Impressions of the Conference 2014 in Istanbul

The SRA-Europe 2014 Istanbul Conference hosted 259 participants not only from Europe and Turkey but also from Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Iran, Japan, South Africa, Taiwan and the U.S.A. About 70% of the participants were academicians and 15% were affiliated to researches institutes. The representatives from governmental bodies and private entities had a share of 15%. During the conference, three plenary sessions, 13 symposiums and 27 parallel sessions were organized; 163 papers and 16 posters were presented.

The conference started with a welcome reception in the courtyard of conference venue, Taşkışla Building. Participants enjoyed Turkish food and the amazing atmosphere of the 162 year-old building.

The scientific program of the conference was enriched by the valuable contributions of Ortwin Renn (University of Stuttgart), Juergen Weichselgartner (University of Kiel), Louise K. Comfort (University of Pittsburgh), Mustafa Erdik (Bogazici University), Scira Menoni (Politecnico di Milano) and Richard Eiser (University of Sheffield) during the plenary sessions. The most emphasized topics in the SRA-Europe 2014 Istanbul Conference were risk perception and risk communication where the participants assessed and discussed community’s behavior on risk related issues with the recent triggers (climate change, nuclear accident in Japan, energy etc.); and innovative approaches to enhance risk dialogue among stakeholders to contribute risk governance. Food security was another highlighted topic referring the safety gaps in production and processes, susceptibility to chemical and radioactive contamination; and consumer responses to new technologies. The sessions on urban and structural risks addressed risk assessment in urban areas and mitigation methods in different case studies.

The poster session on Monday was accompanied by a reception, which was sponsored by the Journal of Risk Research. After voting for the best poster award, participants enjoyed the oriental cover of most famous soundtracks by street musicians, Metrostrings.

The SRA-E student scholarships were awarded to Nicolas Rossignol (University of Liège, Belgium), Nick Boase (University of Exeter Medical School, U.K.) and Etsuko Yoshida (University of Tokyo, Japan). They received a contribution worth 750 euro to their conference expenses. The “Best Poster Award” was presented to Ateda Khadijah Isimekhai, John Watt, Hemda Garelick and Diane Purchase for their poster entitled “Environmental risk associated with improper e-waste activities in Lagos, Nigeria”.

The conference dinner took place in the largest floating restaurant in Turkey where participants tasted delicious Turkish food and spectacular view of Bosphorus in the sunset and the night.

In 2015, the SRA-Europe Conference will be held in Maastricht, the Netherlands with the special theme: “Science, Policy and Society: Bridging the gap between risk and science”. The other focal risk topics (i.e. science-informed risk decisions, evidence and risk) will also bring insights in risk issues to complement disaster risk reduction.

Last modified: 22 August, 2014

Welcome to Istanbul!

The 23rd Annual meeting will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, 16 - 18 June 2014. The special theme of this conference is "Analysis and governance of risks beyond boundaries".

On this page, information on the programme, registration procedures, transportation and venue will be posted.

Theme, aims and topics

The special theme of the conference is “Analysis and Governance of Risks beyond Boundaries”

• to emphasize that risks are able to travel through the virtual boundaries labeled as “regions”, “territories” and “countries”,
• to promote recent scientific novelties in risk reduction and
• to enhance inter-disciplinary approaches to develop new strategies in both evaluating and coping with well-known and less-known risks.

The special topics for the conference 2014 are:

• Risk analysis and governance of major risks and catastrophic events
• Risk perception at individual and institutional level
• Risk communication and participation
• International and cross-border collaborations in risk reduction
• Anthropogenic risks
• Safety and security issues
• Evaluation of technological disasters triggered by natural hazards
• Economic loss estimation and insurance
• Risks on public health and food security
• Outcomes of policies, regulations and governance of risks
• Uncertainty and complexity of risks
• New paradigms in risk assessment and risk reduction

Last modified: 10 June 2013

Conference activities

Each conference day will open with a plenary session with keynote presentations, followed by parallel sessions and special symposia related to the specific topics. Presentations on other topics within the broad interest of SRA are also welcomed.

The preliminary program of the conference will be available early May 2014. 

