The Collaborative Governance thematic working group invites you to a webinar with Denise Simmons on reimagining science-based and institutional-led innovation for a (climate) resilient agricultural system in Guyana.

🗓️ Tuesday, 16 December 2025

🕑 09:00 Arizona (MST) / 11:00 EST / 17:00 CET / 18:00 CAT

🔗 Register to attend here

During this webinar, Denise will present research that analyses how Guyana’s agricultural institutions are innovating to keep the climate-vulnerable rice sector resilient. Using the hypothesis of induced innovation, document analysis, and focus groups, the study shows how science-based advances and polycentric collaboration – spanning new rice varieties, agronomy, ICT tools, and water management – co-produce adaptation. The research clarifies how institutional arrangements shape the generation, coordination, and scaling of climate-resilient innovation.

ℹ️ More information on the speaker:
Denise Simmons is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Environmental Studies of the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Guyana where she teaches courses in Environmental Chemistry, Aquatic Sciences and Environmental Impact Assessment. Her research interests and scholarly work are primarily in environmental pollution, environmental impact assessment, education for sustainable development, and more recently at the intersection of institutions, innovation and climate adaptation. She holds a BSc in Chemistry/Physics and a MSc in Environmental Science. She defended her dissertation in November 2025 and is set to graduate with a PhD in Innovation in Global Development from the Rob Walton College of Global Futures, Arizona State University, in December 2025.