#44 - IDRiM 2025 - Conference Review

Summary of Episode:The episode features Dr. Haris Rahadianto and Dr. Mark Ashley Parry reflecting on the 2025 IDRiM Conference held on the Greek island of Samos. They begin by describing the challenging travel logistics and storms that highlighted Samos’s isolation, an appropriate context for a conference centered on island resilience five years after the island’s major earthquake. Both note the continuing visible damage on Samos and how the setting reinforced the meeting’s theme of disaster recovery in remote regions. They discuss their research presentations: Dr. Parry’s on climate-change perception and nihilism in disasters, and Dr. Rahadianto’s on systemic risk and complex adaptive systems. Each appreciated the opportunity for deeper theoretical and interdisciplinary dialogue. They also praised the conference organization, particularly the creative use of municipal venues that blended history and local culture, though they noted the distance between rooms and long daily schedules as challenges. The pair commend initiatives such as partner activities, poster sessions linked to art exhibits, and the Young Scientists Session (YSS), whose 2025 winners—all women—reflected growing gender equity in disaster-risk research. Both highlight the need for shorter, less intense days, better signage and accessibility, and greater community engagement and local-language sessions in future events. The podcast y close by hinting at upcoming changes to the podcast format and express enthusiasm for the society’s evolving outreach and inclusiveness.

Co-Hosts:

• Dr. Mark Ashley Parry [Northumbria University, United Kingdom]
• Dr. Haris Rahadianto [Lund University, Sweden]

Music: "Sunset" by Kai Engel, available at ⁠Free Music Archive⁠, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Photos: © Dr. Mark Ashley Parry [2025]