Last modified: 23 November, 2013

Keynote speakers

The following speakers have so far agreed to give a key note: 

• Prof.Dr. Ortwin Renn, President of SRA, University of Stuttgart
  Title: Systemic Risk: Identifying, Addressing and Governing Global Threats
  
  
• Assoc.Prof.Dr. Scira Menoni, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
  Title: Forthcoming
  
  
• Dr. Juergen Weichselgartner, University of Kiel, Germany
  Title: Towards Co-designing Resilience: Boundaries of a Contemporary Concept
  
  
• Prof.Dr. Louise K. Comfort, University of Pittsburgh, U.S.A
  Title: Digital Technologies, Complex Systems, and Extreme Events: Measuring Change in Policy Networks
  
  
• Prof.Dr. Richard Eiser, University of Sheffield, UK
  Title: Why Risk Perceptions Resist Change?
  
  
• Prof.Dr. Mustafa Erdik
  Title: Earthquake risk and its mitigation in Istanbul

Last modified: 26 January, 2014

• ‘Resilience of Regions in the Face of Risks’
  A Joint Special Symposium of SRA-E & ERSA (European Regional Science Association). This symposium aims to provide a platform for discussion how resilience of regions can be improved in the face of risks from an interdisciplinary perspective. This Joint Special Symposium also aims to initiate a collaboration between the two networks that may lead to further joint activities in the future. For further information on this Joint Special Symposium of SRA-E & ERSA please click here. 

Last modified: 22 November 2013

Authors wishing to present their work at the conference in the form of an oral presentation, poster or symposium are requested to submit an abstract no later than January 31th, 2014. *
 
Abstracts and symposium proposals will be reviewed by the International Scientific Advisory Board. Upon acceptance authors will be notified by March 15th, 2014. The final program schedule will be available at the mid of May 2014.

Submission of abstract for individual paper and poster
 
Abstracts for individual papers and posters should be submitted electronically, by filling out the abstract submission form.

The abstract of an oral presentation or poster should be 400 words maximum and include specific field of interest, issues addressed, methodology applied and results achieved or expected.

Submission of abstract for a symposium
 

The general scheme is a symposium with 4 presentations, lasting for 90 minutes in total.

Abstracts for symposia should not exceed 800 words. Symposium abstracts can be submitted by contacting the local organiser at srae2014@itu.edu.tr .
 
The symposium organiser is requested to submit:

• a description of the general theme of the symposium
• a list of the name(s) of the symposium leader(s) and
• a list of the individual presentations (title, author(s))

Abstract submission forms

 To submit a contribution, please click HERE.

*Submitting an abstract does not mean that you are registered for the conference. The organizers require the commitment of the author or one of the authors of the papers to register for and attend the conference to present the paper. If none of the authors of an abstract have registered for the conference by the deadline, the presentation will be removed from the conference program.

Authors are invited to submit full-length papers which will be assessed for publication in a special issue of Journal of Risk Research (optional). The submission of a full paper is optional; it is possible to present an abstract without writing a full paper.
In regards to the guidelines for full length paper, the committee will use the same guideline as “Journal of Risk Research” uses. Please read more on the web page of Journal of Risk Research

Full length paper must be submitted to srae2014@itu.edu.tr, until June 2nd, 2014.

Last modified: 31 January 2014

Programme Annual Meeting in Istanbul available.

The programme of the Annual Meeting in Istanbul, June 2014, can be downloaded HERE.

Last modified: 28 May, 2014

The SRA-Europe Conference in 2014 is open to all interested researchers and experts in the various fields of risk analysis. Industry representatives, governmental bodies and relevant public and private institutions are welcomed. Graduate students are also encouraged to participate.

The fees for the conference depend on type of membership and the registration date (early bird, late bird). The deadline for early bird registration is 15 April 2014.

SRA members who choose to be affiliated to SRA Europe as when they renew their 2014 SRA membership (40 US dollars) will receive a reduction of € 50 (currently around 70 US dollars) on the conference fee.

The registration fee covers:

• Conference materials
  
• Lunch
• Cocktails 
  
• Coffee breaks
• Conference Dinner
  

Registration module will be available soon. 

 The registration module will be available soon.

Last modified: 23 November 2013

Registration for our conference in Istanbul now open

The registration for the conference in Istanbul is now open. To register for the conference, click here: srae2014.itu.edu.tr

There is a substantial discount of € 50 (currently around 70 US dollars) on the conference fee for SRA members who chose to be affiliated to SRA Europe when they renewed their 2014 SRA membership (40 US dollars).

