(Dit artikel en onderzoek zijn alleen beschikbaar in het Engels)
Mobilizing research and education for sustainability transitions at Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Universities have long operated within a model that prioritizes disciplinary specialization, academic competition, and knowledge transfer. However, as global challenges like climate change and inequality escalate, this traditional framework is proving inadequate. This research examines how universities can evolve to become active drivers of societal transformation.
The dominant university model, focused on knowledge production and transfer, has contributed to economic and societal progress but struggles to address urgent sustainability issues. Academic structures often discourage interdisciplinary collaboration, limiting universities’ ability to respond effectively to complex global problems. To remain relevant, universities must move beyond neutrality and actively engage in sustainability transitions. This requires rethinking their role in society, fostering partnerships, and prioritizing impact-driven research and education.
Transformative Research
The article advocates for research that is not just analytical but action-oriented and transdisciplinary, involving collaboration with societal actors to co-create solutions for sustainability challenges. Education should focus on critical thinking, reflexivity, and practical engagement rather than passive knowledge transfer, preparing students to contribute to real-world sustainability transitions. The Design Impact Transition (DIT) platform at Erasmus University Rotterdam serves as an institutional experiment, promoting transformative research and education while exposing the barriers within existing academic structures.
Despite institutional challenges such as rigid funding models and career incentives, universities must embrace systemic change to support sustainability transitions. The article concludes that while transformation is complex, initiatives like DIT demonstrate that strategic action and institutional experimentation can reshape universities into key players in building a just and sustainable future.
