Helga Pülzl becomes a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry

EFI’s Assistant Director for Policy Support Helga Pülzl has been appointed as international fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry.  

The Academy has 552 Swedish and 190 foreign members known for their outstanding insight and experience, with new members are invited when positions become available. The Academy is structured into three sections: a Forestry Section, an Agricultural section and a General section, and Helga will be part of the Forestry Section.  

“I’m truly delighted to be awarded this honour and feel especially proud to be the first member from Austria. I also see this as a recognition of EFI’s support to policymakers. Understanding policymakers' needs and coupling those with research is fundamental in these challenging times”, said Helga.  

Helga has been Assistant Director for Policy Support at EFI since 2021, and she is also a senior scientist at the Institute of Forest, Environment and Natural Resource Policy at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). She holds a PhD and master’s degree in political science from the University of Vienna. Her main research interests are in European and international forest governance and policy change.

The Royal Academy was founded in 1813 at the initiative of King Karl XIV Johan. The Academy is an active and independent forum, whose role is to support science and practical experience, to promote agriculture and forestry and related activities, for the benefit of society. In 2025 the Academy aims to strengthen its ability to engage in strategic conversations and in-depth discussions, with new members contributing as bridge builders between research and science, society and business.

More information about the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry: http://www.ksla.se/en/

Banner image by ©Noradoa / AdobeStock, group photo by Magda Bou Dagher Kharrat