Complex challenges require cross-disciplinary thinking
Last changed: 09 May 2023
Complex challenges require a broad mindset and a palette of solutions – a palette of many colors. One of SLU Future Foods' most important tasks is to develop cross-disciplinary working methods in the area of "sustainable food systems" by initiating and enabling collaboration across scientific disciplinary boundaries.
The sustainability challenges of the food system cannot be solved by tackling them from single perspectives. The sustainability of the system depend on a complex interplay between many different factors, and changes of direction are affected by, among other things, power relations and values, which means that there is no right or wrong way to go. It is simply not possible to solve the challenges without collaboration where different disciplines, perspectives and values are included and meet.
This is how SLU Future Food works with cross-disciplinary research
SLU Future Food’s mission is to address complex scientific issues concerning the food system's long-term sustainability challenges by developing cross-disciplinary collaborations and working methods. SLU Future Food stimulates cross-disciplinary collaborations by creating meeting places to facilitate the encounter between different disciplines and to stimulate discussions and ideas on different themes.
We strive to have a broad and cross-disciplinary approach in most of our activities and initiatives, and also through the financial support that the platform offers. We organise internal cross-disciplinary workshops where researchers can broaden their networks and where we discuss different opportunities for collaborations and activities. We also offer different types of support in connection with cross-disciplinary application processes. Together with SLU's other future platforms we discuss how we can tackle the task of developing cross-disciplinary collaborations. We follow up the effect of our various efforts on a personal basis, through networking and through follow-up of applications and projects.
To stimulate cross-disciplinary work, SLU Future Food:
- makes research and researchers within “sustainable food systems” at SLU visible within and outside SLU in order to increase knowledge and create an interest in SLU's research and competence in the field
- arranges activities for SLU researchers, and also activities in which external actors participate, to facilitate contact and new collaborations and to contribute to broadened or new perspectives and new ideas
- offers courses, workshops and seminars to strengthen the knowledge of cross-disciplinary forms and working methods
- to offer stimulus funds, coordination, help with matchmaking and practical help to stimulate cross-disciplinary collaborations and research applications
What do we mean by cross-disciplinary research?
Cross-disciplinary (multi- inter-, and transdisciplinary) research is here defined as research that comprises theory, method or research approaches from more than one scientific discipline or fields of research. In multidisciplinary research the different theories, methods or approaches are used side by side, and in interdisciplinary research they are, at least to some extent, integrated. Transdisciplinary research is distinguished in its recognition and inclusion of other types of knowledge than scientific knowledge, such as practice and experience based knowledge and knowhow.