IESS GordonPromoting Interdisciplinary and TransD in CC and Gov

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Promo%ng(Inter,disciplanrity(and(
Trans,disciplinarity(in(Climate(
Change(and(Governance(
Research(in(Africa
Prof.&&Chris&Gordon&
Director,'Ins3tute'for'Environment'and'Sanita3on'Studies'
&
“Climate&Change&and&Good&Governance&Workshop&Africa”'
'23'–'24'September'2013'
The'Problem'
“The'rela3onship'between'energy'use,'development'
and'climate'has'renewed'the'focus'of'planning'analysis'
and'policy'on'the'complexity'and'uncertainty'of'
environmental,'social'and'economic'systems.'This'is'
forcing(a(reassessment(of(how(planners(envisage(
development(and'the'scope'and'appraisal'of'planning'
interven3ons.'Climate'change'therefore'raises'
profound'professional,'technical'and'ethical'issues'for'
planners”'(Davoudi'et#al.#2009).''
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Context&of&Talk'
If'we'do'not'solve'the'overdose'of'
humans'–'there'will'be'no'Future'Earth''
“To'rise'to'cri3cal'issues'
…'African'countries'
need'to'apply'
innova3on,'science'and'
technology'in'new&ways'
that'address'local'
problems.'Universi@es&
are&the&best&places&for&
dis@lling&such&local&
solu@ons&“&
VCR'University'of'Ghana'
University&Avenue,&University&of&Ghana,&Legon&
A&serene&working&environment&contributes&to&clear&
thoughts&
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Natural&and&social&sciences:&Reflec@ng&different&
logics&of&nature&and&society&&
Natural&sciences:&Based&on&a&reduc%onist(logic.&&
•  Classical#science#assumes#a#Lego1like#world,#reducible#to#
manageably#researchable#parts’.#(McMichael,'2000)''
•  Assumes'a'divide'between'nature'and'society''and'the'ideal'
nature'is'a'nature'without'people''
Social&sciences:&&
•  The'fundamental'difference:'Social'sciences'study'people'and'
structures'and'processes'made'up'of'human'ac3vi3es.'The'
objects'of'study'can'reflect'on'and'interpret'scien3fic'
knowledge'about'themselves.''
Naustdalslid&(2012)'
Source:''
IPCC'2007,'
Synthesis'
Report''
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Research'Issues'Addressed'in'the'
Development'of'Future'Earth'
Mauser'et'al.'(2013)'Current#Opinion#in#Env.##Sustainability##
(Abstract#below#and#Fig#113#that#follow)#
The'challenges&formulated&within&the&Future&Earth&framework&
set'the'orienta3on'for'research'programmes'in'sustainability'
science'for'the'next'ten'years.'Scien3fic'disciplines&from&natural&
and&social&science&will&collaborate&both&among&each&other&and&
with&relevant&societal&groups&in'order'to'define'the'important'
integrated'research'ques3ons,'and'to'explore'together'
successful'pathways'towards'global'sustainability.''
Such'collabora3on'will'be'based'on'transdisciplinarity&and&
integrated&research&concepts.'Integra3on'is'an'itera@ve&process&
that&involves&reflec@on&among&all&stakeholders.'It'consists'of'
three'stages:&coTdesign,&coTproduc@on&and&coTdissemina@on.'
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What'is'“Transdisciplinarity”?'
Transdisciplinarity&is&an&APPROACH'
•  seeks'to'break'down'tradi3onal'disciplinary'
boundaries'and'organise'knowledge'around'
complex'heterogeneous'domains’'
•  in'moving'beyond'disciplines,'transdisciplinary'
research'aeempts'to'generate'synergies'and'
new'types'of'knowledge'
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Transdisciplinarity'
•  Linking'naturalR'and'social'science'with'
stakeholders''
•  Integra3ng'concepts'and'methods'from'
different'disciplines''
•  Through'joint'problem:''
problem'defini3on''
representa3on'and''
solving'processes'''
Step'1:'Mul3discipline'
Today’s'environmental'problems'cannot'be'
managed'without'incorpora3ng'analysis'of'
human'systems'that'affect'many'processes'on'
all'level'from'molecular'up'to'global'
biogeochemical'processes'of'the'material–
biophysical'environment.'
