Curious about the diverse backgrounds suited to studying and working in global and existential risk? Hear from former Research Associate Dr. Clarissa Rios Rojas as she shares her journey from biomedicine and neuroscience to science policy and diplomacy in her Meet the Researcher interview ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/g8cBr5Vf
Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge
Research Services
Cambridge, England 5,929 followers
Cambridge University research group dedicated to the study and mitigation of risks
About us
The Centre for the Study of Existential Risk is an interdisciplinary research centre within the University of Cambridge dedicated to the study and mitigation of risks that could lead to human extinction or civilisational collapse. We study existential risks, develop collaborative strategies to reduce them, and foster a global community of academics, technologists and policy-makers working to safeguard humanity. Our research focuses on biological risks, environmental risks, risks from artificial intelligence, and how to manage extreme technological risk in general. **Story** At the beginning of the twenty-first century Professor Lord Martin Rees, the Astronomer Royal and one of Cambridge's most distinguished scientists, offered humanity an uncomfortable message. Our century is special, because for the first time in 45 million centuries, one species holds the future of the planet in its hands – us. In 2012, together with Jaan Tallinn, the co-founder of Skype, and Huw Price, the Bertrand Russell Professor of Philosophy, they set out “to steer a small fraction of Cambridge's great intellectual resources, and of the reputation built on its past and present scientific pre-eminence, to the task of ensuring that our own species has a long-term future.” They were joined by an international advisory panel including academics like Stephen Hawking, and industry-leaders like Elon Musk. Since our first postdoctoral researchers started in September 2015, we have grown quickly.
- Website
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https://www.cser.ac.uk/
External link for Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge
- Industry
- Research Services
- Company size
- 11-50 employees
- Headquarters
- Cambridge, England
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2012
- Specialties
- Research, Policy, Technology, Security, GCR, Climate, AI, Enviroment, Biotechnology, Global Justice, Artificial Intelligence, and Nuclear
Locations
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Primary
16 Mill Lane
Cambridge, England CB2 1, GB
Employees at Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge
Updates
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Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge reposted this
As the world marks the United Nations International Human Solidarity Day, the words of Kennedy Mbeva, a Research Associate for the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge, encourage us to ask the fundamental questions: assess risk for who, from what, when, and where? Our latest report "Facing Global Risks with Honest Hope" highlights how genuine systemic risk assessments must embrace diverse evidence and multiple ways of knowing. And, honest hope means embracing both the challenges we face and the creativity needed to address them. 📖 Read the report: https://lnkd.in/eC4y3N6n #InternationalHumanSolidarityDay #SystemicRisk #GlobalRisks #Participation #Governance #CitizenAssemblies
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Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge reposted this
𝗔 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 w𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 r𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 o𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 y𝗲𝗮𝗿: 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁! I’m thrilled to share the publication of my article, 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘗𝘢𝘯-𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮: 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘖𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳, in the Review of International Studies journal. The article reimagines how we view sustainability governance, shifting focus from the usual dominance of Western powers to showcase how less dominat states (herein African countries) are shaping a unique and impactful approach to sustainability through normative power - where "Green Pan-Africanism" is an illustrative example. Here are five key messages: 1️⃣ 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗺-𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿: African states have actively contributed to global sustainability governance by creating and embedding environmental norms within their regional policies. 2️⃣ 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘆: The study critiques the traditional emphasis on powerful states, highlighting the significant roles of less powerful actors in shaping global norms. 3️⃣ 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿: Shows how the concept of norm-governed change is developed, institutionalised, and transformed over time. 4️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽: Demonstrates how African states have led through innovative, context-specific policies that balance development and sustainability. 