Transformative research for global social-environmental challenges

Monday, September 20, 2021 (All day) to Friday, October 1, 2021 (All day)
Wageningen Campus, Netherlands

The course content focuses on the four main aspects of transformative research identified in the 71 Visions Report & further explored in the Transformative Dialogues @WUR series.

Learning goals

  • Explore different approaches to transformative research in case studies from WUR, SRC and beyond
  • Develop skills to evaluate how key aspects of research design, implementation, analysis and communication affect the contribution of research to addressing global social-environmental challenges
  • Build knowledge, confidence and ability to apply transformative processes/methods in your own present and future research and navigate emerging challenges to maximize its beneficial impacts
  • Connect with a growing network of diverse researchers within and beyond WUR & SRC to further your inspiration and capability to undertake transformative research in collaboration with others

Contents

The introduction to the course is split across two half-days to explore: what is “transformative research", and what roles does it entail? This will be followed by four full-day trainings and one final day of harvesting collective insights. The course involves the following main components:

  • Lectures and dynamic exercises that explore transformative concepts and methods, delivered by a broad range of scholars undertaking transformative approaches in their research
  • In-depth engagement with novel case studies of transformation that are relevant to your research
  • Crafting of your own personal narrative of how your research contributes to social-environmental change
  • Participation in peer-to-peer learning sessions and walks
  • Home study (readings, videos, writing) in between sessions
  • Informal social interactions with peers and teaching team

Programme

This course will run in person in Wageningen, Netherlands.

It spans 2 weeks (20 September to 1 October, including 36 hours of live sessions + 20 hours of self study). If Covid-19 circumstances do not permit in person sessions, we will transition to an online setting, with 12 half-day sessions.

Target group

PhD students (although MSc and post-docs may also enrol) – both WUR based and internationally based; We explicitly also invited PhD candidates with a more technical background to apply.