International Transdisciplinarity Conference 2019 - Joining forces for Change

Reflections by td-net’s team members - Tobias, Theres, Sibylle and Yves

« More than 250 participants from all continents joined forces for change at the International Transdisciplinarity Conference 2019 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The richness of experiences, knowledge, backgrounds and approaches enabled lively and fruitful exchange. The commitment of all community members was tangible in the record number of contributions, in workshops, sessions, plenaries, coffee-breaks and after-conference activities. 

The quality, scope and depth of the contributions and sessions was impressive, ranging from case-studies in research and education, meta-analyses of td-research, methods, methodological and theoretical advances, the emergence of a new profession of “transdisciplinarians” to the institutional level, where funders, research policy representatives and researchers addressed what is often referred to as the structural constraints for transdisciplinarity, like appropriate funding schemes, and the challenging question, how universities and public administration could transform to enable and foster transdisciplinary approaches. 

To address such structural obstacles, and as an important step to further strengthen the communities’ abilities to address the grand societal challenges, the Alliance for Inter- and Transdisciplinarity (ITD-Alliance) was founded at the conference. The Alliance aims at linking the growing but often dispersed networks, organisations and individuals, as well their initiatives, experiences and offers in transdisciplinary research and education. The Alliance is a home base for inter- and transdisciplinary institutions and individuals. It offers institutional and individual memberships, highlights the amazing work of the communities, enables to bring forward specific aspects of ID/TD in working groups, helps to find potential partners for research and education, and, by joining forces, it aims to leverage the power of ID/TD communities to become an even stronger voice in Research and Policy.

The strong call for Transdisciplinary approaches in the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) that was launched by the United Nations at the same time as The ITD 2019 took place, as well as the full endorsement for the ITD-Alliance by Flavia Schlegel, the Special Envoy for Science in Global Policy of the International Science Council are an encouraging and clear sign, that transdisciplinary research and education has to play an important role to address complex societal challenges. »

Tobias Buser, project leader capacity building and international network –
third time co-organiser of the ITD

« The questions of Institutions and the institutional anchoring of transdisciplinary research were taken up in numerous sessions. The role of universities was thereby discussed critically; while certain universities are taking innovative steps towards enabling ID/TD research, universities were generally perceived as not very flexible and their rigid disciplinary organisation was criticised as restraining ID/TD education, research and careers. Exploring ways to overcome these boundaries, renowned personalities representing international science policy institutions (OECD-Global Science Forum, International Science Council ISC) and innovative universities expressed their vision of transformations and encouraged young as well as established scientists in their search for new solutions. They encouraged the ITD-community to live according to the motto of the conference "Joining Forces for Change" and welcomed the foundation of the international ITD-Alliance. »

Theres Paulsen, director td-net and at ITD conferences since their beginning – 
a perspective on institutionalisation of Transdisciplinarity

« In the presented td projects, a diversity of methods was used – from dragon dreaming to bayesian networks, from encompassing stakeholder involvement designs to specific tangible tools to foster collaboration. As much as this diversity is appreciated, as much efforts are needed to navigate through and further develop td methods. The keynotes made it evident: methods are essential to structure and document what happens when different – academic and non-academic - bodies of knowledge come together and new things emerge. But they also showed that it’s not only about methods, it’s also about changing the way you’re thinking and acting, about creating safe, neutral spaces and facilitation competences. Or in other words: about becoming a reflective, transparent, risk taking, learning and unlearning, vulnerable super hero! »

Sibylle Studer, project leader for td-net’s knowledge co-production toolbox – 
a perspective focussing on methods

« I consider the ITD conference at Gothenburg as my very start into TD. Starting with a session about learning in the liminal space was thus quite meaningful – as it was about addressing experiences or a space in which the old reference systems and ways of being and acting are not valid anymore and the new ones are not clear yet. During the following days I was able to develop my own idea about TD, but at the same time I realized that there is still a lot of learning for me in the future - and that’s great! What made and still makes my learning journey to TD easier is the fact that there are many shared concepts with sustainable development and even more with education for sustainable development, which is closer to my background and daily work. But there were also concepts that did not open to me, so there’s still a lot to do for me to get fully into TD. I’m really looking forward to it! »

Yves Gärtner, project leader U Change (student initiative for sustainable development), 
first-timer at the ITD conference 2019

The whole td-net team wants to express its warmest gratitude to the co-organisers Merritt Polk from the Gothenburg University School of Global Studies and Henrietta Palmer from Mistra Urban Futures with their teams, the conference partners and board members, and to all participants for making this conference a memorable and important event!

