Initiative for research on complex societal challenges

The Uppsala Institute for Sustainable Transformations is part of the Vice-Chancellor’s initiative Uppsala University Future Institutes (UUniFI). UUniFI is a University-wide research action that aims to utilise the breadth of research at Uppsala University to create conditions for research into complex societal challenges.

The Uppsala Institute for Sustainable Transformations can be described briefly as a platform for interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and collaboration focusing on conflicting objectives related to sustainable development.

Ways to meet societal challenges

“We aim to build up a research and collaboration environment to help discover pathways to sustainable development. Various types of conflicts between objectives often arise in tackling the major societal challenges, and it is these aspects that we will research and help to understand,” says Målqvist.

Using research results to steer society in a sustainable direction can be difficult because conflicting objectives bring results and interests into opposition with one another. The development of society has always pitted different interests against each other, but the need for sustainable development has led to more numerous and more visible problems with conflicting objectives.

Wicked problems

In this context in Sweden, the term målkonflikt (‘conflicting objectives’) is used to describe the phenomenon of more or less unresolvable conflicts between different interests.

“There is no really good Swedish expression. In English these are called ‘wicked problems’. We have used the term ‘conflicting objectives’, but you could also talk about predicaments, choosing between two evils.”

Perspectives on complexity

“Higher education institutions have a duty to contribute to an understanding of the complexity of societal challenges, how one issue or decision affects another. The Uppsala Institute for Sustainable Transformations will focus on conflicting objectives, highlighting the complexity and providing perspectives on the challenges. An essential point of the Institute’s activities is to give societal actors and decision-makers, such as politicians, a better understanding of the complexity of societal challenges.”

Navigating societal challenges often requires knowledge and insights from a range of research disciplines and values. Creating arenas where experts from different areas can come together to discuss societal challenges and understand the various problems involved can help to clarify the most desirable possible courses of action.

“In building up our activities, it is highly important that we create an environment that different stakeholders within the University, such as disciplinary domains and faculties, see the value of and want to be part of.”

Attracting new research funding

In the longer term, Målqvist envisages this becoming an interdisciplinary research environment that can attract research funding that Uppsala University would not otherwise have accessed.

“When we apply for funding today, we usually do so from within our disciplinary silos and we need to create an environment from which to apply for research funding for this type of cross-cutting research.”

Lab for learning and change processes

At the time of the interview, it is still early in the process and much remains to be decided and set in motion; work on appointing a board and writing instructions is in progress, for example. Nevertheless, of course it may be useful to try to specify definite activities.

“I plan for us to start a co-creation lab, an environment or arena that focuses on learning and change processes. For example, we can invite researchers in to shed light on their research from different angles based on conflicting objectives. Or we can invite societal stakeholders to meet researchers and discuss navigation proposals and change processes for different societal challenges. Stakeholders should be able to obtain help with recommendations and conclusions to address conflicting objectives.”

The researchers would also study what happens in the discussions and meetings in the lab. This would result in a type of transformative learning that would in turn feed back into the activities in the lab.

Support for early-career researchers

Målqvist also discusses the possibility of advertising positions for associate senior lecturers (assistant professors). 

“These positions enable early-career researchers to add to their qualifications and experience by building up their own research group. This is very appropriate at a newly established institute, as the aim is precisely to create innovative and pioneering research in a relatively unexplored field.” 

Anders Berndt