PICS Scholars are invited to attend the PICS Student Forum, a career-enhancing annual event that drives collaboration and networking among the PICS Scholars who attend our four partner universities – UVic, UBC, SFU and UNBC.

Our forum this year will be virtual, and as interactive and engaging than ever before!  It will focus on co-developing research, strengthening partnerships, and exploring the techniques to produce truly collaborative and impactful evidence-based climate adaptation and mitigation solutions.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL AGENDA.

Overview:

Day 1 of the forum will explore the ‘PICS Way’ which promotes the co-design, co-development and co-delivery of climate solutions by the partner trio within our projects – researchers, solution seekers and PICS. We will delve into this research engagement model that offers PICS Scholars an important role within the larger landscape of actionable research. In a panel discussion, our researchers and solution seekers will share their real-life experiences with co-developing climate solutions, and how those close connections are impacting results.

An afternoon session skill-building workshop led by public engagement expert Susanna Haas Lyons will take a deeper dive into effective stakeholder engagement, and what it means in practice. What motivates different stakeholders to come to the table? What are some of the barriers to co-development? We will set aside time for PICS Scholars to try out some of the tools and techniques for effective engagement in small breakout groups. Participants should read the two Case Studies in advance – Case Study 1: Climate Change Displacement, and Case Study 2: Wildfire and Carbon.

Day 2 of the forum we will be learning about the exciting early results of some ongoing PICS projects under the overarching themes of the built and natural environment. After lightning talks by students from each project, we will moderate a cross-cutting conversation that encourages PICS Scholars to see their work from new transdisciplinary perspectives.

Stay tuned for more information and a link to register soon!

Agenda

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15TH

9:30AM-11:00AM Session 1
Engaged Research 1: Co-Development and Impact in the PICS Research Model
This session will introduce the PICS collaborative research and engagement model followed by a panel session on co-development and impact.

1:00PM-4:00PM Session 2
Engaged Research 2: Honing the Nuts & Bolts of Co-Development
An interactive skill-building workshop on effective stakeholder engagement with public engagement specialist, Susanna Haas Lyons. Susanna has over 15 years of international leadership experience in the field and is a former PICS Scholar.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16TH

9:00AM-11:00AM Session 3
Learning from Engaged Research: Cross-cutting Themes in the Built and Natural Environment
Engaging with all of PICS’ major projects in the built and natural environment, this session will use lightning talks, panel discussions and breakout groups to explore cross-cutting themes and raise important questions key to a wide range of climate solutions research.