DUTCH SCIENCE TALKS: Sustainability transitions: new governance and action research

On September 17th, Prof. Derk Loorbach delivered a lecture on sustainability transitions, the lecture took place at the National Research University Higher School of Economics. This lecture, attended by a hundred people from both HSE University and outside, introduced the audience to sustainability transitions research and transition governance.

This area of research originated in the Netherlands 20 years ago but now is a worldwide area of research that focuses on understanding structural systemic changes in society and developing strategies to accelerate and guide these transitions towards sustainability. The lecture drew upon examples from transitions in energy, food and mobility as well as urban transitions to explain how we can understand the mechanisms and drivers behind current transitions. These make clear that transitions are inherently uncertain, chaotic and conflictions as they involve changes in behavior, affect vested interests and create deep societal tensions. Yet these transitions also create the space for alternative technologies, practices, values and structures to develop. The approach of transition management was presented as a strategy for transformative policy, business, civil society and research to work together to advance desired transitions.

Derk Loorbach

Dr. Loorbach is a Professor of Socio-economic Transitions and Director of DRIFT (Dutch Research Institute For Transitions), both at Erasmus University Rotterdam. The lecture is a part of the Dutch Science Talks, a series of lectures on different topics initiated by Nuffic Neso Russia in close collaboration with the Dutch Embassy in Moscow. The main goal of the project is to introduce Russian audience to the latest Dutch research trends and discoveries in such fields as peace and justice, circular economy, designing the future, and agriculture and food. For more information please visit www.dutchsciencetalks.com

Author:
Elena Khetagurova
Project manager
Alumni officer at Nuffic Neso Russia