''
'
Scholz'RW:'Environmental'Literacy'in'Science'and'Society:'From'knowledge'to'
decisions.'Cambridge'University'Press,'Cambridge,'UK,'2011.'
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Step'2:''Interdisciplinary#'
Environmental'literacy'requires'an'integrated'view'of'
knowledge'about'the'environment'and'human–
environment'interac3ons.'This'requires'new'
techniques'of'making'and'processing'pictures.'
Integrated'modeling”'becomes'a'vital'means'of'
extending'environmental'literacy'and'allows'a'deeper'
understanding'of'what'we'have'seen.'This'will'facilitate'
in'taking'an'interdisciplinary#view.'
'
Scholz'RW:'Environmental'Literacy'in'Science'and'Society:'From'knowledge'to'
decisions.'Cambridge'University'Press,'Cambridge,'UK,'2011.'
Step'3:'Transdisciplinarity'
In'the'first'stages,'disciplinary'scien3sts'face'limita3ons'
in'acquiring'all'the'informa3on'about'the'environment.'
We'have'to'step'into'realRworld'cases'to'gain'valuable'
addi3onal'informa3on'from'directly'talking,'
interac3ng,'collabora3ng'with,'and'geing'firstRhand'
informa3on'from'the'people'and'human'actors'who'
are'directly'experiencing,'benefi3ng'from,'and'
interac3ng'with'the'environment.'This'provides'a'
completely'new'perspec3ve'transdisciplinarity.''
'Scholz'RW:'Environmental'Literacy'in'Science'and'Society:'From'knowledge'to'
decisions.'Cambridge'University'Press,'Cambridge,'UK,'2011.'
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The'study'of'TD'as'a'subject'
Products&and&func@ons'
•  Organize processes of mutual learning between theory
and practice
•  Serve for:
–  Capacity building
–  Consensus building
–  Mediation
Climate&Change&and&Governance&
–  Legitimization
•  Provide socially robust orientations (“socially robust
solutions”)
'
Scholz,'R.'W.'(2011).'Environmental#Literacy#in#Science#and#Society:#From#Knowledge#to#Decisions.'
Cambridge:'Cambridge'University'Press'
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A socially robust orientation'
•  Meets science - state of the art scientific knowledge
•  Has the potential to attract consensus, and thus must be
understandable by all stakeholder groups
•  Acknowledges the uncertainties and incompleteness inherent in any
type of knowledge about processes of the universe
•  Generates processes of knowledge integration of different types of
epistemics (e.g. scientific and experiential knowledge, utilizing and
relating disciplinary knowledge from the social, natural, and
engineering sciences)
•  Considers the constraints given by the context both of generating
and utilizing knowledge.
Scholz,'R.'W.'(2011).'Environmental#Literacy#in#Science#and#Society:#From#
Knowledge#to#Decisions.'Cambridge:'Cambridge'University'Press'
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The&way&forward&for&African&Universi@es&
Training&and&Research&in&Developing&Countries&needs&a&
radically&redesigned&approach.&&&
The'approach'needs'to'address'issues'of''
•  relevance'and'applicability'to'na3onal'development'needs,''
•  knowledge&crea@on&and'beeer'understanding'of'the'complexity'
of'processes'and'interac3on'
•  'costTeffec@ve&innova@on&coupled'with'effec3ve'dissemina3on'
•  &coTdevelopment'of'projects'and'research'programmes'with'all'
stakeholders'
•  improving''the'prac@cal&skills&set'and'aitudes'of'students'
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Chris'Gordon:'Linkedin'Endorsments:'Typical''for'
a'BioRPhysical'Scien3st'–'a'NEW'type'is'needed!!'
