The Role of Transacademic Interface Managers in Transformational Sustainability Research and Education

Katja Brundiers, Arnim Wiek and Braden Kay
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Katja Brundiers: School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, PO Box, 875402, Tempe, AZ 85287-5402, USA
Arnim Wiek: School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, PO Box, 875402, Tempe, AZ 85287-5402, USA
Braden Kay: School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, PO Box, 875402, Tempe, AZ 85287-5402, USA

Sustainability, 2013, vol. 5, issue 11, 1-23

Abstract: Working towards sustainable solutions requires involving professionals and stakeholders from all sectors of society into research and teaching. This often presents a challenge to scholars at universities, as they lack capacity and time needed for negotiating different agendas, languages, competencies, and cultures among faculty, students, and stakeholders. Management approaches and quality criteria have been developed to cope with this challenge, including concepts of boundary organizations, transdisciplinary research, transition management, and interface management. However, few of these concepts present comprehensive proposals how to facilitate research with stakeholder participation while creating educational opportunities along the lifecycle of a project. The article focuses on the position of a transacademic interface manager (TIM) supporting participatory sustainability research and education efforts. We conceptualize the task portfolio of a TIM; outline the capacities a TIM needs to possess in order to successfully operate; and propose an educational approach for how to train students in becoming a TIM. For this, we review the existing literature on TIMs and present insights from empirical sustainability research and educational projects that involved TIMs in different functions. The article provides practical guidance to universities on how to organize these critical endeavors more effectively and to offer students an additional career perspective.

Keywords: interface management; sustainability pedagogy; sustainability career; sustainability education; stakeholder engagement; real-world learning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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