When: 23 April 2026, 18:00
Where: OeAD, Ebendorferstraße 7, 1010 Vienna
After the talk socializing over argentinian food and drinks
Fernando Ruiz Peyré studied Geography in Argentina and did his PhD at the University of Innsbruck in 2014. His doctoral research on rural youth in Argentina was supported by the ÖAD North-South-Dialogue scholarship, financed by the Austrian Development Cooperation, which enabled collaborations beyond Europe and shaped his long-standing engagement with Global South research partnerships. From 2011 to 2020, he worked as Assistant Professor at the University of Innsbruck. Since 2020, he has been a researcher at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research in Innsbruck. In 2023 he became Junior Group Leader focusing on Social-Ecological Transformations in mountain regions, work that connects European research with partners and practitioners across the Global North and Global South. The working group addresses the growing challenges faced by mountain societies in the context of “multiple crises”, including climate change, energy transition, and economic and demographic pressures, as well as the pathways towards sustainability these challenges demand.
For five years he coordinated the EU project Highlands.3 (H3) – “Collective Approach of Research & Innovation for Sustainable Development in Highland”, including 45 institutions across 25 countries. The H3 project linked highland regions in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America – from the Alps, Andes, Carpathians, and Balkans to Malawi, Cape Verde, and Vietnam. It addressed practical issues such as social inclusion, land-use transitions, nature-based livelihoods, environmental governance, and climate resilience, translating research insights into usable options for local and regional actors. This diversity of regions and topics fostered both North-South and South-South collaborations.
By combining long-term research exchanges with international Research & Innovation Sessions in mountain regions around the world, H3 helped turn global research into context-sensitive solutions for local decision-makers while building a durable international network across regions and knowledge systems.
In this talk, Fernando will share:
• How research and innovation can support sustainable development in highland regions
• What it takes to coordinate a global consortium of 45 institutions and over 100 scientists and practitioners
• His role in bridging disciplines, regions, and knowledge systems
• Key lessons learned from training early-career researchers through international exchanges and transdisciplinary research
Please register here until 20 April 2026.
