Trainings

28.09.24 - 22.10.24

ARCTIC VOICES: Indigenous Perspectives on Pasts, Presents and Futures - Film & Event Festival

Arctic Voices

In October 2024, the film and event series “Arctic Voices” opens a platform for Indigenous voices and stories from Sápmi and the Arctic regions of Northern Europe, Kalaallit Nunaat / Greenland, Canada, Alaska and Russia in Bern. We are putting together a rich programme of film screenings, panel discussions, two workshops and an exhibition. Arctic Voices focuses on issues such as Indigenous (self-) representations with a focus on film and media, coming to terms with the past and the present, resistance and activism for Indigenous rights as well as the impact of the climate crisis and resource extraction on circumpolar communities and environments.

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As part of a series of events (concerts, films, discussions, workshops, an exhibition) in October 2024, we will not only watch films together, but actively discuss the series' themes and content. Arctic voices strives to create a platform for exchange and discussions, to critically think about representations, to learn about the diverse contemporary realities, histories and cultures of Indigenous peoples, as well as to foster self-reflection in order to explore connections with Switzerland, global interdependencies and questions of ecology, the climate crisis and (green) colonialism.

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Date: 28.09.24 - 22.10.24

19.03.-22.03.25

Art of Participatory Leadership Workshop

Art of Participatory Leadership Program

Do you want to make work more effective and enable true collaboration and dialogue across boundaries?
 

Come join us for the 12th Art of Participatory Leadership Switzerland!  We’ll explore how to make change effective and lasting; how to increase engagement of colleagues and stakeholders across disciplines, departments and organisations; and how to make working life richer and more productive. Experiment with methods and approaches and live the ethos for ensuring your meetings and collaborative processes matter.
 
 

March 19 afternoon to March 22 lunch time, near Geneva.
 

23.10.24

Workshop for young lecturers: We are transforming our university teaching towards sustainability

higher education sustainability

Join us for a workshop organized for young lecturers. The goal of the workshop is to help young lecturers expand their knowledge on the transformative potential of universities and how this change can be initiated internally within universities. Organized by various stakeholders active in academia, the workshop will provide essential basic knowledge, teaching strategies, and support offers to incorporate sustainable development into teaching.

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As a young lecturer, you can either bring your own project idea/module you would like to work on or develop new ideas on-site. 

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We are looking forward to creating a sustainable university environment together with you!

Date: 23 October 2024, Bern

02.10.14

Agency and Power in Transdisciplinary Research: Applying Insights from Critical Social Science to Strengthen Reflexivity

tdAcademy

With the ‘polycrisis’ looming, humanity is facing unprecedented social-ecological challenges at planetary scale, which demands transformation of unsustainable societies. But who gets to define what a “good transformation” is? In line with power and justice scholars (Bennett et al. 2019; Cousins 2021; Massarella et. Al 2021; Newell et al. 2021; Sovacool et al. 2023), we argue that a “good transformation” cannot be pursued without considering issues of power, agency, and justice. For example, the way in which the problem is defined, by whom, and with what interests, already shapes the thinking about the problem’s causes and how to tackle them. Thus, power relations shape the problem framing with fundamental consequences for the process and outcome of the transformation. In so doing, power relations influence from the start which actors and interests will be considered, which reinforces unjust structures and conditions instead of transforming them. Such insights from research on power in sustainability transformations offer important learnings also for the design of transdisciplinary research (e.g., Avelino et al. 2019; Avelino, 2021; Newell et al., 2021; Turnhout & Lahsen 2022).

Considering the fundamental importance of power and agency in all stages of the transdisciplinary research process, we see a need to reflect on, and potentially improve, the ability of existing transdisciplinary research tools to address power imbalances explicitly (Chambers et al. 2022; Deutsch et al. 2023; Fritz & Meinherz 2020). Transdisciplinary research builds on the assumption that it is possible to shift and share power. A central idea is the empowerment of marginalized actors through capacity-building and involvement in knowledge coproduction processes, which, however, may lead to unintended disempowerment effects (e.g., by creating new dependence relationships) (Avelino 2017; Avelino et al. 2019).

In this webinar we will explore existing transdisciplinary research tools in an interactive workshop format, aiming to:

• enhance reflexivity and identify how power and agency can be better considered in transdisciplinary research practice;
• improve critical social science skills of transdisciplinary researchers;
• foster exchange on transdisciplinary research tools that address power and agency.

