By Jackie Hamilton, Rafael Lembi, Katja Malmborg, Morgan MathisonSlee, Kinga Psiuk, Caroline Wallington and Rowan Alden Hull (EC Hub Kickstarter Team)

After the official launch of the Society for Social-Ecological Systems (SocSES) in March 2025, the ‘Kickstarter Team’ of the SocSES Early Career Hub hosted two online launch events for the EC Hub. These events were designed to kickstart the co-creation of a shared vision for the Hub by gathering insights from Early-Career Professionals (ECPs) and by building a sense of community and ownership among diverse participants. Holding two sessions – the first in April 2025 and the second session in June 2025 – allowed the EC Hub Kickstarter Team to accommodate different time zones and enhance global inclusivity, with the second session especially focused on better representing voices from Oceania and Asia. In total, around 125 ECPs joined across the two events.

Rather than being duplicates, the events were designed to form two separate parts of the EC Hub’s launch. This meant the second event built upon the insights gathered during the first event. The Kickstarter Team created a consolidated Miro board to capture conversations from the two events. This post provides a summary of the ongoing co-creation process, outlining shared themes, evolving ideas, and next steps for building a vibrant and inclusive EC Hub at SocSES.

Shared values and emerging themes

Across both events, participants emphasized a desire for connection, collaboration, inclusion, and support. These were not only recurring words in the icebreaker word clouds, but also central themes in breakout discussions. Whether participants were passionate about systems thinking, water governance, social equity, or interdisciplinary methods, there was a clear interest in creating a space that transcends disciplinary silos and fosters meaningful professional relationships. Importantly, inclusion was seen in broad terms: linguistic accessibility, geographical representation, and diverse disciplinary backgrounds.

Activities and aspirations for the EC Hub

When asked what kinds of activities and events the EC Hub should coordinate, participants across both events envisioned a multi-faceted and dynamic community. Some recurring ideas included:

• Skills and knowledge sharing: from research methods training to collaborative writing groups and virtual symposiums.
• Career development: including mentorship, access to job and funding opportunities, and guidance on navigating key career transitions.
• Informal and relational spaces: virtual meet-ups, peer support networks, and curiosity-driven conversations.
• Regional Hubs: to enable more time zone-sensitive, culturally grounded, and linguistically accessible engagement – including in-person gatherings where feasible.
• Equity and access: small research grants, open access to scholarly materials, and flexible formats for participation.

These aspirations reflect a broader call to ensure the EC Hub isn’t merely replicating the thematic work done by other spaces within SocSES, but rather offering a supportive infrastructure for ECPs’ diverse needs and contributions.

Contributions and governance

During both sessions, participants expressed a willingness to contribute time, skills, lived experiences, and mentorship to the EC Hub. However, many noted that clearer pathways for participation are essential. Suggestions for ensuring this includes structured yet flexible roles, rotating leadership, and simplified communication channels. A strong preference emerged for a decentralized and inclusive governance model that enables regional leadership, emphasizes transparent communication, and builds slowly but solidly. Participants favored structures that could evolve over time while being grounded in clear values from the start.

Barriers and needs for support

The second event placed particular emphasis on understanding barriers to participation. Several practical and systemic challenges emerged, including:

• Time and financial constraints: Most participants juggle heavy workloads and limited funding, which can impact participation.
• Time zones: Continue to be a barrier to synchronous engagement and highlight the importance of regional coordination.
• Feeling isolated: Many ECPs work in institutions where SES is not a well-developed field, making networks, such as SocSES, particularly valuable, but also harder to access.
• Lack of confidence in skills: Some participants feel uncertain about what they can contribute, especially without structured support.

To address these, participants recommended the creation of a shared calendar of events, a skills repository, and clear communication platform that can foster connection even in asynchronous formats. Providing space for people to learn, contribute at different levels, and engage on their own terms will be key to sustaining long-term involvement.

Reflections and next steps

Together, these two events mark a promising start for the EC Hub. The energy, openness, and creativity of ECPs were evident in both sessions. Yet, as participants highlighted, enthusiasm must be matched with institutional grounding, consistency, and follow-through.

Based on feedback from both sessions, the next steps include:

• Creating a clear communication infrastructure, including appointing a rotating “EC Hub Communication Maestro” who will be the main point of contact, facilitating discussions on the SocSES Community Portal, facilitating events hosted by ECPs, and creating a shared event calendar. 
• Communicating the needs of ECPs to the Transition Team, including the need for consolidated resources and opportunities (e.g., jobs, funding, publications, training) into a central repository.
• Fostering collaboration between the EC Hub and Regional Hubs to ensure language inclusivity, recognizing the importance of cultural and geographic diversity in our global network.

Co-creating the EC Hub is an ongoing process, most certainly not limited to the two events that were held earlier in 2025. As the EC Hub Kickstarter Team moves forward, they invite all ECPs, as well as the broader SocSES community, to stay engaged, share their ideas, and take an active part in shaping a Hub that is as diverse, inclusive, and dynamic as the community it serves.