Yixin CAO

I'm a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) COFUND Researcher at VUB, within the Interdisciplinary Research in Societal Challenges (IRIS) postdoctoral programme. I study water as a social–ecological system, with research topics spanning water governance, urban river restoration, nature-based solutions, more-than-human justice, serious games, ecosystem services, human–nature relationships, and a comparison between Europe and Asia.

I obtained a PhD in Environmental Science (summa cum laude) from the University of Tours in France (2023) and was a Visiting Research Associate at the University of Hong Kong (2022). I subsequently held postdoctoral positions at the University of Lyon (2024) and the University of Strasbourg (2025-26) in France. I'm also selected for the Freiburg Rising Stars at the University of Freiburg in Germany (2025-26). I have research experience in France, the Netherlands, Japan, Hong Kong, and Mainland China.

At VUB, I'm currently working on the project BRiCAT (Co-governance of Brussels Rivers for Climate Adaptation and Socio-ecological Transitions), which explores how urban society can reconnect with the rivers and canals of Brussels through more inclusive and adaptive forms of governance, with a comparative perspective on Hong Kong.