In education as in science related to global change issues, the dualism of nature and culture as it appears in human organisations and endeavours is clearly part of the RESCUE challenges. This dualism obstructs our understanding of what is global change and weakens our ability to address those challenges. In this respect, the next generation of researchers in Earth system science will have to integrate disciplines such as human-related ecology and social theory in a truly transdisciplinary way. It appears thus essential to overcome the current academic division of work also through a revolution in the education system, especially in Europe.
Key questions to be addressed
- How to intensify the discourse between natural, social and human sciences?
- How could ESF and its partners add their voices to help changing the university's mindset and curricula and insure proper interdisciplinary research and education?
- What are the perspectives of research carrers for young researchers in such fields?
- What are the barriers that deter the young researchers from interdisciplinary routes and the incentives to bring them on this route, including human resources within European research organisations?
- How to create and nurture individual and institutional mechanisms, to ensure transdisciplinary educative approaches?
- How to fill the gaps in trans-disciplinary education at the university level that affects the capacity in inter-disciplinary research in Europe?
- What is the impact of the Bologna process "Towards the European Higher Education Area" and the Ljubljana process "Towards full realisation of ERA" on current and future transdisciplinary education in Europe, specially on global change issues?
Activities / Workplan
In the first phase of the project, the “Revolution” WG will work with a foresight consultant, Riel Miller, to develop a detailed ‘draft’ specification of the “Visioning a Revolution in Capacity” (VCR) workshop, which will include detailed suggestions and examples of the catalytic material to be used during the workshop sessions. The content that will be used to inspire and structure the strategic conversation of the VCR will come from a variety of sources, including “Revolution” WG members and the groups that are hosting the VCR. A ‘script’ for staging/facilitating the workshop will be developed, then circulated to “Revolution” WG members for comment. A virtual meeting of “Revolution” WG will then be held (via teleconferencing) to discuss the script as a catalyst for the revolution. Subsequent to the virtual meeting of “Revolution” WG, a revised version of the VCR specification, catalysts and script will be developed.
In the second phase, a subjective assessment of views on interdisciplinary education and capacity building will be developed to use within the VCR, and will contribute to an understanding of the varying perspectives and visions for a “revolution”. The assessment will used Q Methodology, a mixed method used in psychology and other social sciences, to identify key subjective perspectives. The methodology will make use of input from working group members, and from a review of the literature on interdisciplinary research and education. By measuring subjective attitudes towards revolutionary changes in education and capacity building we will be able to analyze dominant, alternative and emerging discourses on education and capacity building, and identify the most effective means of creating ‘viral’ change. The development of the Q Methodology and the follow-up analysis will be managed by the WG Chairs with support of a research assistant, in close consultation with a foresight expert. It will be integrated into the VCR workshop, where follow-up questions will be posed to identify any insights or realizations experienced by participants.
In the third phase, the pilot VCR will be deployed and tested at a larger meeting that includes members of the working group. One candidate for this meeting is the ICLEI Conference on cities and adaptation, which will be held in Bonn, Germany at the end of May (http://resilient-cities.iclei.org/bonn2010). The Working Group will convene on May, 27-28 to carry out the VCR and spend time developing conclusions and draft recommendations for RESCUE. Subsequent to this meeting, the WG will incorporate modifications to the design, catalysts and scripts. The VCR will then be presented at the RESCUE Alignment Workshop on June, 16, 2010. The goal will be to engage the interest of ESF and COST funders and members of other RESCUE WGs to participate in the foresight process of “Visioning a Revolution in Capacity”, which will be critical to the final stage of the project.
In the final phase of the project, a VCR workshop will be carried out with a group of funders and decision-makers involved in education and capacity building. The experience will be summarized in a report for RESCUE, and written up in a scientific paper. A wider VCR dissemination and deployment strategy will be developed to make use of existing networks and communication nodes.
Activities / Timeline
December 2009 - January 2010 – Development of the workplan for ‘Visioning a Capacity Revolution’ (VCR), including preliminary script, including input from WG members regarding what needs to be included.
8-9 February 2010, Oslo, Norway – meeting #1 to discuss and develop the VCR script.
March- May 2010 – refining of the VCR and development of a Q methodology for analysis of subjective perceptions on education and capacity building and the related dominant, alternative and emerging discourses.
27-28 May 2010, Bonn Germany – meeting #2 for the “implementation” of the VCR elements through a consultation run prior to ICLEI conference on resilient cities
16 June 2010, Italy – Presentation of the subjective attitudes study (Q methodology) and VCR results at the RESCUE Alignment Workshop.
September 2010, Paris, France – Running of the VCR workshop with group of funders and decision-makers
August - October 2010 (online collaboration) - Analysis and writing up of report and scientific paper, including recommendations
Membership
Chair
Prof. O’Brien, Karen (NO)
Vice-Chair
Prof. Reams, Jonathan (NO)
Members
Dr. Caspari, Anne (IT)
Prof. Dugmore, Andrew (UK)
Ms. Faghihimani, Maryam (NO)
Dr. Fazey, Ioan (UK)
Dr. Hackmann, Heide (FR)
Dr. Manuel Navarrete, David (UK)
Dr. Marks, John (NL)
Prof. Raivio, Kari (FI)
Prof. Romero-Lankao, Patricia (US)
Dr. Rousseva, Rossitza (NL)
Dr. Virji, Hassan (US)
Prof. Vogel, Coleen (ZA)
Prof. Winiwarter, Verena (AT)
Foresight Consultant
Dr. Miller, Riel (FR)
