Public lecture on social-ecological systems

GEORGE NEWS - Nelson Mandela University's Faculty of Science will host an institutional public lecture under the theme 'Social-ecological systems' at its George campus on Wednesday 25 September.

Former Director General of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, will deliver the keynote address.

Mandela University's Natural Resource Science and Management (NRSM) scholar Dr Rhoda Malgas and PhD student Nelsiwe Mpapane are the respondents.

The acting executive dean of the faculty, Prof Zenixole Tshentu, says the lecture is perfectly placed at the George campus.

"The campus is the university’s sustainability hub and home to the NRSM cluster that offers a comprehensive approach to the question of sustainability."

He says the Garden Route region is internationally renowned for its high levels of biodiversity, cultural heritage and indigenous knowledge systems.

"Research themes of common interest centre around ecosystem integrity, as well as the establishment of resilient multifunctional landscapes as a foundation for stable socio-ecological systems.

"It is in this context and background that the Faculty of Science is pleased to be hosting its inaugural institutional public lecture in George.

"One of the university's values is environmental stewardship, posing a challenge to rethink humans' relationship with the natural world and urging a move beyond the traditional view of 'man and nature' to a more integrated and holistic understanding of 'man in nature'.

"Achieving sustainable well-being is not a challenge that can be addressed solely through scientific advances. It requires a comprehensive approach that includes sociological insights, business innovation, and, importantly, behavioural change in how we consume and procure resources," says Tshentu.

The lecture starts at 17:30 for 18:00 in the Mopani Lecture Theatre.

Dr Albert van Jaarsveld