Following the launch of SocSES on 27 March, our Early Career Hub will host their own online launch a month later to collaboratively kick-start this exciting new chapter.
What is the EC-Hub of SocSES
This is an inclusive and interactive space for Early Career Professionals (ECPs) in Social-Ecological Systems (SES) research and practice who are members of SocSES. The EC Hub aims to support both personal and professional development, helping members connect with diverse perspectives, bridge science-policy-practice divides, and contribute to the future of SES work. Especially in these turbulent and transformational times, we feel it is crucial that we have a truly inclusive and co-creative space to keep inspired and action-oriented toward just, sustainable, and thriving futures for ourselves and subsequent generations. Please visit our page for more information.
What to expect from the EC-Hub Launch
We consist of a small “kickstarter” team that will be hosting a fun and interactive session to share some important information and facilitate a collaborative brainstorming session to co-design our democratic governance. We invite anyone who is interested in joining SocSES as an ECP to join us and see what the EC Hub about and to help shape this emergent space.
Why get involved
SocSES is an open, diverse, and inclusive organization, and we invite anyone who self-identifies as being in the “early career” stages of any SES related work to join. This includes researchers, practitioners, Indigenous Knowledge Holders, community organizers, government actors, politicians, and more. The EC-Hub therefore offers ECPs opportunities for inter/transdisciplinary collaboration and connection within and across the global SES community. By joining you can build your career, learn from peers, engage in inter/transdisciplinary collaborations, access resources tailored to your personal and professional development, and even get involved in the foundational leadership of this emergent space.
The EC Hub will facilitate various activities to build connections, stimulate new ideas, and strengthen the professional development of ECPs within the social-ecological systems field. By engaging in these sessions, members will have the chance to collaborate, learn, and shape the future of SES research and practice together. These will start off slow in the first year, as we focus on co-creating our governance and leadership structures, but will soon gather momentum and grow along with the society as a whole. Based on some initial input gathered from the post-PECS3 virtual EC community, these are examples of activities that the EC Hub are planning to facilitate:
- Online Social Gatherings that connect us in a relaxed and meaningful way, hopefully punctuated with international conferences where many can meet in person.
- Thematic Discussions to bring together a diverse group of ECPs to explore complex topics through a multi-disciplinary lens to encourage in-depth exploration of pressing challenges, innovative solutions, and the latest research trends.
- Speed Talk Sessions for ECPs to briefly present their research, ideas, or projects to foster quick exchanges, highlight diverse topics, and create opportunities for networking opportunities.
- Brainstorming Sessions and Peer Support/Review Groups to create supportive, constructive spaces for members to share challenges, exchange ideas, and receive feedback.
- Project Collaborations and/or Working Groups within the EC Hub will facilitate opportunities for ECPs to work together on specific research and/or practical topics. These collaborative projects range from collaborative paper writing, wide-ranging proposal developments, conference presentations , and more. The EC Hub will coordinate with other SocSES thematic streams to encourage collaborations across thematic streams and working groups.
