Transformative research for sustainability challenges

The course does not aim to provide definitive answers, but it raises questions in such a way that you become enabled to work through issues that come up while navigating the science-society interface. It was wonderful to be with a group of people that share the feeling that research can play a powerful role in societal transformations, yet are struggling with how to realize this.

The citation above is from PhD candidate Wietse Wiersma who took part in the 2021 edition of the course. An article about the course was published in the Wageningen UR journal “Resource”.

“Transformative Research for Sustainability Challenges” provides PhD candidates with exciting concepts and methods to enhance the potential of their research to beneficially contribute to society and the environment. Participants are guided through a process designed to surface and examine fundamental assumptions that underpin their research approaches to inspire future trajectories both within and beyond their PhD. This course is taught by a range of scholars in Utrecht University (UU), Wageningen University & Research (WUR), University of Twente (UT) and Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) who will guide students through critical concepts, methodological innovations, and tricky dilemmas that have challenged and enabled their own work. The course content focuses on four main aspects of transformative research identified in the 71 Visions Report. This course received an Education Innovation Award in 2021 and is supported by WIMEK, EWUU Alliance, Urban Futures Studio, Utrecht University and Centre for Unusual Collaborations (CUCo).

More information about the course and the procedure can be found here:

Knowledge, transformation, and society

Former occurrences of this course

2022 | 2021