In September 2022, the first Summer School of the tdAcademy took place. 27 master students and PhD students came together on the Spanish Costa Brava for one week to learn about the basics and challenges of transdisciplinary research projects using the example of land use conflicts in the Alt Empordà region. More about the content and the results of the summer school can be found in our short report. Reflecting upon the format and its pilot implementation, the two participating students Elsa Giffard and Katherine Tinoco conducted an interview with Gemma Tejedor (ISST/UPC) who developed the summer school in cooperation with the ZTG team and her colleagues Jordi Segalàs, Míriam Villares and Eli Roca within the framework of the tdAcademy Guest and Fellowship Programme.
Elsa Giffard, Katherine Tinoco and Gemma Tejedor in Barcelona
Why a summer school and not a conference or training? What is the added value of making it experiential for a week?
The added value comes at different levels. Firstly, what we do for a week is immerse ourselves in the situation, in the problem, so that people participate not only from the rational or knowledge aspect but also in a more emotional way. Secondly, there is a relational aspect involving interpersonal and communication skills, which can be worked on much deeper during a one-week stay. Finally, it facilitates the relationship with stakeholders, contacting people in their own context.
What is the advantage or benefit of introducing transdisciplinarity in university professional training? How does it relate to different levels: undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate doctorate?
For me, the transdisciplinary approach provides a much more participatory vision of the world. With the methods and tools provided by the transdisciplinary research mode we begin to structure the way of thinking, considering all the actors or points of view and factors, involved in any situation, problem or circumstance. It also provides a series of tools that can be used in different areas, not only in research but also in professional development – for example in the organisation of processes or projects, considering the impact, the identification of related actors, etc.
What are the opportunities and barriers for transdisciplinary approaches in conflict resolution or research? What are the tools for research to be more democratic? What are opportunities? What can block?
There are multiple opportunities. Transversal knowledge is created, shared among different groups, and owned by the people involved in the day-to-day work of the transdisciplinary process. It also allows considering other types of tacit knowledge from undervalued or traditional groups. Another interesting issue is that a transdisciplinary approach will enable us to differentiate the strategies to generate three different types of knowledge: ‘Systems knowledge’ refers to analytical and descriptive knowledge about the actual state of the system, ‘target knowledge’ describes desired future developments of the system, and ‘transformation knowledge’ refers to how we can move from the actual state to the more desirable state.
A very common barrier is related to power. It is difficult to overcome pre-established relationships between different groups or within the same group. Another significant problem is that transdisciplinary research implies or requires an effort and time often greater than in conventional research.
Regarding the development of the summer school: Why did you choose this specific conflict andhow did you select the stakeholders? Can you tell us more about the "architecture of the issue"?
The "architecture of the issue" began with the conviction that we wanted to work in a territory where different types of conflicts converged. Moreover, it was clear to us that one of them had to be related to technology because the organisers are two technological universities. Still we wanted to address other conflicts as well. And we found plenty of them! The second step was to think about the relationships and contacts we had in our teams, since one learning from past initiatives is that cooperations work much better when they are based on trust. Also, during the selection phase, we considered what type of case study might be interesting and useful for students from other disciplines.. Finally, we also were interested in the conflict having a social implications associated with it. Oh, and we wanted nature in that place to be as in fact, it is.... spectacular!
What is your learning as an organiser? What should you pay special attention to, and what would you do differently next time?
I would like to involve the stakeholders much more. They were already involved, but I would try to address them more so that their participation in methods and exercises increases and they become more involved in the daily life of the group. Of course, this is complicated because everyone has their own professional and personal problems and schedules, but I would appreciate it!
I would also involve the students more in the organisation of the schedule so that they can bring their point of view and their own suggestions. Generally, when organizing a summer schol, I would recommend to take into account: the participation of external actors; the realization of activities in an experiential way; the permanence for a certain time in a certain place; and the fact of moving to the place where the problem takes place. This last point is related, from the point of view of the sociology of science, to the so-called Mode 3 of knowledge production, which (merging Modes 1 and 2), builds creative knowledge environments to carry out research in the context of application. That is, it moves, as a laboratory, to the place where things are happening.
What were the real impacts for stakeholders? We have not resolved the conflict, but has it helped in any way?
The final session, when the participating students presented their work to the students of the village's secondary school in the municipal library, was very valuable, as it opened up a perspective for possible future education that they had not even imagined. On the other hand, it made them reflect and actively deal with a subject of great social and economic relevance, something they had not been aware of at all until then.
As for the local government, they could see that the problem we addressed is of great importance for the region and has the potential to mobilize young people.
Finally, Gemma asked Elsa and Katherine about their experiences on the summer school: For you as students, what benefits do you see in introducing transdisciplinary research and thinking into university vocational training?
We believe that nowadays scientists cannot continue to develop research projects on their own, especially the ones that have an impact on the people, whether it'd be on the social, economic, and/or environmental level – which applies to most projects. Researchers must involve all the stakeholders in their work if they truly seek credibility. If you legitimately want to make a change in our societies, you must have a systemic vision of the problems and understand that these could be solved only with a transdisciplinary approach, including specialists from various disciplines working hand in hand with local actors. This is why this vision and method should be taught at the earliest stage of future researchers' professional education and training.