Transdisciplinary approaches have emerged as important avenues for addressing complex societal problems. These approaches transcend disciplinary boundaries, fostering connections among different disciplines and engaging non-academic stakeholders in problem-solving (Klein, 2015). A considerable scholarly effort has been dedicated to identifying and recommending the essential skills and competencies that are needed for transdisciplinary endeavours (Redman & Wiek, 2021). Consequently, there is a notable shift in educational paradigms towards transdisciplinary learning, to equip future researchers with the necessary competencies to effectively navigate and engage in transdisciplinary endeavours.

Within the literature, there is an increasing focus on developing lists of competencies for successful transdisciplinary engagements. However, this poses challenges as it can conceal the convergence of skills, mastering skill sets, and navigating the dynamic trade-offs. Moreover, current studies often overlook the role of individual identities in competency development for transdisciplinarity. The multifaceted array of values, beliefs, skills, knowledge, attitudes, and background of individual identities greatly influence one’s participation in and contributions to transdisciplinary endeavours.

To move beyond the prevailing focus in transdisciplinary education solely on acquiring lists of competencies to navigate complex problems, we aim to broaden the discourse by emphasizing the significance of the individual identity of researchers in the development of these skills. Hence, it is essential to delve into the aspects of their identity that researchers deem critical for their engagement within transdisciplinary environments. In light of this, we propose organizing a workshop at the ITD-24 conference, inviting scholars, researchers, and practitioners to reflect on their individual (research) identities and share how these shape their engagement in transdisciplinary endeavours. The workshop will focus on uncovering the elements of their (research) identity that participants consider vital in supporting their roles as inter- and transdisciplinary researchers and/or practitioners. We are eager to capitalize on the conference theme of "Inter- and Transdisciplinarity Beyond Buzzwords," anticipating an audience interested in exploring beyond surface-level narratives and delving deeper into the complexities of inter- and transdisciplinary work.

We believe that participating in a creative reflection exercise, which draws upon personal experiences and development toward transdisciplinary competencies, can lead to the emergence of intriguing insights and contribute to the reflective mindset that we champion in the inter- and transdisciplinary journey. It will also help us to tap into the key milestones and challenges of our fellow researcher's transdisciplinary journey. The proposed outline of the workshop exercise is described below. Throughout the workshop session, a metaphorical "backpack" will be utilized to represent what participants have accumulated during their life's journey. This includes essential items they have chosen to carry with them and rely on, reflecting on why their backpacks appear as they do. Furthermore, participants will explore how their backpacks can be further filled with essentials to continue their transdisciplinary journey.

Keywords: transdisciplinarity; competencies; identity

Reference:

Klein, J. T. (2015). Reprint of “Discourses of transdisciplinarity: Looking back to the future”. Futures, 65, 10-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2015.01.003

Redman, A., & Wiek, A. (2021). Competencies for Advancing Transformations Towards Sustainability. Frontiers in Education, 6, 785163. https://doi.org/10.3389/FEDUC.2021.785163/BIBTEX  

Outline of the workshop exercise

Introduction (10 minutes)

• The session will start with a brief introduction of ourselves and our motivation for conducting this work, followed by a brief round of introductions from the participants (i.e., name and position).

• Afterwards, the outline of the workshop exercise will be briefly explained.

Part 1: Reflecting on the individual (both professional & personal) identity

• Mapping the journey: What is in your backpack? (20 minutes)

o First, participants will be asked to individually create a visual representation of their (professional & personal) journey up until now. They will be encouraged to consider moments or experiences that shaped their journey. These could for instance include life events, academic achievements, career shifts, challenges etc. The visual representation could be a timeline, mind map, story or any other creative format that seems suitable for participants.

o Subsequently, in pairs, participants will briefly share (the highlights of) their journey with each other.

• Reflecting on the journey: Why does your backpack look the way it is? (20 minutes)

o Second, to further illustrate each plotted point on the journey map, participants are asked to write a brief reflective annotation. Participants are encouraged to do so, by considering questions such as:

 What was the context or situation that contributed to that specific moment in the journey?

 What challenges did you encounter, and how did you overcome them?

 What insights or lessons did you gain from this experience?

 What traits, characteristics, skills, knowledge, or other developments have you cultivated throughout this experience or series of moments?

o In pairs they will share this journey

Part 2: Connecting the dots with transdisciplinarity

• Connecting your journey to transdisciplinarity: What is essential in your backpack to engage in transdisciplinarity? (20 minutes)

o First, it's essential to understand how participants perceive transdisciplinarity and what they view as its connected elements. Participant are asked to express their thoughts and associations when they hear the term “transdisciplinarity”. Once more, participants are encouraged to individually express their interpretations through either a drawing or a story.

 What does transdisciplinarity mean for you?

 What do you consider to be transdisciplinary competencies?

o Second, in pairs, participants are required to share and brief discussion on the definition of transdisciplinarity and essential transdisciplinary competencies. They are encouraged to explore questions such as:

 Where does this understanding originate from?

 Why do you deem these competencies significant?

o Third, participants are asked to go back to their journey map, attempting to identify which transdisciplinary competencies were developed during the pivotal moments as earlier indicated on their journey map. Participants will be stimulated to use different colours of post-its corresponding to, for instance, attitudes, skills, values, and competencies, to create insight into the various elements collected in their backpacks.

Part 3: Sharing and exchanging

• Unpacking: Show us what is inside your backpack (20 minutes)

o First, Participants will be divided into groups of four, allowing a space to share and exchange their journey map. To stimulate discussion, participants are encouraged to explore similarities and differences in their experiences and reflections.

o As a next step, participants will engage in discussions in small groups on how the insights gained in this workshop can inform their future approaches to transdisciplinary learning and practice.

o To close our session, each group will be asked to share their main key takeaway of the workshop session.