It is not too late to benefit from this discount. If you have not renewed your 2014 membership, or indeed if you wish to become an SRA member for the first time, you can do this on the SRA website (http://www.sra.org/membership-benefits). Be sure to select the box to affiliate to SRA Europe - and you are then entitled to register at the Istanbul meeting for the reduced fee.

For authors presenting an oral presentation or a poster, the online registration has to be completed and paid for by 15 May, 2014.

The deadline for early bird registration is April 15, 2014.

Last modified: 26 March, 2014

The congress will be held at the Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, Taskisla Building, Taksim.

Taskisla Building is located in the city center which is in the focal point of all conference facilities and hotels in Istanbul. The location of the building is called as “Congress Valley” where several national and international meetings took place.

History of Taskisla
 
Taskisla building was constructed all in structural masonry between 1848 and 1853 as a military medical academy for the Ottoman Army. However during construction, the plans drawn by W. James Smith were modified and the building’s function was changed to military barracks in 1849.
 
This modification was part of a construction plan that included several arsenals and military barracks that were to ensure the safety of the imperial domain around the Dolmabahce Palace. The building sustained some damage in the earthquake of 10 July 1894, and was restored by the architect Raimondo D’Aronco. In 1909, rebellious troops were based in the building, thus it became the scene of long fighting. Some results are visible in the façade, as a few of the gun shells are still embedded in the stone columns of the entrance. In 1944 the building was handed over to I.T.U. and restored by architects Paul Bonatz and Emin Onat.
 
Teaching started in the building in 1950, with the civil engineering and architecture faculties. In 1983 it was classified as a first degree historical monument. In 1996 the World Habitat Congress was organized partly in the Faculty. Ever since, it has become a natural part of the congress valley of Istanbul. The plan scheme of Taskisla is classical: four equal sides marked with four corner edifices and a vast courtyard. The west façade is crowned with a monumental entrance.

Last modified: 22 November, 2013.

Accommodation

Istanbul attracts more than 10 million visitors each year. From May through September, the number of tourists visiting Istanbul is higher than other periods. We strongly recommend to SRA-Europe 2014 participants to organize their accommodation in quite advance.

The participants of SRA-Europe 2014 can take the advantage of special rates. All must do their own reservation directly at the hotel, qualifying themselves as participants of SRA-Europe 2014 and asking for the special rate reserved to ITU (Istanbul Technical University). Information about your arrival and departure, cancellation, and/or any changes must be communicated directly to the hotel.

A special arrangement has been made with 4 hotels

• Grand Hyatt
• Divan Hotel
• Point Hotel
• Elite world Hotel

All hotels are close to the conference venue. Information on these hotels can be found at the conference website is www.srae2014.itu.edu.tr

Last modified: 2 February, 2014

Getting to Istanbul

Turkish Airlines and many other world airlines have regular daily flights to Istanbul. Istanbul has two international airports: Ataturk Airport (on the European side) and Sabiha Gokcen Airport (on the Asian Side).

If you travel through the Sabiha Gokcen Airport, please keep in mind that you would need to ccross the bridge which might have heavy traffic during the day.

When organizing your flight back, please consider that you would need to reach to the airport at least 2 hours prior of your flight.

There are regular shuttle services from/to airports to/from Taksim (Conference Venue). Alternatively, there are taxi's.

a) From/to Ataturk Airport to/from Taksim.

Journey time is 40 minutes approximately, but it may vary according to the intensity of the traffic. Ticket Price: 10 TL.< br/>

To check the updates please visit http://havatas.com/en/coach.aspx?i=1

b) From/to Sabiha Gokcen Airport to/from Taksim.

Journey time is 90 minutes approximately, but it may vary according to the intensity of the traffic. Ticket Price: 13 TL.

To check the updates please visit http://havatas.com/en/coach.aspx?i=2

* From Taksim to Sabiha Gokcen Airport

c) Travelling by taxi from/to airports:

Taxis are less expensive comparing to many European countries.

To travel to Taksim, taxis follow exactly the same route that shuttles travel. If your arrival/departure times meet the shuttle schedule, we would suggest to use shuttle services.

Getting to the Conference venue

It is only a few minutes walk from Taksim Bus station to the conference venue.

Last modified: 10 June, 2014

Visa information


Turkey requests a visa for passport holders from a number of European countries! If you are attending the conference, please check at www.evisa.gov.tr whether you need one or not.

