For doctoral students, ECCE offers opportunities for interdisciplinary research, with programmes that facilitate explorations of current and relevant topics, including climate risk analysis, sustainable urban planning and innovations in renewable energy. The results of these research endeavours often lead to academic publications that contribute to enriching university knowledge and charting paths for businesses. As detailed above, creating an academic environment conducive to interdisciplinary research and collaboration among experts from diverse fields is a key strength of ECCE. Taking this approach to educational offerings encourages the integration of varied perspectives, methodologies and expertise, ultimately leading to more innovative solutions and comprehensive understanding. Resilience & adaptive capacity As the impacts of climate change become increasingly severe and unpredictable, ECCE is committed to advancing both scientific understanding and practical solutions to mitigate them. Our plan for the future focuses on promoting interdisciplinary research that bridges the gap between climate science, observation-based prediction models for extreme climate events and the societal consequences of these events. In our pursuit of more accurate climate and statistical models, particularly in forecasting extreme weather events such as floods, storms, droughts and heatwaves, we are seeking to enhance our capabilities by integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve predictions and identify previously unrecognised patterns. ECCE also plans to enhance collaboration with international research institutions and environmental organisations, thereby creating a global network of experts dedicated to tackling
uncertainties, which is crucial for companies that must adapt to changing market conditions brought on by climate events. Insights to enrich knowledge To delve into the physical drivers of climate extremes, such as atmospheric dynamics and climate physics, ECCE hosts monthly seminars. These cover the forecasting, projection and modelling of extreme climate events, as well as the quantification of their impacts through risk modelling. Speakers are drawn from a diverse range of backgrounds – academia, cantonal and federal offices and private industry – fostering a multidisciplinary exchange of knowledge and expertise. Master’s and doctoral students from both faculties (FGSE and HEC Lausanne) benefit enormously from these cross-disciplinary seminars. ECCE also runs a weather club in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology and engages in awareness activities, such as meteorological monitoring and drafting reports for the general public. These initiatives highlight ECCE’s commitment to society. By making research findings on climate impacts more accessible, the centre can play a vital role in raising awareness among the public and informing decision-makers. Interdisciplinarity within ECCE is not just an academic asset but also a necessity for addressing contemporary climate challenges, allowing for an integrated and effective response to extreme climate events that impact our societies and economies. Although ECCE is not yet formally integrated into the University of Lausanne’s undergraduate curricula, it is already offering regular courses at doctoral level, notably in actuarial sciences, a field that can meet the increasingly urgent need for risk calculations related to extreme climate events.
“Interdisciplinarity within ECCE is not just an academic asset but also a necessity for addressing climate challenges”
28 Business Impact • ISSUE 1 • 2025
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online