We are very happy to welcome our new Fellow Visitor Sean Pears to the KLI.

After his  Bachelors´s degree, from Dalhousie University, Canada, Sean is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Philosophy in Biology and Medicine at the University of Bordeaux, with a focus on the philosophy of biology, particularly evolutionary theory and the expanded evolutionary synthesis. 

He will be at the KLI for two months, from September 1 to October 31, 2024. 

During his time at the KLI, Sean will be working on his project titled, "Eco-Evo-Devo and Restoration: Cultivating Evolvable Socio-Ecosystems"

Restoration Ecology has been receiving a lot of attention in the recent past, even as the United Nations declared this decade from 2021-2030 as the Decade of Restoration Ecology. Sean explores the potential role of eco-evo-devo concepts in restoration efforts, as a way to integrate evolutionary theory into conservation biology.  Sean's project investigates the complex interaction between human societies and ecosystems, referred to as socio-ecosystems, as an intricate partnership wherein the two parties are in an interdependent co-evolutionary mutualism, and how an understanding of this relationship could inform and shape restoration efforts, so that they are not only effective in the long run, but are relevant to the immediate challenges of climate-change.

Let’s get to know more about Sean and his project in the coming days.

A very warm welcome again Sean. Here’s wishing you all the best for a wonderful time at the KLI and in Austria.