Interdisciplinarity-Diversity: What we can learn from each other
Vortrag VERANSTALTUNG ENTFÄLLT
Nowadays, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches in climate change research which also account for the impact on society and climate-related social dynamics, are increasingly recognized as the most effective way forward to more comprehensively understand the human-environment interactions, socio-economic developments, and the processes that govern and feed-back these systems. Drawing from the ongoing SPP-1889 “Regional Sea Level Change and Society (SeaLevel)” (2016-2022) and the newly-started Cluster of Excellence “Climate, Climatic Change, and Society (CliCCS)” research programs, this presentation aims to explore what we can learn from interdisciplinarity to apply to diversity level and vice versa, associated challenges and benefits, while reflecting on the applicability of these concepts to everyday life and interaction with others.
SPP SeaLevel brings together over 80 scientists from a broad range of scientific disciplines both from the social and natural sciences, such as physical oceanography, geophysics, geodesy, hydrology, marine geology, coastal engineering, geography, sociology, economics and environmental management. Similarly, CliCCS will involve over 200 scientists from a range of fields. However, this diversity of scientific disciplines and interdisciplinarity, i.e. the integration of knowledge and methods from the different disciplines, is not the only special feature such large research programs elaborate. Seen as examples of zooming into the micro-scale of the wider academic and research world, such programs also embrace a considerable diversity in human resources, i.e. the people who make the workforce of these programs, as well as in human capital, i.e. the resources of knowledge, habits, social and personality attributes. Diversity in gender, age, nationality and background, culture, education, professional level and hierarchy, but equally, diversity in mentality, degree of understanding, intellectuality, beliefs, views and perceptions, character and behaviour, talents, creativity, skills and qualifications, communication and soft skills, preferences and choices…The list is long.
Nevertheless, despite this range of variations, the members of the research programs come together and collaborate, join their efforts for a common overall purpose and goal within their program, while at the same time being part of the wider, divergent, international research and academic world. Such diverse and interdisciplinary research programs offer the opportunity and provide the room for this broad diversity to come closer together and into play, as in turn, university and other institution bodies do on a larger scale, and new things can be created when combining diverse components.
This characteristic of inter-/trans-disciplinarity and “inter-/trans-diversity” contributes to make such large research programs comprehensive in their objectives and approaches and distinctive in their scientific goals and achievement. However, in general, interdisciplinarity is still a relatively new feature in research and we still have much to learn. It involves challenges in bridging gaps of e.g. perception, communication and setting up a common language, each member to draw from their own knowledge and personal background but also to view one discipline and group member/individual from the perspective of another (e.g. natural and social scientists, observationalists and modellers, or a young female scientist and a male professor, etc.).
Effective collaborations between individuals within groups, entire programs and accordingly within institutions, and the achievement of goals means both to recognize, acknowledge, respect and allow for this diversity to occur and flourish to its full potential, but also to develop flexibility, regulation, and bring diversity into balance, integrity and unity beyond the individual components and characteristics.
Dienstag, 18. Juni 12:00 Uhr |
Dr. Eleni Tzortzi (Centrum für Erdsystemforschung und Nachhaltigkeit (CEN), Institut für Meereskunde (IfM), Universität Hamburg) Dr. Sebastian Zubrzycki (CEN, Universität Hamburg) |
VERANSTALTUNG ABGESAGT
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