New Framework Proposes 'Risk Sciences' as Interdisciplinary Field to Address Modern Uncertainties

A new article published in Risk Sciences proposes "risk sciences" as an emerging interdisciplinary field focused on understanding and managing uncertainty across natural, social, economic, and technological domains. The study, authored by Runhuan Feng from Tsinghua University, outlines a three-dimensional framework to organize diverse risk research, with the goal of strengthening societal resilience in an increasingly complex and uncertain world. The article is available through its DOI at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.risk.2025.100029.

The framework's first dimension, identification and assessment, focuses on recognizing risks, evaluating their likelihood and impact, and modeling potential losses or consequences. This includes methods ranging from causal risk-factor models used in disaster research to statistical trend analysis common in finance and insurance. The second dimension, mechanism and strategy, examines how risks are addressed in practice through concrete tools such as risk avoidance, mitigation, and transfer, as well as broader coordinated plans like national catastrophe risk management systems or international risk governance frameworks. The third dimension, behavior and decision, highlights how individuals, organizations, and institutions perceive risk and make decisions under uncertainty, drawing on insights from economics, psychology, and behavioral science to explain deviations from purely rational models.

Feng explains that risk sciences represents "an ecosystem of interconnected research" rather than a single discipline. By integrating perspectives from natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, economics, and beyond, the field aims to better understand complex risks and design more effective responses. The article reviews major research areas shaping the field, including climate and catastrophe risks, digitalization and cybersecurity, disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, and global societal challenges. It also identifies emerging trends, such as the growing use of network analysis, agent-based modeling, and closer links between academic research, industry applications, and public policy.

The article concludes by introducing Risk Sciences, a new open-access journal designed to foster interdisciplinary integration and innovation. The journal's central hypothesis is that synthesizing diverse approaches to risk can help build a shared knowledge base that supports better decision-making and enhances resilience in an era of escalating uncertainty. This development comes at a critical time when uncertainty has become a defining feature of the modern world, manifesting in challenges ranging from climate change and pandemics to financial instability, cybersecurity threats, and disruptive technologies. The proposed framework provides a structured approach to navigating these interconnected risks through coordinated research and practical application.