Structured Collaboration Across a Transformative Knowledge Network—Learning Across Disciplines, Cultures and Contexts?

Adrian Ely, Anabel Marin, Lakshmi Charli-Joseph, Dinesh Abrol, Marina Apgar, Joanes Atela, Becky Ayre, Robert Byrne, Bikramaditya K. Choudhary, Victoria Chengo, Almendra Cremaschi, Rowan Davis, Pranav Desai, Hallie Eakin, Pravin Kushwaha, Fiona Marshall, Kennedy Mbeva, Nora Ndege, Cosmas Ochieng, David Ockwell, Per Olsson, Nathan Oxley, Laura Pereira, Ritu Priya, Aschalew Tigabu, Patrick Van Zwanenberg and Lichao Yang
Additional contact information
Adrian Ely: SPRU—Science Policy Research Unit/STEPS Centre, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9SL, UK
Anabel Marin: Centro de Investigaciones para la Transformación, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, 1650 San Martín, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
Lakshmi Charli-Joseph: Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencias de la Sostenibilidad (LANCIS), Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 06320 Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
Dinesh Abrol: TRCSS, JNU—Transdisciplinary Research Cluster on Sustainability Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
Marina Apgar: Institute of Development Studies/STEPS Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
Joanes Atela: African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) ICIPE, Duduville Campus, Kasarani 00608, Nairobi, Kenya
Becky Ayre: Institute of Development Studies/STEPS Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
Robert Byrne: SPRU—Science Policy Research Unit/STEPS Centre, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9SL, UK
Bikramaditya K. Choudhary: TRCSS, JNU—Transdisciplinary Research Cluster on Sustainability Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
Victoria Chengo: African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) ICIPE, Duduville Campus, Kasarani 00608, Nairobi, Kenya
Almendra Cremaschi: Centro de Investigaciones para la Transformación, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, 1650 San Martín, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
Rowan Davis: Institute of Development Studies/STEPS Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
Pranav Desai: TRCSS, JNU—Transdisciplinary Research Cluster on Sustainability Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
Hallie Eakin: School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5502, USA
Pravin Kushwaha: TRCSS, JNU—Transdisciplinary Research Cluster on Sustainability Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
Fiona Marshall: SPRU—Science Policy Research Unit/STEPS Centre, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9SL, UK
Kennedy Mbeva: African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) ICIPE, Duduville Campus, Kasarani 00608, Nairobi, Kenya
Nora Ndege: African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) ICIPE, Duduville Campus, Kasarani 00608, Nairobi, Kenya
Cosmas Ochieng: African Development Bank, 1387 Abidjan 01, Cote D’Ivoire
David Ockwell: School of Global Studies/STEPS Centre, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
Per Olsson: Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 113 51 Stockholm, Sweden
Nathan Oxley: Institute of Development Studies/STEPS Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
Laura Pereira: Centre for Food Policy, City University of London, London WC2N 5DU, UK
Ritu Priya: TRCSS, JNU—Transdisciplinary Research Cluster on Sustainability Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
Aschalew Tigabu: African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) ICIPE, Duduville Campus, Kasarani 00608, Nairobi, Kenya
Patrick Van Zwanenberg: Centro de Investigaciones para la Transformación, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, 1650 San Martín, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
Lichao Yang: School of Social Development and Public Policy, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100000, China

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 6, 1-20

Abstract: Realising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require transformative changes at micro, meso and macro levels and across diverse geographies. Collaborative, transdisciplinary research has a role to play in documenting, understanding and contributing to such transformations. Previous work has investigated the role of this research in Europe and North America, however the dynamics of transdisciplinary research on ‘transformations to sustainability’ in other parts of the world are less well-understood. This paper reports on an international project that involved transdisciplinary research in six different hubs across the globe and was strategically designed to enable mutual learning and exchange. It draws on surveys, reports and research outputs to analyse the processes of transdisciplinary collaboration for sustainability that took place between 2015–2019. The paper illustrates how the project was structured in order to enable learning across disciplines, cultures and contexts and describes how it also provided for the negotiation of epistemological frameworks and different normative commitments between members across the network. To this end, it discusses lessons regarding the use of theoretical and methodological anchors, multi-loop learning and evaluating emergent change (including the difficulties encountered). It offers insights for the design and implementation of future international transdisciplinary collaborations that address locally-specific sustainability challenges within the universal framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Keywords: pathways; transdisciplinary research; international collaboration; sustainable development goals; theory of change; transformation; sustainable development goals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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