BRIDGES Activity Update

UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Coalition Explores New Nordic Hub in REYKJAVIK, Iceland

Following high-level engagements in Baku, the Executive Director of BRIDGES has arrived in Iceland to begin pivotal discussions on expanding BRIDGES' international reach. The coalition is currently exploring the establishment of a Nordic Hub to be hosted at the University of Iceland.

This expansion effort marks a significant step in the coalition’s mission to integrate humanities-driven expertise into global sustainability science.

Mobilising Humanities for Global Policy

A central feature of the visit includes a public consultation with researchers at the University of Iceland. This session, which took place on 18 March, produced a valuable dialogue which will inform a major international initiative titled: "Building Bridges from Knowledge to Policy Formulation and Impact: Mobilizing humanities expertise in a rapidly changing world."

Participants in the consultation from the humanities and sustainability communities at the University of Iceland

The primary goal of the initiative is to bridge the "science-policy nexus" by ensuring that qualitative and contextual knowledge, often found in the humanities, is translated into actionable wisdom for global leaders.

This year-long global effort is rooted in a series of expert workshops and consultations taking place throughout the first half of 2026, hosted by BRIDGES and a consortium of partners, supported by the wider coalition and the BRIDGES global hubs.

The UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Coalition is entering a transformative phase, moving toward sharper strategic definition and a more visible role in global policy, specifically within the MOST Intergovernmental Council (IGC).

These sessions will bring together academics, policymakers, and civil society leaders to bridge the gap between humanities-based knowledge and practical policy implementation. The consultations are leading to the development of a suite of "guiding instruments" to help UNESCO Member States apply humanities insights to policy formulation.

UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES preparatory workshop: at the 12th APHELEIA International seminar

Following on from the consultation at the University of Iceland, a BRIDGES consultative discussion will take place at the APHELIA international seminar, 'Imagination and Landscaping: Represent, Experiment, Play, Perform, Transform’ in Mação, Portugal, 18-27 March 2026.

On 22 March, Steven Hartman and John Crowley will chair the BRIDGES session – Building bridges from meaning to policy formulation and impact: Mobilizing humanities expertise in a rapidly changing world. A Consultative Discussion.

See our events page for further information on the seminar and the BRIDGES session.

The work conducted in Reykjavik this week and at the upcoming BRIDGES session at the APHELEIA seminar, will be vital in formulating the suite of "guiding instruments" along with the work due to take place at subsequent consultations. The BRIDGES IPO will report further on this initiative as it progresses.