PRE-EVENT
The Art of Facilitating - Co-production in Transdisciplinary Research Projects 

Gothenburg Network of Facilitators promoting co-creation and co-production (Go!Create) hereby offers a day of exploring tools, methods and methodical reflection upon facilitating TD research projects. The GoCreate network is hosted by Mistra Urban Futures. 
You will be given the possibility to participate, learn, exercise and reflect upon facilitation of co-creation/co-production processes, addressing challenges that the group brings to the table. 

Date: Monday 9:th of September 2019 
Time: 8:30-16:30 

Information and registration
Registration fee: SEK 500

SIDE EVENT 
Urban Forum - Practice meets Academia

An invitation to reflective practitioners, practice-oriented researchers, and design critics to present and discuss collaborative experiences, case studies and practices from a variety of backgrounds, in view of developing sustainable cities and communities (built or drawn work, speculative or actual, contemporary or historical). 

Practitioners of architecture, urbanism, landscape architecture, urban studies and the construction industry are invited to display their building projects (realised or not) and research endeavours (practice-based or -oriented) in an exhibition. Sessions dedicated to each project allow the authors to discuss burning questions, critical aspects, inspiring findings they wish to bring to light and get feedback on, in a collegial atmosphere. 

Dates:

- Opening: Wednesday 11 September 2019 17.30-18-30h
- Floor talk session 1 Thursday 12 Sept 2019 15.50h-17.30h
- Floor talk session 2 Friday 13 Sept 2019 8.40h-10.20h​
- Free access

Detailed Programme Urban Forum (PDF)

More information

Urban Forum | Practice meets Academia is a collaborative initiative by Prof. Lisa Diedrich, SLU Urban Futures (www.slu.se/urbanfutures), and Assoc. Prof. Per-Johan Dahl, Urban Arena at Lund University(www.urban.lu.se/), with the purpose of increasing the interaction between practice and academia.

SPECIAL WORKSHOP
ITD Alliance: exploring capacity building formats for inter- and trans-disciplinary research

Friday, September 13, 13:45-17:45, 
University of Gothenburg School of Global Studies
Konstepidemins väg 2B, 413 14 Göteborg
Room C417

Workshop organisers on behalf the ITD-Alliance: Ulli Vilsmaier, Methodology Center, Leuphana University of Lüneburg; Julie Thopson Klein, Wayne State University; Tobias Buser, Network for Transdisciplinary Research td-net

The goal of ITD Alliance is to link networks, associations, institutions, and individuals with shared interest in inter- and trans-disciplinary theory, methods, and interventions for addressing complex societal challenges and questions. ITD Alliance increases visibility and coalesces work currently dispersed across continents. It catalyses greater collaboration focused on societal problem solving and understanding of complex issues. 

ITD Alliance aims at building a platform for interactive capacity building in inter- and trans-disciplinary theory, methods, and practice for different target groups. Multiple networks, associations, institutions, and individuals have already established a large number of capacity building formats with high diversity of content, methodology, and duration, including short term workshops on selected methods, summer schools, or research development workshops. The platform allows for communicating these opportunities to larger audience and for finding appropriate formats for specific requirements and target groups. ITD Alliance further supports exchange among trainers and augment their numbers by establishing train-the-trainer workshops and mutual learning spaces. These goals have particular relevance when implementing capacity building in different cultural settings. ITD Alliance also sees its role as identifying further topics for capacity building so aims at developing related opportunities.

This workshop aims to gather representatives of networks, associations, and institutions, as well as individuals in order to add to the platform and to identify different contents, methodologies, durations, financial structures, trainers, and target groups. In the first phase of establishing the platform we target ‘in vivo’ formats, i.e. opportunities that are implemented physically. Expanding towards online formats further requires evaluating existing platforms in order to create synergies and complementarities. 

We invite participants in the ITD Conference 2019 to register for this session. In preparing for it, we will gather data concerning capacity building formats for presentation if meeting the following criteria for inclusion in the session. During the session, in-depth explorations and mutual exchange will allow for elaborating commonalities and differences with regards to target groups and types of formats. The ultimate goal of the session is to gather a structured overview and to identify gaps in existing opportunities. As a follow up, capacity building formats will also appear on the web-page of ITD Alliance. 

