The Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) programme successfully held the IRDR Young Scientists Online Meeting on December 2, 2025. This event was a strategic internal gathering for all members of the IRDR Young Scientists Programme (YSP), which brought together all six batches of IRDR Young Scientists. It aimed to welcome new members and jointly charted the course for action from 2026 onward. This meeting marks the beginning of a new, dynamically evolving, and member-driven phase for the YSP. 

The Executive Director of IRDR, Prof Saini Yang delivered the opening remarks. She extended congratulations to the new members of 6th batch and welcomed them into the global IRDR family. She further congratulated the 1st to 4th batches of Young Scientists who officially graduated and became IRDR Young Scientist Alumni. She emphasized that the alumni are the treasures of IRDR and expected their continuous engagement in IRDR scientific activities.

Alumni shared how the YSP served as a springboard for their careers. Dr. Lei Yu and Dr. Khamarrul Azahar Razak shared their experience of transitioning from IRDR Young Scientists to IRDR Scientific Committee members, crediting IRDR for providing the unparalleled value of the global network for long-term collaboration and leadership development.

The meeting launched the strategic IRDR Young Scientists Programme Action Plan for 2026 Onward. Dr. Rahma Hanifa, another young representative member of the IRDR Scientific Committee, presented concrete proposals for a youth-led co-chair governance model to increase ownership and initiatives within the YSP. The key initiatives listed in the Action Plan include:

 Governance Reform: Establishing a youth-led Co-chair system and task forces.

 Capacity Building: Enhancing skills through mentorship and targeted training.

 Visibility & Impact: Expanding the Youth Podium, launching webinar series, and facilitating participation in major global forums.

 Network Expansion: Strengthening alliances with regional and global youth DRR networks.

 Participants brainstormed to  provide key suggestions for implementing the plan and discussed how to integrate youth research into the post-2030 global DRR agenda. 

This inaugural internal meeting marked a pivotal shift towards a self-driven and influential young scientists’ community. By clarifying growth pathways and introducing a structured action plan, IRDR empowers its next generation to actively lead in shaping the post-2030 global DRR agenda and building a more resilient future.