Join us for a webinar series highlighting opportunities and challenges of transdisciplinary approaches within agricultural research. Presented by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the National Agricultural Library, the seminar series will examine strategies for implementing transdisciplinary approaches, team-building and overcoming challenges to encourage the adoption of and training in transdisciplinary systems.
In this webinar, we will explore challenges and opportunities for transdisciplinary engagement to achieve sustainability on diverse landscapes that incorporate agricultural productivity and other ecosystem services. Panelists will provide opening statements focused on their recommended best practices and lessons learned with examples. Follow-up questions will invite panelists to discuss what is involved in identifying stakeholders and specialists to address problems collaboratively, achieving common understanding and problem definitions, co-creating solutions that incorporate scientific and local knowledge, and executing projects collaboratively and sustainably.
Speakers
Dr. Marianne Penker marianne.penker@boku.ac.at
Professor of Rural Sociology and Rural Development at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) in Vienna, Austria. Her research focuses on sustainability science, emphasizing inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to foster transformative solutions in rural areas across Europe and beyond.
Dr. Sabine Hoffmann sabine.hoffmann@eawag.ch
Leads the Inter- and Transdisciplinary Research Group at Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology. She specializes in integrating diverse perspectives across scientific disciplines and sectors to address complex environmental challenges.
Dr. Jakob Zinsstag-Klopfenstein jakob.zinsstag@swisstph.ch
Veterinarian and epidemiologist specializing in the intersection of human and animal health. He leads the Human and Animal Health Unit at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) in Basel, Switzerland.
Dr. John van Breda, PhD jrvb@sun.ac.za
Research associate at Stellenbosch University's Centre for Sustainability Transitions (CST) in South Africa. He has developed the concept of "methodological agility," advocating for flexible research strategies that integrate mono-, multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary approaches to effectively tackle sustainability transitions.
For more information about this series, contact Dr. Jessica Shade.