A sustainable creation of the future calls for the knowledge of many, including numerous scientific disciplines, but also the empirical knowledge of social actors. The transdisciplinary research approach is considered particularly successful when it comes to bringing together scientific and non-scientific knowledge. With its international Summer School “Brilliant Minds for Social-Ecological Transformations”, ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecololgical Research addresses the special challenges young researchers are facing in the course of transdisciplinary research. The Summer School is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation and will take place from 29 July to 3 August 2018 at the Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften, Bad Homburg and in Frankfurt am Main.

Transdisciplinarity (TD) is regarded as a scientific answer to the complex social problems arising from human intervention in nature. The greatest socio-ecological challenges of our time include the loss of biodiversity, the overexploitation of groundwater reserves and the effects of climate change. Practicable solutions are needed to stop this unprecedentedly rapid change or to shape a change towards sustainable development.

The TD research approach is suitable for transformation research because it crosses disciplinary boundaries and closes the critical gap between science and society by involving social actors in the research process. Research is understood as a joint learning process involving both natural and social scientists and partners from society, politics and business with the aim of producing knowledge that is as practically orientated as possible.

Transdisciplinarity: International top-level research and the promotion of young researchers with participants from five continents

With its Summer School, ISOE wants to pass on its expertise of many years in TD research and is inviting young scientists to familiarize themselves with the theoretical foundations of transdisciplinary research principles, methods and design elements. In addition, new TD approaches such as Real-World Laboratories or Sustainable Living Labs will be introduced. Lectures, workshops and free spaces will be focusing on the exchange of experiences between young scientists and leading international top researchers.

At the same time, the format also enables the 30 participants to gain practical experience using the example of the NiddaMan research project. The young scientists are coming from Australia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, India, Columbia, Morocco, Mexico, Nigeria, Ruanda, Switzerland and Germany and are covering a broad scientific spectrum. Disciplines like urban planning and architecture are represented as well as political sciences, economic and legal sciences, environmental sciences, biology, chemical sciences, ecotoxicology, geography and engineering sciences.

For more information regarding the application please go to: www.brilliantminds2018.com

Contact
Melanie Neugart
neugart@isoe.de