Unpacking “Island-ness” with Professor Yael Parag

Professor Yael Parag, Visiting James Martin Fellow, joined Oxford EARTH’s co-working session to discuss her work surrounding energy systems ahead of her presentation on 'Between isolation and connectedness: understanding energy islands through the island-ness lens'. 

Central to the conversation was Professor Parag’s concept of “island-ness” as a socio-technical analytical lens which captures varying degrees of isolation and connectedness across systems, shaped by infrastructure design, governance arrangements, resource dependencies and collective perceptions. 

During the discussion, participants explored the potential benefits of greater connectivity between Caribbean islands, particularly in relation to their natural assets, energy infrastructure and possible value-added outputs, while also considering the potential tensions between isolation and connectedness. Contributions from geography, geoscience and cultural perspectives enriched the discussion, highlighting how the concept of “island-ness” can illuminate the environmental, spatial and social forces that shape current energy systems. 

The session exemplified Oxford EARTH’s commitment to creating space for cross-disciplinary dialogue around complex resource challenges and strengthening connections across the University. 

Professor Parag’s formal presentation at the Oxford Martin School, ‘Between Isolation and Connectedness: understanding energy islands through the island-ness lens’, can be viewed on the Oxford Martin School Website 

Designed to foster interdisciplinary exchange and identify opportunities for collaboration, Oxford EARTH will continue to host co-working sessions that bring together diverse expertise to interrogate complex resource challenges and explore innovative solutions. These sessions are open to colleagues, researchers and students from across the University of Oxford.  

To stay informed about upcoming sessions, subscribe to the Oxford EARTH Newsletter.