5️⃣ 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀: Offers a new narrative that values diverse contributions to global governance, moving beyond the North-South dichotomy. Also emphaises the need to acknowledge that innovative solutions can emerge from unlikely sources, especially in addressing the challenge of aligning the global economic system with sustainaility goals. For a quick overview, check out the video abstract, where I summarise the article’s key insights and contributions. This has been a deeply fulfilling project, and I’m so grateful to everyone who supported it along the way, emanating from my PhD and refined during my postdoc fellowships. A truly rewarding way to close out the year! With thanks to University of Melbourne Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford and Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge for being fantastic institutional homes for the research. And a huge thanks to Robyn Eckersley Evgeny Postnikov & Thomas Hale for their mentorship! 🔗 Read the full article, including a video summary, here (Open access: free to read and download): https://shorturl.at/RPUjV
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Curious about the types of topics covered in the MPhil in Global Risk and Resilience? Explore the links below to learn more about Biorisk: - “The UK’s pandemic preparedness and early response to the COVID-19 pandemic” by Jochem Rietveld & others (https://lnkd.in/et_zC96W) - ”Ineffective responses to unlikely outbreaks: Hypothesis building in newly-emerging infectious disease outbreaks” by Freya Jephcott, James L N Wood, Andrew A Cunningham, J H Kofi Bonney, Stephen Nyarko-Ameyaw, Ursula Maier & P Wenzel Geissler (https://lnkd.in/e9urwR9R) - "Why Didn't Technology Save Us From COVID-19?" with Alexa Hagerty, Charlotte Hammer, Freya Jephcott & Shahar Avin (https://lnkd.in/eW4GXx8F) - "Jaime Yassif on safeguarding bioscience to prevent catastrophic lab accidents and bioweapons development" on the 80,000 hours podcast (https://lnkd.in/e-M5C3sf) - ”Synthetic biology regulation in Europe: containment, release and beyond” by Lalitha Sundaram, James W Ajioka & Jennifer C Molloy (https://lnkd.in/exmFan4b) See more from our reading lists here: https://lnkd.in/eriDtkcB
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Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge reposted this
📣 We are hiring two new Assistant Professors, one in the Social Science of AI and the other in AI and Ethical Design. We're excited to build our teaching team, so please share them far and wide! Closing 2nd Feb. https://lnkd.in/e_XKr_28 and https://lnkd.in/eYDV5mNn
Job Opportunities
jobs.cam.ac.uk
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Thinking of applying for our MPhil in Global Risk and Resilience? There are a range of funding opportunities, including our new Lord Martin Rees (Crausaz Wordsworth / TCRS) scholarships! These scholarships are available to anyone given home fee status when made an offer. Learn more about the MPhil here: https://lnkd.in/gFZ8YAuA
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We're pleased to announce Charlotte Christiane Hammer has joined CSER as an Assistant Professor for our MPhil in Global Risk and Resilience! Charlotte’s research focuses on how converging risks in fragile environments—such as natural hazards, humanitarian emergencies, and environmental degradation—heighten epidemic and pandemic threats. She completed her PhD in 2019 in the Health Protection Research Unit for Emergency Preparedness and Response in the UK and field epidemiology training with the European Centre for Disease Control in Finland. Having worked across academia, national and international public health agencies, policy, and the UN system, she has been involved in public health emergency response, epidemic intelligence, and research in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Find out more about our MPhil in Global Risk and Resilience here: https://lnkd.in/gFZ8YAuA
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Curious about what sort of topics the MPhil in Global Risk and Resilience will cover? Explore the links below to learn more about understanding risk and resilience: - “Will humans survive the century?” BBC podcast featuring Anders Sandberg, Phil Torres, Karin Kuhlemann, SJ Beard, Lalitha Sundaram, Seth Baum (https://lnkd.in/ekavxEPt) - “Why Catastrophic Threats Should Worry Us More” by Martin Rees (https://lnkd.in/e9PjSykq) - "Global catastrophic risk and planetary boundaries: The relationship to global targets and disaster risk reduction" by Tom Cernev (https://lnkd.in/eCE5Nviy) - “Seven Questions for Existential Risk Studies” by Lalitha Sundaram, Matthijs Maas & SJ Beard (https://lnkd.in/eTi67t9W) - "Classifying global catastrophic risks"by Shahar Avin, Bonnie C. Wintle , Julius Weitzdörfer, Seán S. Ó hÉigeartaigh , William J. Sutherland and Martin J. Rees (https://lnkd.in/ecqUiEsM.) See more from our reading lists here: https://lnkd.in/eriDtkcB
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A year ago, Alexandra Klein, Gurpeet Dhaliwal & Askar Kleefeldt won the 2023 Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition for their paper “Biosecurity-By-Design to Safeguard Emerging Bioeconomies”! Read it here: https://bit.ly/49Y4gIC