Date: 02 October 2024

Application Deadline: 01 October 2024

23.-31.01.25

Winter School: Co-designing pathways for transformative change

Centre for Development and Evironment (CDE)

Scope

Achieving human well-being and eradicating poverty for all people on earth – while protecting our planet’s climate and biodiversity – will require transformative change. You can be a part of this change. But to help transform the world, we first need to understand the complex global challenges we face and our role in these. Join us at the 2025 International Winter School on Sustainable Development to deepen your understanding of these issues – through creative, interactive, and participatory learning.

Current global sustainability challenges are increasingly complex. Really understanding what’s at stake requires knowledge on systemic interactions and on competing claims by different actors. Science, thus, has a major role to play in informing negotiations and solutions to guide the societal transformations needed to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The purpose of this Winter School is to empower participants to act in the face of these challenges. In this nine-day online course, experienced sustainability researchers will highlight the most important development issues in their respective fields. These presentations will alternate with study time where participants can deepen their knowledge individually or in groups. Moreover, participants will form interdisciplinary teams in which they will co-design solutions to concrete sustainability challenges.

Date: 23-31 January 2025

Registration Deadline: 15 October 2025

17. - 18.03.25

Second Rostock Open Science Workshop

Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR)

The Rostock Open Science Workshop will introduce demographic researchers to open science tools and practices, while also offering a platform to discuss its future trajectory. The Workshop will be held at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, on March 17-18, 2025. Hybrid online participation will be available to those that cannot attend the workshop in person.

This two-day event will also cover strategies to make research reproducible and accessible to a wider public and offer a space for participants to discuss and to reflect on their research practice. During the workshop, keynote speakers will provide insights into open science, considering its impact on academia and the broader community. Hands-on practical sessions with expert instructors will enable the participants to use open science tools in their everyday work. PhD students and postdocs are welcome, as are experienced scientists.

Date: 17 - 18 March 2025

30.09.24 onwards

WAR - Who is right? Who is left? - Democracy and peace in times of war

TU Berlin

free online workshop on war - an introduction
6 meetings via video conference

Betzavta - the method of the Adam insitute for Democracy and Peace
TINS_D Education - TU Berlin

Mondays - 09.00 - 10.30 CET
30 September, 07, 14, 21, 28 October and 04 November 2024

 

What is the course about? - War, peace and democracy - an Introduction
The workshop provides an initial overview of the reciprocal relationships between war, peace, and democracy. As an introduction to the topic of war, the six sessions focus on different aspects to gradually develop a comprehensive understanding of what war means, why wars are started, what legitimate wars might be and what the limits of obedience are as well as  what the opposite of a state of war actually is, that is peace, armistice agreements, cessation of hostilities, etc. During the workshop the participants uncover the competing tendencies within themselves, both for and against democracy as well as our attraction and aversion towards violence, conflicts and harmony. The workshop is based on the Betzavta method of the Adam Institute so that the participants learn to transform external conflicts into internal dilemmas, which enables them to act and influence their respective contexts.

Application deadline: 22 September 2024

17.10.24

On the context-sensitive Selection and Adaptation of Formats in Transdisciplinary Research – towards an International Perspective

tdAcademy

In this workshop, we aim to enhance the understanding and effectiveness of TD research by incorporating diverse perspectives from different cultures. As part of the tdAcademy project, the session is hosted by the Oeko-Institute and the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). We will first introduce project results on the context-sensitive selection and adaption of TD formats. They show that for example specific cases of power asymmetries can be observed when people from different cultures or countries collaborate. Therefore, we want to shed a light on international cooperations and invite participants to share their thoughts as well as experiences in interactive group discussions on key topics For example, we will identify the most important contextual factors in the different cultural backgrounds of the participants and discuss suitable formats and methods to address them.

Date: 17 October 2024

Registration Deadline: 06 October 2024

04.11.-08.11.24

Topics in Digital and Computational Demography

Max Planck Institute for Demographic Reserach

Course Description

Rapid increases in computational power and the explosion of Internet, social media and mobile phone use have radically changed our lives, how we interact, and our behavior, including demographic choices and constraints. The digitalization of our lives has also led to the so-called “data revolution” that is transforming the social sciences.

Data science tools allow social scientists to address core demographic questions in new ways. At the same time, demographic and social science methods enable researchers to make sense of new and complex data sources for which novel approaches and research designs may be needed.

