An intensive chapter draws to its close. We would like to congratulate you on your achievements - there were quite a few!

In the first chapter of our course, we dove into some complex societal challenges and looked into their main characteristics. You reflected and thought about the complexities and the wickedness of TDR.

But how to address such challenges with research? The educators shared why they think transdisciplinary research (TDR) is a promising approach. For a first idea on how TDR can look in practice, five case studies were introduced. For each project, our course educators explained what societal challenges they address and gave a first glimpse on how they will engage with different actors in a transdisciplinary process to address those challenges.

Three main questions you should be able to answer now:

1. What are the main characteristics of complex societal challenges?
2. Why could TDR be a promising approach?
3. What are the challenges that the five cases address? And which of the cases would you like to follow in depth? (Note: Of course you can follow all cases in depth – they are definitely all worth it. However, if you have limited time, you can choose two or three of them which are of particular interest to you.)

Were you able to answer the three questions? If not, have another look at the relevant chapters to find your answers. Also, think about the core aspects of transdisciplinary research as you understand them, and write these down.

We look forward to tackling the interesting topic of transdisciplinarity with you in the next chapter!

Author: Tobias Buser