University'of'Ghana'4'year'PhD'
•  Year'1'Course'work'and'qualifying'exam'
•  Year'2'Experien3al'Learning'
•  Year'3R4'Original'Research'Work'
•  Faculty'wide'course'for'Sciences'
–  Science'and'Society'a'core'course'
–  Par3cipatory'learning'methods'
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FACS'701:'Science'and'Society'
Philosophy&of&Science
The&scien@fic&method
Theore@cal&Basis
Conceptual&frameworks
Philosophy&of&science
Ethics&in&research
Pure&vs.&applied&science&Debate
Research&approaches&I&Ttransdisciplinary
Research&approaches&II
Collabora@ve&projects&development
Science&for&development
Communica@ng&science&to&media
Communica@ng&science&to&policy&makers
UG'as'partner'in'Convergence'of'Sciences'Project'(hep://
www.cosRsis.org/)'
The'Convergence'of'Sciences'programme'wants'to'improve'the'
livelihoods'of'these'farmers'by'exploring'new'pathways'for'
agricultural'innova3on.''
The'programme'tries'to'achieve'convergence'between'farmers'and'
scien3sts'and'between'natural'and'social'scien3sts'
'Since'ins3tu3ons'emerge'from'human'interac3on'and'agreement,'
they'cannot'be'designed,'tested'and'replicated'as'if'they'were'
technologies.'
'At'their'best,'their'development'can'be's3mulated'and'promoted'
on'the'basis'of'principles'such'as'fairness,'equity,'sustainability,'or'
opportunity'R'and'driven'by'development'and'sustainability'goals.'
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The'Broader'Impacts'Criterion'(BIC)'extends'the'
no3on'of'a'“quality'science”'to'merge:'
•  1st'Criterion:'"responsible'scien3fic'
prac3ce"'(intellectual'merit,'capacity'to'conduct'
research,'qualifica3ons'of'organiza3on,'and'
concep3on'of'research'ques3on)'with;'''
•  2nd'Criterion:'inquiry'that'is'responsive'to'
broader'considera3ons'both'within'the'scien3fic'
community'as'well'as'to'the'broader'society'(civic'
relevancy,'representa3on'of'diversity'and'
underrepresented'groups,'value'to'society,'and'
capacity'building).'#
ERICH'W.'SCHIENKE'and'NANCY'TUANA'
31
The'Second'criterion'of'the'NSF'merit'
review:'Broader'Impacts#
•  Criterion&2:&What&are&the&broader&impacts&of&the&proposed&
ac@vity?'
–  How'well'does'the'ac3vity'advance'discovery'and'
understanding'while'promo3ng'teaching,'training,'and'
learning?''
–  How'well'does'the'proposed'ac3vity'broaden'the'par3cipa3on'
of'underrepresented'groups'(e.g.,'gender,'ethnicity,'disability,'
geographic,'etc.)?''
–  To'what'extent'will'it'enhance'the'infrastructure'for'research'
and'educa3on,'such'as'facili3es,'instrumenta3on,'networks,'
and'partnerships?''
–  Will'the'results'be'disseminated'broadly'to'enhance'scien3fic'
and'technological'understanding?'
''
–  What'may'be'the'benefits'of'the'proposed'ac3vity'to'society?'
ERICH'W.'SCHIENKE'and'NANCY'TUANA'
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Sample'unit'of'inquiry:'Under'the''IB'PYP'
transdisciplinary'theme'‘Sharing'the'planet’''
(for#students#aged#819)#
To' understand' beeer' the' central'
Aiming&for&a&child&who&
idea' that:' “Water& is& essen@al& to&
will&not&say&&
life& and& is& a& limited& resource& for&
many& people”,' we' would' use' the'
“let&us&THINK&outside&
PYP' concepts' of' “func3on”' and'
“responsibility”'to'inquire'into:'
the&BOX&but&rather&ask&
•  Sources'of'water'and'how'
What&is&a&BOX?&
water'is'used'
•  What'happens'to'water'aser'
we'have'used'it'
•  Distribu3on'and'availability'of'
usable'water'
•  Responsibili3es'regarding'
water.'
Page 33
Thank you - cgordon@ug.edu.gh
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