IIEA Talks

Full title "From Early Warnings to Lasting Resilience: Strengthening Global Preparedness Through Science and Innovation" WMO Secretary-General Dr Celeste Saulo explores how the global public infrastructure coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization underpins weather, water and climate intelligence worldwide, enabling early warnings that protect lives, livelihoods and economic stability. This shared system, built on scientific data, observation networks, forecasting centres and international cooperation, supports timely warnings of extreme events, which increasingly affect both developed and developing countries. Drawing on examples from the Early Warnings for All initiative, the lecture shows how global systems translate into national and local capacity, particularly in least developed countries and small island developing states, where climate risks are most acute. The Secretary-General also highlights key initiatives, including the WMO Commons, SOFF and CREWS, that are strengthening shared capacity, sustaining essential global services and ensuring that early warning systems remain a trusted global public good in a changing climate. This event is part of the IIEA’s Development Matters Series which is kindly sponsored by Irish Aid. About the Speaker: Secretary-General Saulo was the first female and the first South American appointed as Secretary-General of the WMO and began her four-year term of office on 1 January 2024. Prior to this she served as the Director of the National Meteorological Service of Argentina and was the first Vice-President of the WMO. She graduated from the University of Buenos Aires in 1996 with a PhD and rose to a full professorship at that university where she became Director of the Department of Atmosphere and Ocean Sciences. Her scientific specialisations are in numerical weather prediction, data assimilation, short-to-medium range prediction and early warning systems.

The European Security Architecture finds itself at a crossroads. After decades of reduced military spending in Europe, Russia’s war against Ukraine has reminded the rest of Europe of the relevance of its own security and defence capabilities which have long been considered to be obsolete, or taken for granted by the United States. But what if Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the rules-based international order succeeds? What implications would this have for European security, and how should European states prepare for such a scenario?  This event has been organised in conjunction with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), UK and Ireland  Speaker bio:  Professor Dr Carlo Masala is a renowned German expert on military and security policy. He holds the Chair for Security and Defence Studies at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich and has published extensively on international relations, NATO and European security. He is the author of the bestselling book ‘If Russia Wins’, published in 2025, which has topped charts across Europe and cemented his reputation as a leading voice in geopolitics.

As 2025 draws to a close, the IIEA’s Research Team looks to 2026, and Ireland’s EU Presidency. Barry Colfer and Cian FitzGerald discuss Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. They discuss EU competitiveness, and how Ireland can contribute to Europe’s economic prosperity. Moreover, against the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine, they discuss how Europe is supporting Ukraine, as well as the EU’s preparations for a widening of the conflict.

In his address to the IIEA, Derek Scally reflects on the German federal election of February 2025 and what it reveals about the shifting political landscape in Germany. Following the collapse of the Scholz government, the election delivered major gains for both the CDU/CSU and the far-right AfD, alongside historic losses for the former governing parties. With Friedrich Merz now installed as chancellor at the head of a new CDU/CSU–SPD coalition, Mr Scally assesses the implications for domestic governance, Germany’s role in Europe, and what political challenges may lie ahead in 2026. About the Speaker: Derek Scally is a native Dubliner, who studied at Dublin City University and the Humboldt University in Berlin, where he has been Irish Times correspondent since 2001. Covering politics, business and culture, he is a regular contributor to German news outlets, including Die Zeit weekly and Deutschlandfunk/WDR radio. He reports regularly from northern Europe and is also author of ‘The Best Catholics in the World’, published in 2021 by Penguin.

In this latest webinar in our series on Finland's Future’s Ecosystem, the panel takes an analytical approach to the ecosystem. They will give a critical assessment of the Finnish model and compare it with other international approaches, especially Ireland’s. This webinar is the final event in a series that began with an address from Finland’s Minister for European Affairs Joakim Strand on Finland’s Futures Ecosystem in a European Context. The second in the series was an online panel event that outlined the core elements of Finland’s Futures Ecosystem. This event was organised in conjunction with the UCD Centre for Innovation, Technology and Organisation. Panellists include: Elizabeth Canavan, Assistant Secretary General at the Department of the Taoiseach Marc Ó Cathasaigh, former T.D. Niamh Garvey, Senior Policy Analyst, NESC Kevin Daly, Principal Officer at the Department of Finance