - 12:00 | Registration and Coffee
12:00 - 12:10 | Welcome Address
12:10 - 12:15 | Welcome Address SRA-E Benelux - Catherine Wong
12:15 - 13:00 | Keynote 1: “Spatial Imaginaries and the Social Geographies of Low-Carbon Transitions” - Patrick Devine Wright
13:00 - 13:15 | Coffee Break
13:15 - 14:00 | Panel Discussion 1: Risk and Public Acceptance of New Technologies - Patrick Devine Wright, Rose Facchini, Sabrina Alam
14:00 - 15:00 | Lunch and poster Session
15:00 - 16:00 | Parallel Session 1
16:00 - 16:15 | Coffee Break
16:15 - 17:15 | Parallel Session 2
Tuesday 9th September
08:30 - 09:15 | Arrival and Coffee
09:15 - 10:00 | Keynote 2: “Bridging the Risk Gap: Ground-Truth Intelligence for Adaptive Cybersecurity in a Precarious Technological Era” - Alexandre Dulaunoy
10:00 - 11:00 | Parallel Session 3
11:00 - 11:15 | Coffee Break
11:15 - 12:00 | Panel Discussion 2: Risk vs hazards: a conceptual cloud on the future of risk analysis? - Ragnar Löfstedt, Frederic Bouder, Tom Jansen, Rob Smal, Stephanie Hurst
12:00 - 13:00 | Lunch and poster Session
13:00 - 14:00 | Parallel Session 4
14:00 - 14:15 | Closing Address
14:15 - 15:15 | Drinks and Networking
Keynote and panel speakers
- Alexandre Dulaunoy. Head of CIRCL - Computer Incident Response Center Luxembourg
- Patrick Devine-Wright. Professor at the University of Exeter and head of ACCESS - Advancing Capacity for Climate and Environment Social Science (https://accessnetwork.uk).
- Sabrina Alam. KPMG. Director in the Sustainability Advisory Practice at KPMG Luxembourg.
- Rose Facchini. Lecturer at Tufts University, Massachusetts.
- Patrick Devine-Wright. Professor at the University of Exeter.
- Ragnar Löfstedt. Professor of Risk Management at King's College London.
- Frederic Bouder. Professor of Risk Management at the University of Stavanger, Norway.
- Tom Jansen. Risk, decision making and communication scientist, Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, The Netherlands.
- Rob Smal. Policy maker at the Ministery of Climate Policy and Green Growth, The Netherlands.
- Stephanie Hurst, Thüringen federal state government, Germany
Call for abstracts
The Society for Risk Analysis-Europe Benelux Chapter invites all contributions related to risk, e.g., risk analysis, risk management, risk governance, risk ethics, risk perception, and risk communication. We particularly welcome contributions that focus on risk perception in relation to societal transformations and technological innovation systems. Contributions from other domains are also welcome.
Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:
- Interplay of Poverty, Inequality, and Vulnerability to Risk
- Geopolitics
- Migration & Borders
- Climate and Energy Risks
- Risk methodologies and policy assessment
- Sustainable Finance
- Space Sustainability
- Cybersecurity and digital risks
- Food and Agriculture: Navigating Risks for a Sustainable Future
- Resilience and sustainability transformation
Abstracts (max. 500 words or 1 page, single spaced, 12 pt, Times New Roman) and queries should be submitted to sra.e.benelux(at)gmail.com. Don't forget to add all authors names and affiliations with the abstract.
Dates
Abstract submission deadline: 31st May 2025, extended to June 12th, 2025.
Notification of acceptance: 27th June 2025, extended to July 3rd, 2025.
Abstract submission deadline for posters: 18th July 2025
Notification of acceptance of posters: 31st July 2025
Registration deadline for presenters in parallel sessions: 8th August 2025
Registration deadline for all who participants (including poster presenters): 22nd August 2025
Registration
The registration fee amounts to 30 euro. Registration can be done here: Registration page
Travel and accommodation information
Here are some hotels near the university for you to choose from.
Otherwise, you can easily choose a hotel in Luxembourg city centre and take the free public transport to the university.
Trains from Luxembourg Gare to Belval depart every 30 minutes and the whole journey takes around 40 minutes. Buses are also available from Luxembourg Gare but take a little longer (1 hour).
Use this website to plan your journey: https://www.mobiliteit.lu/en/plan-a-trip/
If you have any queries please email us at sra.e.benelux(at)gmail.com
For more information, follow us also on: LinkedIn.
