文章基本信息

标题：Enabling Effective Problem-oriented Research for Sustainable Development
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作者：Christoph Kueffer ; Evelyn Underwood ; Gertrude Hirsch Hadorn 等
期刊名称：Ecology and Society
印刷版ISSN：1708-3087
电子版ISSN：1708-3087
出版年度：2012
卷号：17
期号：4
出版社：The Resilience Alliance
摘要：Environmental problems caused by human activities are increasing; biodiversity is disappearing at anunprecedented rate, soils are being irreversibly damaged, freshwater is increasingly in short supply, and the climate is changing.To reverse or even to reduce these trends will require a radical transformation in the relationship between humans and the naturalenvironment. Just how this can be achieved within, at most, a few decades is unknown, but it is clear that academia must playa crucial role. Many believe, however, that academic institutions need to become more effective in helping societies move towardsustainability. We first synthesize current thinking about this crisis of research effectiveness. We argue that those involved inproducing knowledge to solve societal problems face three particular challenges: the complexity of real-world sustainabilityproblems, maintaining impartiality when expert knowledge is used in decision making, and ensuring the salience of the scientificknowledge for decision makers. We discuss three strategies to meet these challenges: conducting research in interdisciplinaryteams, forming research partnerships with actors and experts from outside academia, and framing research questions with theaim of solving specific problems (problem orientation). However, we argue that implementing these strategies within academiawill require both cultural and institutional change. We then use concepts from transition management to suggest how academicinstitutions can make the necessary changes. At the level of system optimization, we call for: quality criteria, career incentives,and funding schemes that reward not only disciplinary excellence but also achievements in inter-/transdisciplinary work;professional services and training through specialized centers that facilitate problem-oriented research and reciprocal knowledgeexchange with society; and the integration of sustainability and inter-/transdisciplinary research practices into all teachingcurricula. At the level of system innovation, we propose radical changes in institutional structures, research and career incentives,teaching programs, and research partnerships. We see much value in a view of change that emphasizes the complementarity ofsystem innovation and system optimization. The goal must be a process of change that preserves the traditional strengths ofacademic research, with its emphasis on disciplinary excellence and scientific rigor, while ensuring that institutional environmentsand the skills, worldviews, and experiences of the involved actors adapt to the rapidly changing needs of society
关键词：interdisciplinarity; knowing-doing gap; outreach; participation; post-normal science; problem-oriented research;research partnership; research policy; science-policy nexus; social learning; transdisciplinarity; transition management