The main goals for this course are:

1. To introduce students to core demographic and social science methods that are essential to interpret digital trace data.
2. To introduce students to core data science methods that are key to advance our understanding of population processes in the context of the increasing heterogeneity of data sources useful for demographic research.
3. To introduce students to recent substantive advances in the field of Digital and Computational Demography, with emphasis on fostering critical thinking about modern demographic analysis and (big) data-driven discovery.
4. To help students identify research questions in their own area of substantive interest that could be addressed with innovative data sources, and support them in the process of devising an appropriate research plan.

Date: 04 November to 08 November 2024

Application Deadline: 24 September 2024

14.10.24-04.12.24

Critical Sustainability - online course

Technische Universität Berlin

Critical Sustainability in a Nutshell
The course "Critical Sustainability" provides a digital space to learn, reflect, discuss and take action together. The participants will jointly analyze existing power relations as well as society-nature relations and democratize them. The course is the compulsory module of the Sustainability Certificate for Students issued by TU Berlin.
 

Educational Concept - Content and Methods
The participants will broaden their understanding of sustainability through various interactive, artistic and group-dynamic formats. For this they engage in individual work as well as group work to jointly reflect and analyze the reciprocal relations between technology, individuals, nature, society and democracy. This will be the basis for their contribution to a socio-ecological transformation of society through individual and collective action.
 

Enrollment - Free and open for everyone
Students of all study programs from all universities are cordially invited. Non-students are also warmly welcomed.
 

Assessment - 6 ECTS
The assessment of the course comprises a wide range of individual activities through which the participants explore and change their own situation in the world. Together with others theyintervene into society on a topic of your interest.
 

CritS Team the people conducting the course
We are a diverse team with a broad background and a dedication to democratize society as well as to offer an education that calls people to intervene into society.

Hard Facts - Winter Semester 2024/25
Mondays + Wednesdays
14.00 > 16.00 CET
14 Oct > 04 Dec 2024
online via videoconfernce

01.10.24 onwards

Seminar: Solving Grand Challenges with Transdisciplinary Research (TDR)

Global Consortium for Systems Research

For scholars, founders, and executives — Grand challenges are wicked problems characterized by their global scope, high significance, and potential to be solvable. Potential to be solvable is important to emphasize. As Churchman remarked in 1968: “In principle, we have the technological capability of adequately feeding, sheltering [… and] providing adequate medical care [… as well as] sufficient education for every inhabitant of the world.” Why are we stuck here and how do we move forward?

This 10-week seminar offered by the Global Consortium for Systems Research (GCSR) is designed to help global leaders of today and tomorrow confidently combine transdisciplinary research methods with systems concepts to solve grand challenges. Through a range of readings, case discussions, presentations, reflections, and an optional 1:1 tutorial, the course will focus on (1) evaluating knowledge claims from a systems perspective, (2) identifying transdisciplinary methods to develop them, and (3) honing in on a solution space strategically.

October/November 2024 TBA

Team Learning for Better Scientific Software Workshop

Better Scientific Software

The goal of this 2-day workshop is to bring together experts across disciplines and domains to develop an open knowledge base with tools to support and evaluate team learning in the interdisciplinary teams who produce scientific software. The products of the workshop will contribute to enhancement of and research on team learning in scientific software development.

Prospective participants are encouraged to complete the interest form: https://tinyurl.com/tl4bssw. Invitees will be asked to submit a short position paper (no more than 2 pages) prior to the workshop. 

Travel, lodging, and meals for the workshop will be covered by the organizer for approximately 20 invited participants. Limited space for self-funded participants is available. 

02.10. - 06.11.24

START Coaching Programme 2024

Focus Sustainability

Join our START Coaching Programme to launch your sustainability project! Kicking off in Bern on 2 October with a Design Thinking workshop, you’ll define or refine your ideas and form teams with peers. You’ll then be paired with a coach who will guide you throughout the programme. Benefit from workshops on system change, mental health, gain insights from guest organisations such as act now!, youngCaritas, and Student Minds Network, or join a Climate Fresk session. The programme wraps up with an online closing event, and you’ll receive a certificate and a reference letter. Open to all students in Switzerland, designed to be compatible with studies and free of charge. For details and registration, visit: https://focus-sustainability.ch/start-programme/

Semester Workshops (free and open to all students)

