Trainings

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

12.09.24

Innovative teaching formats at the science-society interface

Swiss Young Academy

As part of the project "Innovative teaching formats at the science-society interface", led by members of the Swiss Young Academy (Sandra Bärnreuther, Benjamin Hofmann, and Clara Zemp), you are invited to join our capacity-building workshop titled "Coaching Students at the Science-Society Interface" on September 12, 2024, from 9am to 4.30pm, at the House of Academies in Bern (Laupenstrasse 7, 3001 Bern)!

This event is for students in higher education institutions who have developed a media project (e.g., films, podcasts, blog posts, social media content) in the context of a seminar which aimed at interacting with society. This workshop will provide students with inputs and individual coaching by communication experts on various aspects of their project, such as its content, distribution, and impact. If you are a student/students' group interested in reinforcing your competences through tailored hands-on advice, then do not hesitate further and fill up this questionnaire by August 5, 12pm! Needless to say, this workshop is also open to lecturers who would like to assist in the coaching of their students.

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

26.09.-28.09.24

ARL International Summer School 2024: "Spatial Transformation from a Planning Perspective"

ARL, University of Vienna

THE ISSUE

Spatial transformation holds a central role in addressing the multifaceted challenges of the 21st century, extending beyond the pressing concerns of climate change. The intricate interplay of ecological and social issues shapes the landscape of our future lifestyles, necessitating a profound shift towards sustainability. The spatial perspective emerges as a key protagonist in steering the transformation of cities and regions, energy and mobility systems, land usage, and the pervasive digitization across all facets of life. Embracing a socio-spatial lens in the pursuit of sustainability acknowledges that transformation processes are not only occurring within our living spaces but also shaping the conditions for future changes. Spatial planning has a great potential to play a pivotal role by addressing the complex dimensions of the built and unbuilt environment.
However, this transformative potential of spatial planning has not yet been fully exploited, many frameworks seem to be spatially blind. We are looking forward to analyzing and discussing the role of spatial planning in transformation processes. These research endeavors focus on diverse knowledge dimensions, spanning spatial system analyses, normative target knowledge, and transformation knowledge. This holistic perspective aims to understand how transformation processes can be collaboratively supported and developed by society, generating socially relevant knowledge.

POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Theoretical reflections and practical research approaches in spatial planning grapple with fundamental questions in transformation processes of all kinds (energy, mobility, agro-food transitions etc.). We invite contributions from doctoral students internationally and across a range of disciplines, such as geography, planning, urban studies and other social sciences, humanities and engineering. Our aim is to have a broad range of issues in the above topical contexts addressed, including:

• Theoretical and conceptual contributions to the field of spatial transformations (disciplinary as well as interdisciplinary approaches), e.g. in the realm of social justice, democratic decision-making, spatial answers to target conflicts etc.
• Theorizing on the role of spatial planning in transformation processes (anchored in planning theories or elsewhere)
• Transdisciplinary tools and methods to gain societal relevant knowledge (such as real word labs, citizen science approaches etc.)
• Empirical insights in diverse fields of transformation like urban transitions and/or energy, mobility, agro-food transitions etc.

Application Deadline: 01 April 2024

Date of the Summer School: 26 to 28 September 2024

07.-09.10-24

4th International workshop on System Innovation towards Sustainable Agriculture (SISA-4): Transitions towards sustainable agriculture and food systems: Connecting research and practice

various organizers

Societies are facing enormous and persisting sustainability challenges. Research, international negotiations, EU and national policies try to address these
with different degrees of ambition and direction across societal fields. One of the fields that has increasingly drawn attention is the system around agricultural production and food consumption. Research insights from agricultural knowledge and innovation system (AKIS) studies’ insights have led to new forms for research and development at national and international level. These are giving participatory, inter- and transdisciplinary research approaches more prominence in order to take the multifaceted and complex nature of agri-food knowledge and innovation systems, their interconnections to other systems and the systemic characteristics of change into account (Elzen et al. 2004 and 2012, Cornell et al. 2013, Leach et al. 2020, Brouwer et al. 2020, Hebinck et al. 2021, Kok and Klerkx 2023, Knierim and Birke 2023).

However, progress to make agri-food systems around the globe more sustainable and resilient is overall complex and slow. Moreover, sustainability transition efforts have become confronted with the impacts of disturbance and disruptions such as societal conflicts and crisis events. Developments in the EU and the Global South, not least due to recent crises in the last years, leave actors somewhat without directionality. The present European movement of farmers in Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, France and India particularly echoes the importance of developing research and studies about transitions when they at the same time ground societal expectations, political promises and critiques from
farmers.

To address these challenges, the planned workshop deals with the following overarching question: What have we actually achieved and learned so far
through the many initiatives in research, policy and practice around agrifood sustainability transitions? What knowledge is needed to inform actors
and society on feasible pathways to feed the changing world in a sustainable manner and how can we stimulate these?

To apply for participation you are requested to submit an abstract of your contribution by 22 March at latest. The abstract should use the format that can be
downloaded from the workshop website and be no longer than 2 pages in that format.

Workshop Date: 07-09 October 2024

14.09.-20.09.24

International Summer School - Transdisciplinarity methods and tools for dealing with sustainability and land use conflicts

tdAcademy

About the summer school

We live in a world in transformation in which we are faced with complex global problems such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, hunger and social inequality. The urgent need for a sustainable transformation forces us to take decisions in situations of uncertainty and to continuously adapt our societal strategies.

As professionals, as researchers, and ultimately as citizens we want to embrace this process of transformation. We need to be able to design, build, create, but also to listen, observe and understand to make sustainability changes happen. A disciplinary approach will not be enough to solve the complex problems we are faced with in the 21st century. Academia does not have all the answers, neither does politics, economy or civil society. We rather need a collaborative endeavour to be able to reach a truly sustainable society.

Transdisciplinary research and practice is an approach that allows to bring together different perspectives from science and society and to catalyse the solution of real-world problems. In the summer school we want to transmit the basics of co-producing knowledge, co-designing solutions, and co-evaluating the results of such research practices to Master and PhD students from technologically-oriented disciplines (e.g. engineering, planning, environmental studies) as well as from other fields (e.g. social sciences). To ensure the link to the ‘real-world’, we will apply what we learn to sustainability problems in the region of Alt Empordá, Spain.

Aim of the course

The aim of the summer school is to gain insights into the basics and challenges of transdisciplinary research and practice. We want to convey central know-how of how to plan a transdisciplinary project in different steps and to gain experiences with carrying out methods for transdisciplinary research.

Date of the Summer School: 14th to 20th September 2024

Application Deadline: 30th April 2024