Event Biodiversity: basic commodity or luxury item?

Research Center Leuven Sustainable Earth, the Department of Biology and the Faculty of Bio-science engineering, in collaboration with Metaforum Leuven, are pleased to invite you to a one day symposium on the science and policy of biodiversity.

The crucial importance of biodiversity for a sustainable future is acknowledged at the international level by the UN International Year of Biodiversity. Some critical questions need to be answered. How much biodiversity is needed? How should society value the importance of biodiversity? Do strict scientific arguments suffice to enforce conservation of biodiversity? What about the ethical dimension of the biodiversity debate? How to increase support from society for biodiversity conservation?

These, as well as other pressing issues, will be addressed at the “Biodiversity: basic commodity or luxury item?” symposium in Leuven.

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Period 04/11/2010
Event location Auditorium Zeger Van Hee, College De Valk Tiensestraat, 41 - 3000 Leuven
Host Leuven Sustainable Earth
Event URL http://www.kuleuven.be/lsue/biodiversity/biodivsymposium/
Contact person Sofie Bruneel
Email address: sofie.bruneel@ees.kuleuven.be
Phone: 016/32 97 21
Fax: 016/32 97 60
Contributor Vinciane Dutordoir
Geographical coverage Brabant flamand
Keywords conférence

The morning session will focus on the science of biodiversity. Three renowned scientists will lecture about the importance of biodiversity for ecosystems and for agriculture, and about the challenges linked to the valuation of biodiversity. PhD students and researchers from different backgrounds will present their work related to biodiversity during a major poster session.

The K.U.Leuven researchers being part of the Metaforum Leuven working group Biodiversity will present a position paper during the afternoon session. This position paper reflects an integrated vision on the challenges and opportunities for conservation of biodiversity. Government, agriculture and environmental protection stakeholders will reflect on the position paper.

Registration : May we kindly ask to register electronically before October 15, 2010 through this link.

Registration fee (Morning session only)

  • 50 Eur
  • 25 Eur for PhD students (non-K.U.Leuven)
  • Free for (PhD) students (K.U.Leuven), ZAP and post-docs LSUE, dept. Biology and faculty of Bioscience Engineering

The Metaforum Symposium Biodiversiteit (afternoon session) is free of charge.