1. Communiquer Pour Mieux Collaborer: Introduction à la Communication NonViolente
Plonge dans l’univers inspirant de la Communication NonViolente. Viens découvrir des clés de communication au service de ton engagement associatif ou académique. Développe ta capacité d’écoute et de compréhension, et transforme tes relations !
Date: Mer, 9 octobre, 19:00-21:15
Lieu: EPFL, Lausanne
Inscription: Jusqu’au lun, 7 octobre. Lien : https://focus-sustainability.ch/event/communiquer-pour-mieux-collaborer-introduction-a-la-communication-nonviolente-2/
Langue: Français

2. Be Inspired with Student Minds Network, youngCaritas and act now!
Interested to connect with organisations and movements that act for sustainability? This workshop is your gateway! Meet and discuss with inspiring people working for a fairer and more sustainable society!
Date: Wed, 16th October, 6:30pm-8:00pm
Location: Online
Registration: By Mon, 14th October. Link: https://focus-sustainability.ch/event/be-inspired-with-student-minds-network-youngcaritas-and-act-now/
Language: English

3. Introduction to System Change with Collaboratio Helvetica
Curious to learn how we can transform entire systems to tackle climate change, social inequality and economic instability? Join us to discover the secrets of systemic change and learn how to tackle today’s most complex problems with an awareness-based approach!
Date: Tue, 22nd October, 6pm-7:30pm
Location: Online
Registration: By Mon, 21st October. Link: https://focus-sustainability.ch/event/introduction-to-system-change/
Language: English

4. Student Engagement without Burning Out
Interested to learn how to avoid the mental exhaustion or burnout often linked to sustainability engagement? Join us for a workshop with Seraina from the Student Minds Network, dedicated to advocating for student mental health in Switzerland.
Date: Wed, 6th November, 6:30pm-8:00pm
Location: Online
Registration: By Mon, 4th November. Link: https://focus-sustainability.ch/event/student-engagement-without-burning-out/
Language: English

CSCCE virtual meetings and events Mini-workshop series

CSCCE

CSCCE Mini-workshops are 90- to 120-minute sessions that introduce discrete ideas in community management or go deeper on a core framework. This offer includes participation in all three sessions of our upcoming series on virtual meetings and events. It is perfect for anyone in STEM who is working to convene, collaborate, and make decisions online.

Session 1: Making a PACT for engaging virtual meetings and events

Wednesday, 7 August 2024, 11:00am - 1:00pm EDT / 3:00pm - 5:00pm UTC

With virtual work increasingly the norm, community managers are often tasked with convening and facilitating virtual meetings. In this Mini-workshop, you will discuss the opportunities and challenges of virtual meetings and explore the “Making a PACT” framework (Purpose, Attendees, Community management, Tech tools) for effective meeting design. You will apply the framework directly to example scenarios so that you leave feeling empowered to use the framework in your own community management.

Session 2: Designing for effective decision-making during virtual meetings

Wednesday, 9 October 2024, 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT / 3:00pm - 4:30pm UTC

Meetings and virtual events often involve asking attendees to make decisions. Decision-making invokes numerous considerations, including how to negotiate power dynamics, empower everyone to express their opinions, and actually reach the outcome(s) you desire. In this Mini-workshop, you will explore four broad decision-making modes (authority rule, consultation, voting, and consensus) and then use the PACT framework to plan a decision-making process. You will leave prepared to deploy decision-making processes in a way that invites all attendees at your meetings and events to contribute.

Session 3: Selecting supplementary tools for virtual meetings and events

Wednesday, 6 November 2024, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm EST / 4:00pm - 5:30pm UTC

Community managers regularly use online tools to support the needs of community members in virtual meetings and events. With so many possible needs to solve for, and so many potential online tools to use – how can you quickly determine which tools to explore and then use? In this Mini-workshop, you will apply CSCCE’s BASICS framework and SCORE method to determine an appropriate tool for a provided use case scenario. You will also test two online tools in a “sandbox” setting to explore functionality and usability, preparing you to select and implement tools for your own virtual meetings and events.

Dates: 7 August, 9 October, 6 November 2024

07.10.24 - 11.10.24

Nachhaltigkeit demokratisieren und Demokratie dauerhaft stärken

Technische Universität Berlin

Bildungsurlaub/Blockkurs 6 ECTS

Was zählt in deinem privaten und beruflichen Leben mehr - das Ergebnis oder der Prozess? Hast Du die Antwort schon und willst, dass andere sie einfach akzeptieren? Oder ziehst du es vor, endlos zu diskutieren, ohne ins Handeln zu kommen? - Wen beziehst Du in Entscheidungsprozesse ein und wen schließt du aus? Wann fühlst du dich selbst einbezogen/ausgeschlossen? - Worüber darfst du mitentscheiden und wo bleibst du außen vor?