Structure of the session: 
- Introduction to the session and short presentation of all capacity building formats 
- According to number of presented formats, group work divided according to target groups (e.g., research consortia, PhD students, CSOs, mixed audience) and types of formats 
- Identification of gaps of capacity building forums and strategies 
- Identification of trainers and possible future trainers 
- Elaboration of exchange and train-the-trainer formats 
-  Identification of requirements to add offers to the ITD Alliance platform 
- Clarification of organizational procedures, communication venues and protocols, and decision making 
-  Plan for further gatherings and closing 


Preparation of the session: 
For those who would like to present their capacity building formats related to inter- and trans-disciplinarity we kindly request the following information and brief responses to the following questions: 

1. What is the title of your capacity building format?
2. Do you implement it on a regular basis? If so, please indicate the sequence of implementation.
3. Where is your capacity building format located according to the following categories (one or several categories)? 
- Introduction to interdisciplinarity, transdisciplinarity, or both.
- Training in methods (theoretical/practical)
- Case-based capacity building in practise
- Format: workshop, summer school, professional training, consultancy
- Other (please specify)
4. What is the content? Please provide a brief description.
5. Who is your target group? 
6. How many trainers are involved? 

Please provide the information no later than September 6, 2019 emailed to esther.meyer@leuphana.de The basis of selection will be provision of the requested information and fit for the scope of the ITD Alliance. We will use the information to structure the session. For presentations, please also prepare 3-5 slides presenting your capacity building format(s) and join us 15 minutes before the session to upload your presentation.

• Merritt Polk, University of Gothenburg, School of Global Studies, Sweden

• Henrietta Palmer, Mistra Urban Futures and Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden

• Tobias Buser, Network for Transdisciplinary Research (td-net), Switzerland

• Hannah Saldert, University of Gothenburg, School of Global Studies, Sweden

• Lydia Moreno, Network for Transdisciplinary Research (td-net), Switzerland (until May 2019)

• Sibylle Studer, Network for Transdisciplinary Research (td-net), Switzerland (since August 2019)

The strategic board integrates leaders of transdisciplinary partner networks and communities, and leaders of the organising institutions.

• Gabriele Bammer, Australian National University, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, and Leader of Integration & Implementation Sciences (I2S), Australia

• Matthias Bergmann, Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE), Germany

• Lisa Diedrich, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management, Sweden

• Elma Duracovic, Mistra Urban Futures, Sweden

• Thomas Elmquist, Stockholm University, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Sweden

• Steve M. Fiore, University of Central Florida and International Network for the Science of Team Science (INSciTS), USA

• Eva Friman, Uppsala University, Swedish International Centre of Education for Sustainable Development (SWEDESD), Sweden

• Machiel Keestra, University of Amsterdam, Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies and Association for Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS), The Netherlands

• Erica Key, Executive Director of the Belmont Forum

• Barry Ness, Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, Sweden

• Fredrik Nilsson, Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Sweden

• Beth Perry, University of Sheffield, Urban Institute, UK

• Martina Schäfer, Technische Universität Berlin, Center for Technology and Society (ZTG), Germany

• David Simon, Mistra Urban Futures, Sweden

• Warren Smit, African Centre for Cities, South Africa

• Vivi Stavrou, International Social Science Council, France

• Maria José Zapata Campos, University of Gothenburg, Department of Business Administration, Sweden

• Jakob Zinsstag, University of Basel, Swiss TPH and President of the Network for Transdisciplinary Research (td-net), Switzerland

The members of the Programme Board are reviewing the submitted abstracts and are thus fostering the high quality of the contributions.

• Dena Fam, University of Technology Sydney, Australia

• Sabine Hoffmann, Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Switzerland

• Daniel K. B. Inkoom, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana

• Julie Klein, Association for Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS), USA

• Anna Ledin, Director of the Environmental Administration in the City of Gothenburg, Sweden

• Lars Lilled, Senior Consultant, Gothenburg, Sweden

• Catherine Lyall, University of Edinburgh, School of Social and Political Science, UK

• Cynthia Mitchell, University of Technology Sydney, Australia

• Michael O'Rourke, Michigan State University, Department of Philosophy, USAMichigan State University, Center for Interdisciplinarity and Department of Philosophy, USA

• Zarina Patel, University of Cape Town, Environmental & Geographical Science, South Africa

• Christian Pohl, ETH Zurich, D-USYS TdLab and Network for Transdisciplinary Research (td-net), Switzerland

• Jan C. Schmidt, University of Applied Science Darmstadt, Germany and Network for Transdisciplinary Research (td-net)

• Flurina Schneider, University of Bern, Centre for Development and Environment, Switzerland

• Ulli Vilsmaier, Leuphana University, Center for Methods, Faculty of Sustainability and Digital Cultures Research Lab (DCRL), Germany