27/01/2022 | The Corona pandemic has extensive and profound consequences. It changes working methods and the content of research. In particular, transdisciplinary research and international scientific exchange are made considerably more difficult or are no longer feasible at all. They can hardly be realised in direct personal interaction, but almost only in digital formats, which leads to specific selectivities and exclusions. This reduced and changed exchange will not remain without effects on the quality and innovative character of scientific work on sustainability. At the same time, however, new opportunities for improved accessibility are emerging.
In addition, the Corona pandemic has completely unclear effects on the content of sustainability-oriented research and research funding: on the one hand, it is assumed that the pandemic will give new and additional impetus to transdisciplinary, transformative research and that its positions, which have been minoritarian in the science system up to now, will receive significantly greater attention and significance. On the other hand, there is the expectation that science must primarily apply to the ("technical") limitation and overcoming of the pandemic in order to be able to return to "normality" as quickly as possible. This makes a critical discourse on the role of science imperative.
In order to approach this topic area between Corona and sustainability research and to formulate an initial positioning, the Leibniz Research Network (LFN) "Knowledge for Sustainable Development" organised a future dialogue at the Berlin office of the Leibniz Association. Around 15 people from the network, various Leibniz institutions and other research organisations and academies met there on 22 October 2021. Prof. Dr Achim Schlüter took part on behalf of ZMT. The aim of the event was to promote exchange between the stakeholders. In addition, suggestions for further activities of the Leibniz Research Network "Knowledge for Sustainable Development" were to be gained.
The short documentation of the discussion and results can be found here (in German).
About the Leibniz Research Network "Knowledge for Sustainable Development
Five institutions of the Leibniz Association have joined forces to form the Leibniz Research Network "Knowledge for Sustainable Development". They are thus pooling their expertsie in order to give the sustainability sciences more influence and effectiveness.
Further information on the network: https://www.leibniz-sustain.de/
Photo on start page by Jeremy Perkins on www.pexels.com
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