As of April 17, 2013, electronic visa (e-Visa) replaced the “sticker visa” which was issued at the border. Applicants now just need to log on to www.evisa.gov.tr, provide the requested information, and (after the application is approved) make an online payment and download their e-Visa.

For further information, please visit: http://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa

We are pleased to announce two SRA-Europe Conference Scholarships each worth 750 €.

Students wishing to apply for a Scholarship are required to submit:

• An extended abstract (up to 800 words)
• A short CV (no more than 1 side A4)
• A description of their motivation for wishing to attend the conference
• A letter of support from their supervisor

This information should be sent to sraeurope@eu-vri.eu, also by 31th January 2014. Only 2 documents should be sent: one containing 1-3 above with the letter from the student’s supervisor in the other. The email subject line should read: SRA Europe conference scholarships.

Student Scholarships 2014 awarded


We are pleased to announce three winners of an SRA-Europe Conference Scholarship 2014. Conference Studentship Scholarships (each worth € 750) have been awarded to:

• Nick Boase, University of Exeter Medical School (United Kingdom)

Nick received his award for the presentation:

Boase, N.; White, M.; Gaze, W.; Redshaw, C.:
Public Perception of Food Risks and Benefits: Combining the Mental Models Approach with the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Consumer Values

• Nicolas Rossignol, University of Liège (Belgium)
  
  Nicolas' award winning presentation was:
  
  Rossignol, N.; Turcanu, C.:
  Representations of Incident Reporting as a Collective Learning Process

• Etsuko Yoshida, The University of Tokyo (Japan)
  
  Etsuko received her award for the presentation:
  
  E. Yoshida; H. Kagemoto; Y. Akutsu:
  Consensus building in safety and security: The case study of Fukushima evacuees returning home

Local Organising Committee

The Local Organising Committee consists of:

• Assoc. Prof.Dr. Seda Kundak
• Assoc. Prof.Dr. Ozhan Ertekin
• Prof.Dr. Handan Türkoğlu
• Prof.Dr. Alper Ilki
• Dr. Caglar Goksu
• Mustafa Comert
• Yucel Torun (secretary)

International Scientific Advisory Board
 

The International Scientific Advisory Board consists of:

• Walter Ammann (Global Risk Forum, Switzerland)
  
• Shoichi Ando (GRIPS, Japan)
  
• Atilla Ansal (Özyeğin University, Turkey)
  
• Funda Atun (Politecnico di Milano, Italy)
  
• Osman Balaban (Middle East Technical University, Turkey)
  
• Tüzin Baycan (Istanbul Technical University, Turkey)
• Djillali Benouar (University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene, Algeria) 
• Lars Bodsberg (SINTEF, Norway)
• Frederic Bouder (Maastricht University, The Netherlands)
• Peter Burgherr (Paul Scherrer Institut, Switzerland)
  
• Oğuz Cem Çelik (Istanbul Tehnical University, Turkey)
• Andrew Collins (Northumbria University, UK)
  
• Ian Dawson (University of Southampton, UK)
  
• Adriana Galderisi (University of Naples, Italy)
  
• Sophie Gaultier-Gaillard (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France)
• Serkan Girgin (EU-JRC, Italy)
  
• İsmail Helvacıoğlu (Istanbul Technical University, Turkey)
  
• Mikdat Kadıoğlu (Istanbul Technical University, Turkey)
  
• Cengiz Kahraman (Istanbul Technical University, Turkey)
  
• Elisabeth Krausmann (EU-JRC, Italy) 
• Margôt Kuttschreuter (University of Twente, The Netherlands)
• Nilgün Okay (Istanbul Technical University, Turkey)
• Dennis Parker (Middlesex University, UK)
  
• Mark Pelling (King’s College London, UK)
  
• Pia Schweizer (University of Stuttgart, Germany)
• Michael Siegrist (ETH Zurich, Switzerland)
• Arzu Taylan (Selçuk University, Turkey)
• Azime Tezer (Istanbul Technical University, Turkey)
• Jean Jacques Wagner (University of Geneva, Switzerland)
  
• Mathew White (University of Exeter, UK)
• Cenk Yaltırak (Istanbul Technical University, Turkey)
  
• Ufuk Yazgan (Istanbul Technical University, Turkey)
  
• Guofang Zhai (Nanjing University, China) Enrico Zio (Politecnico di Milano, Italy)
  

Conference e-mail 

Important dates

Last modified: 23 November 2014