Dr. Olaf Kühne is a Professor at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen. Before this position, he was a professor at the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences and the University of Saarland and held various positions (as a consultant, head of department and head of staff unit) in various Saarland ministries, focusing on nature conservation, regional planning, and demographic change.
Prof. Kühne’s research interests include neopragmatism, social constructivism, and conflict theory.
Thematically his research focuses on landscape and spatial conflicts, regional geography, cartography, and urban development, particularly in East-Central Europe, Germany, Italy, and the United States of America, with a specific interest in the South and West.
Professor Pasquale Borrelli, University Roma Tre, Italy
Plenary presentation: Forces of nature, soil erosion, and land degradation in Europe
Dr. Pasquale Borrelli is a Professor in the Department of Science at the University of Roma Tre, where he has been a faculty member since July 2022. He is the Head of Roma Tre’s Environmental Modeling and Global Change Lab. He has mainly been engaged in research on soil erosion mechanics, modelling, and monitoring. During the last sixteen years, he has gained holistic expertise on human-environment interactions, seeking to unravel the past, present, and future role of land use and climate change at multiple spatial scales.
His professional endeavors have been dedicated to advancing the regional and global comprehension of soil erosion, a significant menace to soil and water resources, food security, and ecological ecosystem services.
The course of his scientific career showcases his extensive experience in international and multidisciplinary settings. His continental and global-scale models are featured in official reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations (IPCC, UNEP, FAO, IPBES), the European Commission, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).