Grasping Sustainability: the context and potential impact of your research

Dates

13 - 17 March 2023.

Scope

To date, many different scientific concepts and approaches of sustainability exist. What are the differences and what do they entail? What is your role as a scientist in achieving sustainable development? How can you apply sustainability in your own research? And in doing so, how can you deal with facts, uncertainty, values and opinions? This course will enable you to think about the ‘bigger picture’, grasp sustainability and to apply concepts and approaches to your own research, in a collaborative learning environment. To ensure that the content of the course is aligned to your own research, the content of the course will also be determined by the research topics of the participants.

Learning goals

• Be acquainted with and understand different concepts, objectives and approaches of sustainability
• Be aware of and be able to deal with the science – policy interface
• Be able to understand the importance of societal processes in transitions
• Be able to apply sustainability concepts, objectives and approaches to your own research
• To identify your role as a researcher within its societal context
• Effectively and successfully deal with group processes

Programme

Monday 13 March

• Lectures, exercise, discussion
• Early evening dinner
• Focus: ‘Sustainability’ the bigger picture

Tuesday 14 March

• Lectures, exercise, discussion
• Assignment/practical on Systems thinking
• Focus: Systems thinking and methods to understand complexity

Wednesday 15 March

• Video, lectures, discussion
• Lectures, discussion and assignment
• Focus: Sustainability and the science-policy interface and Transitions in practice

Thursday 16 March

• Workshop
• Self-study in groups
• Focus: Transdisciplinary approaches and reflection on own research

Friday 17 March

• Poster peer review + presentations
• Final reflection
• Focus: Participants input: ‘Sustainability in my research’

Confirmed lecturers and speakers

• Karen Fortuin (Senior lecturer at the Environmental Systems Analysis Group, WUR)
• Jillian Student (WIMEK postdoctoral researcher on transdisciplinary research at WUR)
• Philipp Pattberg (Director of the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute
  (ASI), full professor of transnational environmental governance and
  policy at VU, and general director of SENSE)
• Peter Vermeulen (PhD programme coordinator and PhD advisor for WIMEK, WUR)
• Mirjam van Gool (Founder of EcoValue)
• Timo Maas (Researcher at PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency)
• Ernst Worrell (Professor of Energy, Resources & Technological Change at Utrecht University
• Geerten Hengeveld (DLO Researcher, Wageningen Plant Research)

General information

Target group

The course is meant for PhD candidates, Engineering Doctorate (EngD) students, MSc students of the WIMEK Graduate Programme, and other scientists who want to understand and achieve sustainable development and innovation, and are interested in ways to incorporate sustainability in their research.

Course level

Beginner

Suggested follow up courses

• Making an Impact (Wageningen Graduate Schools
• Transformative research for global social-environmental challenges (WIMEK)

Registration

Go to Registration form (Early bird registration deadline: 13 February 2023. Regular registration deadline: 24 February 2023.)

Credit points

2 ECTS

Language

English

Group size

15-25 participants

Frequency

Once per year.

Fee

The course fee includes coffee, tea and lunch on all 5 days, and drinks on day 5.

The fee does not include accommodation, breakfast or dinner. Accommodation is not included in the fee of the course, but there are several possibilities in Wageningen. For information on B&B’s and hotels in Wageningen please visit proefwageningen.nl/overnachten. Another option is Short Stay Wageningen. Furthermore, Airbnb offers several rooms in the area. Note that besides the restaurants in Wageningen, there are also options to have dinner at Wageningen Campus.

Cancellation conditions

• Up to 4 (four) weeks prior to the start of the course, cancellation is free of charge.
• Up to 2 (two) weeks prior to the start of the course, a fee of €480,- will be charged.
• In case of cancellation within ten or less days prior to the start of the
  course, or if you do not show at all, a fee of €810,- will be charged.

Note: If you would like to cancel your registration, ALWAYS inform us. By NOT paying the participation fee, your registration is NOT automatically cancelled (and do note that you will be kept to the cancellation conditions).

Also note that when there are not enough participants, we can cancel the course. We will inform you if this is the case a week after the early bird deadline. Please take this into account when arranging your trip to the course (I.e. check the re-imburstment policies).