On Sustainability Research Network

Founded in 2005 under the leadership of Amareswar (“Amar”) Galla, the On Sustainability Research Network emerged as one of the first truly interdisciplinary forums to connect environmental science with social equity, cultural diversity, and policy innovation. Galla’s work—spanning UNESCO cultural policy, heritage, and inclusive development—shaped a vision of sustainability that integrated ecology with ethics, participation, and global citizenship.

Since its inception, the International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability has convened with universities and cultural institutions across six continents. Early gatherings were held in UNESCO, Paris; University of Mauritius; and University of Technology Sydney. More recent editions have partnered with the University of Granada (Spain), University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), University of Aveiro (Portugal), University of the Aegean (Greece), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa). These collaborations reflect a long-standing commitment to cross-regional dialogue and comparative approaches to sustainability.

The Network has hosted a distinguished range of plenary speakers whose research and advocacy have reshaped sustainability thinking, including Helena Norberg-Hodge, Vandana Shiva, Hans-Martin Hinz, Katherine Morton, William E. Rees, Junko Edahiro, Elsebeth Gerner Nielsen, and Carlton Eley. Together they have articulated the need for sustainability as an ethical and systemic transformation—bridging ecological science, cultural pluralism, and social justice.

In 2016 the Chair passed to David Humphreys, with José Gutiérrez-Pérez serving as Spanish-language Chair. Humphreys—an internationally recognized authority on global environmental governance, climate policy, and forest diplomacy—has further developed the Network’s scientific and policy dimensions while strengthening its interdisciplinary identity.

Under this leadership, the Network continues to deepen its global reach and methodological breadth—linking empirical evidence, equitable governance, and culturally grounded change.

• 2005 – Local and Global Sustainability, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, Island of Oahu, Hawai’i, USA
• 2006 – Sustainable Heritage Development, Hanoi and Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
• 2007 – Sustainable Communities and the Challenge of Environmental Justice, University of Madras, Chennai, India
• 2008 – Global Sustainable Development, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
• 2009 – Cultural Dimension of Climate Change at the Frontlines, University of Technology, Mauritius
• 2010 – Environmental Heritage, University of Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador
• 2011 – The (Un)Sustainability of Democracy, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
• 2012 – Sustainability as a Global Challenge: Finding the Courage for Compliance, UBC Robson Square, Vancouver, Canada
• 2013 – Toward Sustainability with Resilience, International Conference Center, Hiroshima, Japan
• 2014 – World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism, University of Split, Split, Croatia
• 2015 – Sustainability Dividens—Developmental Fault Lines, Historic City Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 2016 – Urban Sustainability—Inspiration and Solution, Portland State University, Portland, USA
• 2017 – Pathways to Sustainability—Challenges and Opportunities for State and Society, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, Greater Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• 2018 – Forging Solidarity—Collective Sustainability Solutions in a Fragmenting World, The Cairns Institute, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
• 2019 – From Pedagogies for Sustainability to Transformative Social Change, UBC Robson Square, Vancouver, Canada
• 2020 - Sustainability Lessons in the "Global South": Priorities, Opportunities, and Risks, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile & University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
• 2021 - Accelerating the Transition to Sustainability: Policy Solutions for the Climate Emergency, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands (Virtual)
  
• 2022 - Post-Pandemic Sustainability: Towards a Green Economic Recovery for Nature, People and Planet, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
  
• 2023 - Decentering Sustainability: Towards Local Solutions for Global Environmental Problems, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  
• 2024 - Pathways to Sustainability Innovation: Perspectives from Civil Society, Government and Business, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
  
• 2025 - Sustainable Development for a Dynamic Planet: Lessons, Priorities, and Solutions, Florida International University, Miami, USA