Abstract

This workshop invites to discuss applied formats that foster and build inter- and transdisciplinary capacities to offer an inspiration and experience to develop a model/formats for similar work in participants’ organisations. Here the four strategic units, so-called SLU Future Platforms, at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) are one reference frame. They are tasked to strengthen inter- and transdisciplinary (ID & TD) competence to support SLU in taking on complex issues and generate knowledge to contribute to creating sustainable systems and living environments for the future. During the workshop all participants collectively assess and further develop formats using a set of critical questions to strengthen their impact. The four+ formats that will be shared at the workshop are Research Residency, Interdisciplinary Academy, Climate Conversations (themed series), Seed Funding Models, & a Wildcard (an open format to capture emerging ideas during the session).

Workshop Design

The four Future Platforms

The mission of SLU’s four Future Platforms is to strengthen SLU's inter- and transdisciplinary competence, to engage in complex societal questions and knowledge generation to contribute to creating sustainable systems and living environments for the future. Activities are characterised by a focus on complex scientific issues and an interdisciplinary approach. The platforms act as a bridge between subjects, departments, faculties and different SLU activities in a more comprehensive and continuous way than individual project collaborations can do. The overarching goals shared by all SLU Future Platforms are to:

 ascertain where knowledge is needed through synthesis and analysis projects, and operations to generate academic support for societally relevant issues;

 identify and develop new lines of research to support solving future problems through transdisciplinary collaboration with relevant societal partners; and

 develop interdisciplinary working methods by initiating and coordinating cooperation across academic disciplines.

A few of the formats that the Future Platforms offer collectively are listed below. At this workshop we would like to engage in them to explore their value and possible further development to support a strengthened inter- and transdisciplinary belonging at SLU as an agricultural university, which traditionally and historically represents a disciplinary siloed university. This can be used as a model/example for similar work in other organisations.

The workshop design

The workshop starts with a short introduction on the workshop team and their strategic units (A) before engaging participants in an interactive session on different formats (B). Finally, participants will collectively synthesize and reflect on the take aways and novel integration for those and/or new formats (C).

A) Presentation of the overall strategy of the Future Platforms (10min), describing their working model embedded in a context were natural science meets social science and agricultural science is explored in a reflexive modernity.

B) Exploring ID/TD formats in an interactive session (60min) engaging participants to further develop/ think anew platform formats used to introduce, build and anchor inter- and transdisciplinary capacities for the long-term. At this workshop all present will circulate from format to format and co-shape ‘reflection spaces’ with the help of critical questions in different corners/sections in the room. Those questions concern e.g. mandate, ownership, incentives and right encounters for ID/TD:

a. How to develop a long-term interest in working ID/TD? (e.g. ownership, identity shaping)

b. How to better shape a mandate for ID/TD? (e.g. affiliations to the platforms, organizational structures, funding)

c. How & when to introduce people to ID/TD (researchers, teachers, students)? (e.g. create right encounters, allow moving beyond the comfort zone, events, shared questions)

d. How to create a stable institutional anchoring to target efforts? (e.g. platform responsibilities, incentives through seed funding)

e. How to speculate and explore future directions for IT/TD at the organization? (pilots, partnerships, prototypes)

C) Synthesizing collectively (20min) the main take aways on (novel) integration for those and/or new formats

The formats that are offered to be explored are Research Residency, Interdisciplinary Academy, Climate Conversations (themed series), Seed Funding Models, & any Wildcards (formats to capture, emerging ideas during the session) and are described below.

Description of formats that can act as inspiration and offer examples to develop a model/ formats for similar work in different organisations:

Research Residency – is an annual match-making event that has the purpose to strengthen inter- and transdisciplinary research at SLU and to identify new links and research collaborations between SLU’s knowledge fields. The discussions will be focused on sustainability combined with forestry, food production, urban landscapes and One Health. Senior as well as junior SLU researchers can apply and are welcome to inspirational talks and open scientific discussions, while being served good food at a stay in a beautiful environment.

>> How can this match-making format impact beyond the meet-up, what are incentives to reconnect?

Interdisciplinary Academy (IDA) - is a programme at SLU where the university's researchers are offered the opportunity to collaborate for 8 months on 20% of their time in interdisciplinary teams across disciplinary boundaries on complex issues in the broad field of green transformation. IDA also arranges open webinars to inspire and promote more interdisciplinary across the university.

>> How does/can this long-term collaboration shape mandate and target efforts? Is there a new ownership growing to anchor IT-TD at an organization?

Climate Conversations (CC) – promote cross-disciplinary scientific climate conversations at SLU through webinars and seminars that are open for all and/or inviting SLU staff only. This series with its open and internal dialogues started when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) launched its sixth assessment report in 2021 and 2022 to shape an arena for critical reflections and ways forward.

>> How can this series of conversations highlight the ID-TD critical questions of the future?

Seed Funding Models – are used by all four platforms to realize, anchor, support, target ID/TD collaborations, consortium building, applications, research projects, publications, etc. Seed funding models support various multi-/ inter- and transdisciplinary research activities aiming at enhancing sustainable futures in the field of the four future platforms representing relevant foci for SLU.

>> How can seed funding stimulate the right incentives and shape encounters that have long-lasting impact?

Wildcard – the opportunity to co-create and identify emerging new formats and new guiding questions that fall into the workshop’s curiosity.

1–3 key readings (optional)

SLU Urban Futures | Externwebben

SLU Future Food | Externwebben

SLU Future Forests | Externwebben

SLU Future One Health | Externwebben

Researcher residency at Philipssonska gården | Externwebben (slu.se)

Interdisciplinary Academy (IDA) | Externwebben (slu.se)

Climate conversations at SLU | Externwebben