The international dimension is an integral part of the identity and scientific activity of the Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences of Aragon (IUCA). Contemporary environmental challenges — including climate change, biodiversity conservation, the sustainable management of resources, global health, territorial transformations, and the protection of natural and cultural heritage — transcend borders and require responses built on scientific cooperation and knowledge exchange.
IUCA research groups and researchers are actively engaged in collaboration with universities, research centres and institutions in numerous countries, participating in scientific networks, international projects and consortia, joint publications, research stays, conferences, and other initiatives related to knowledge generation and transfer. This cooperation makes it possible to address environmental challenges from multidisciplinary perspectives and to compare different processes, territories and contexts, while also strengthening the international profile of the research carried out at the University of Zaragoza.
IUCA in UNITA
A particularly important framework for this internationalisation is UNITA – Universitas Montium, the European university alliance of which the University of Zaragoza is a member. Through UNITA, IUCA participates in a range of initiatives, projects and collaborative spaces that connect researchers from European universities and foster the creation of new scientific networks.
The participation of IUCA researchers in different UNITA Research Hubs helps establish links between teams with shared interests, develop joint research proposals and promote interdisciplinary initiatives in areas closely related to IUCA’s research lines. The alliance also provides a valuable framework for connecting research, education, innovation and territory, with particular attention to the challenges faced by rural, mountain and cross-border areas.
These networks broaden opportunities for scientific cooperation and enable knowledge and methodologies developed in Aragon to interact with those generated in other European territories.
Mapping our research around the world
IUCA’s international dimension can also be seen in a very tangible way: through the places where we conduct our research.
IUCAMundi, the Institute’s interactive map of scientific activity, makes it possible to visualise study areas, sample locations and territories associated with the publications of IUCA researchers. From Aragon and the Iberian Peninsula to numerous locations across Europe and other regions of the world, the map illustrates the geographical scope of research built through connections between people, institutions and territories.
IUCAMundi therefore offers another way of understanding internationalisation: not only through projects or institutional agreements, but by showing where knowledge is generated, where collaborations are established and how far IUCA research reaches.
Ultimately, the Institute’s international outlook contributes to strengthening scientific excellence, building long-lasting cooperation networks and increasing the impact of the knowledge generated at the University of Zaragoza, connecting research carried out in Aragon with major environmental and social challenges at a global scale.
IUCA’s international dimension is also reflected in the participation of its researchers in international scientific committees and networks, expert panels, societies and international organisations, as well as in the organisation and coordination of international conferences, meetings and scientific activities, the evaluation of research projects and publications, and the assumption of positions and responsibilities within leading scientific organisations.
Further details on this activity — together with participation in international projects, research stays, collaborations and other initiatives — can be found in the Institute’s annual reports, which provide an overview of the activities carried out by its research groups and researchers.