Der Kurs beruht vollständig auf der Interaktion der Teilnehmenden. Wir erkunden, was Demokratie bedeutet und wie sie zu einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung beitragen kann. Jeden Workshoptag werden wir zahlreiche Aktivitäten gemeinsam durchführen und reflektieren, so dass wir demokratisches Handeln in einem konkreten Kontext einüben und dieses Wissen in andere Kontexte übertragen. Durch diesen erfahrunsgbasierten Lehr-/Lernansatz erleben wir es unmittelbar, was es heißt, das eigene Privat- und Berufsleben zu demokratisieren und damit zu einer sozial-ökologischen Transformation beizutragen - auch wenn dies heißt, in Konflikte zu gehen und diese gemeinsam beizulegen oder manchmal auch mutig auszuhalten.

Anmeldefrist: 09. August 2024

Datum: 07. Oktober - 11. Oktober 2024

23.10.24

Workshop fpr young lecturers: We are transforming our university teaching towards sustainability

WWF, Swiss Young Academy, SDSN, Wissenschaft schafft Zukünfte

Join us for a workshop organized for young lecturers. The goal of the workshop is to help young lecturers expand their knowledge on the transformative potential of universities and how this change can be initiated internally within universities. Organized by various stakeholders active in academia, the workshop will provide essential basic knowledge, teaching strategies, and support offers to incorporate sustainable development into teaching. As a young lecturer, you can either bring your own project idea/module you would like to work on or develop new ideas on-site. We are looking forward to creating a sustainable university environment together with you! 

Workshop-Date: 23 October 2024

19.01.25 - 24.01.25

Citizen Science Winter School 2025 - Participation, Power and Perspective

University of Zurich

Citizen Science refers to scientific research processes in which the public ("citizens") is engaged at various levels and for different reasons. From linguistics to public health, it is a form of public participation found in many disciplines, including inter- and transdisciplinary settings. Maybe you have heard of Community Based Research, PPI(E), Action Research, Civic Science? Citizen Science is an umbrella term encompassing a wide range of approaches and methodologies. Some projects work closely with the community whose concerns are being researched, fostering empowerment in the process. Others leverage participatory methods to obtain or analyze large or hard-to-access information. Activities range from small-scale local projects with defined target groups to large-scale international projects where everyone can participate.

Goals

In this Winter School of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland, you will identify and develop crucial skills and competencies needed to plan and conduct a Citizen Science project, whether you are an academic researcher, practitioner or a citizen scientist. In doing so, you will:

• immerse yourself in debates around Citizen Science
• get to know different Citizen Science approaches, their methods and tools, their possibilities and limits
• be able to decide how participatory approaches can be useful for your own research project
• gain insights into local Citizen Science projects
• get to know criteria for planning and conducting high-quality Citizen Science projects
• work on your own project plan and engage in extensive peer learning

Date: 19 - 24 January 2025

Application Deadline: 16 September 2025

Spring Semester 2025

CAS ETH in Climate Innovation

ETH Zurich

If you wish to 1) meet experts and get up-to-speed with the foundations of Climate Crisis, Climate Justice, Climate Finance, Climate Risks, Climate Communication, Role of Policy, Biodiversity, Transition Management and Leading the Change; 2) dialogue with practitioners; and 3) enter a network of like-minded individuals working collectively to support the transition towards net zero emissions, this “Science into Practice” programme is for you.

Working with real-world case studies, the Climate Innovation programme empowers climate leaders with the necessary skills and knowledge to support and lead the transition towards net zero emissions. The programme is aimed at professionals (3 years +) from business, industry, the public sector and non-governmental organization who deal with complex problems related to climate change.

Application Period: 01.09.24 - 30.11.24

Dates:
Introductory Online Programme (1 Day): February 2025
Module 1 (Climate Crisis, Transformations & Climate Justice): 14 & 15 March 2025
Module 2 (Leadership & Methodologies): 28 & 29 March
Module 3 (Transition Management & Leading the Change): 11 & 12 April
Module 4 (Risks & Finance): 9 & 10 May
Module 5 (Role of Policy & Problem Statement): 23 & 24 May
Module 6 (Biodiversity & Excursion): 6 & 7 June
Immersive Block Course: 23-28 June