2 July 2025 – Influential researcher is taking up first chair in the Netherlands and beyond that explicitly combines sustainability transitions and philosophical thinking.
Understanding crucial transition dynamics
The escalating effects of climate change raise critical concerns about human well-being, justice, and societal stability. Beyond physical and economic harm, climate change deepens inequalities, fuels polarization, and erodes solidarity, posing a direct threat to the potential for people and nature to survive and thrive.
In response to these threats, long-term structural societal shifts – called ‘transitions’ – are needed to safeguard sustainability and justice. A key question of our time is: how can science, policy and action from communities and businesses turn this tide and foster a just and sustainable future?
With Erasmus University Rotterdam’s mission ‘to create positive societal impact’, its Erasmus School of Philosophy (ESPhil) and its social enterprise the Dutch Research Institute for Transitions (DRIFT) are strongly devoted to working on such change. These three bodies are therefore overjoyed to announce the instalment of Julia Wittmayer as professor of Transdisciplinarity and Societal Transformations.
Combining philosophy and transition studies
Dr. Wittmayer is an influential scholar in the field of transition studies. This field’s focus is on understanding and influencing transition dynamics, always cooperating with various academic disciplines (‘interdisciplinary’) and involving practical experts and their knowledge as an integral part of this shared effort (‘transdisciplinary’).
With the creation of this new chair, dr. Wittmayer and the university ecosystem that supports her take an important next step in co-creating the knowledge this present moment requires – combining philosophy with transition studies. Says Liesbeth Noordegraaf-Eelens, acting dean of the Erasmus School of Philosophy: ”It is timely and relevant to build solid bridges between the fields of transition research and philosophy. Philosophy explores the fundamental questions of human existence, and its tradition of questioning established ways of doing, thinking and organizing society aligns closely with transition thinking.”
Julia Wittmayer is already heavily involved in efforts to link the two fields and connect them to other societal initiatives, for example through her involvement in the design and running of the joint Master in Societal Transitions. The establishment of this unique chair solidifies this cooperation.
A space for encounter and engagement
The recently installed professor is eager to start her work on transdisciplinarity and societal transformations: “At its core, I see this professorship as the opportunity to create, tend to and shape a space of encounter and engagement between transition research, practice, and philosophy.”
Both ESPhil and DRIFT see the appointment of dr. Wittmayer as a unique opportunity to further a deeper understanding of how philosophical principles can shape policies and practices for societal transformation.
