The Responsive Research Collective has significant experience in supporting and accompanying the transformation of research and higher education towards inter- and transdisciplinarity. Since more than 10 years, we implement workshops, summer schools and trainings, conduct evaluations and accompany institutions around the world, collaborating with a vast number of people and institutions.
inter- and transdisciplinarity in action
We have implemented Inter- and Transdisciplinarity in Action (ITA) workshops in cooperation with a series of universities from Latin America. Find out more about the structure, programs and outcomes of the ITA workshops:
Seminario Inter- y Transdisciplinariedad en Acción: Enfoques de investigación y enseñanza inter- y transdisciplinarios e investigación acción participativa (edu_ITA #8). Posgrado en Ciencias de Sostenibilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 2023 → more
Seminario Inter- y Transdisciplinariedad en Acción: Diseñando y fortaleciendo programas y cursos de posgrado inter y transdisciplinarios (edu_ITA #7). Espacio Interdisciplinario, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay, 2022
Taller Inter- y Transdisciplina en Acción: Fortaleciendo la Tutoría de Proyectos de Investigación Inter- y Transdisciplinarios (edu_ITA #6). LANCIS, Universidad National Autónoma de México, 2018 → more
Seminario Internacional: Inter- y Transdiciplina en Acción (ITA #5). Universidad del Valle, Guatemala, 2018 → more
Seminario-Taller International de Investigación: Inter- y Transdisciplina en Acción (ITA #4). El Colegio de la Fontera Sur, San Cristobal de las Casas, México, 2018 → more
Seminario Educación Inter- y Transdisciplinaria en Acción (edu_ITA #3). Centro de Investigación Interdisciplinaria en las Ciencia y Humanidades, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 2018 → more
Explorando topologías de investigación en el Programa de Doctorado en Estudios Interdiscipinarios sobre Pensamiento, Cultura y Sociedad (edu_ITA #2). Universidad de Valparadiso, Chile, 2017 → more
Inter- y Transdisciplina en Acción (ITA #1). Espacio Interdisciplinario, Universidad de la República, Uruguay, 2016 → more
Td summer school: transdisciplinary research at the science · society interface
Since 2012, the Td Summer School: Transdisciplinary Research at the Science · Society Interface has been directed by Ulli Vilsmaier and implemented in cooperation with 20 universities, civil society organizations and administrative bodies in different world regions. Over 250 participants, coming from all continents, have engaged in intercultural learning spaces and advanced understanding and experience of transdisciplinary research. The Td Summer School has been provided in English and Spanish in Chile, Georgia, Germany, Mexico and Uruguay with more than 40 trainers from different partner organizations. Find out more ...
⋅ Td Summer School 2022, Austria → more
⋅ Td Summer School 2019, Georgia → more
⋅ Td Escuela de Primavera 2018, Mexico → more
⋅ Td Summer School 2018, Germany → more
⋅ Td Escuela de Verano 2017, Chile → more
⋅ Td Summer School 2016, Germany → more
⋅ Td Escuela de Verano 2016, Uruguay → more
⋅ Td Summer School 2015, Germany → more
⋅ Td Summer School 2014, Germany → more
⋅ Td Summer School 2013, Germany → more
⋅ Td Summer School 2012, Germany → more
· List of trainers (2012-2022) → more
· List of cooperation partners (2012-2022) → more
research development workshops
We've conducted workshops with a series of research teams that envisioned to expand disciplinary or multidisciplinary research towards inter- and transdisciplinary approaches. One of our well documented workshop was implemented with research teams from the Institute for Humanities and Nature (RHIN) in Kyoto, Japan. Others have been implemented at the Institute for Peace and Security Research, Hamburg, Germany; the Wuppertal Institute, Germany, and the Center for Gifted Education and Research, Salzburg, Austria.
RIHN Research Development Workshop for Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research: Methods, Processes and Practical Examples. Research Institute for Humanities and Nature, 2013 → more
university transformation workshops
Universidad Iberoamericana (IBERO) en Mexico has embarked on a journey of transforming the university towards inter- and transdisciplinarity. A series of workshops were held over one week on campus in late 2018, involving leaders of programs and departments, educators and researchers across the university. The workshop series enabled intensive learning, discussion and negotiation, accelerating university wide discourse which lead to the development of a concrete action plan.
Read more about sharing transdisciplinary expertise between Latin America, Australia and Europe. → more
formative evaluation and accompanying research
Members of the Responsive Research Collective are internationally recognized evaluators and scholars of evaluation research. We have been conducting a large variety of evaluations, including continuous formative evaluation, accompaniment to self-evaluation and ex-post evaluations. Our evaluation approaches are formative and dialogical with a focus on ‘Made in Africa’ evaluation – an approach that emphasises decolonization and Indigenisation of research and higher education. In combining these various forms of evaluation we bridge Indigenous and standard Western methodologies. Examples of our more recent work are:
Final program and project evaluation of Leading Integrated Research for Agenda 2030 in Africa (LIRA 2030 Africa) for the International Science Council (ISC), the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Find our more about the evaluation approach and results in the Final Evaluation Report. → more
Formative Accompanying Research into Leverage Points for Sustainability Transformations, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation. Lear more about Formative Accompanying Research (FAR) as a research methodology. → more
Evaluation of Inclusive Education Programs for Transition-Age Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Botswana and Ghana, funded by the Alliance of African Partnerships (ongoing)
accompanying transformation series
Universidad Iberoamericana founded a new Department for Interdisciplinary University Reflection, a unit responsible for a compulsory complementary study program across all degrees, to enhance reflexive and collaborative abilities of students. In 2021, we accompanied the team in developing a shared understanding of interdisciplinarity, to revisit the objectives of the program and to diversify didactical interdisciplinary approaches.
Since 2021 we conduct an Interdisciplinary Educational Design programm with KnowledgeE, Dubai and the Egyptian Knowledge Bank/Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Egypt. The workshop series are targeted to educators and university administrators of public Egyptian universities to accompany and support the transformation of undergraduate and post-graduate study programmes, institutional arrangements and research collaboration across the country.
The Responsive Research Collective has significant experience in supporting and accompanying the transformation of research and higher education towards inter- and transdisciplinarity. Since more than 10 years, we implement workshops, summer schools and trainings, conduct evaluations and accompany institutions around the world, collaborating with a vast number of people and institutions.
inter- and transdisciplinarity in action
We have implemented Inter- and Transdisciplinarity in Action (ITA) workshops in cooperation with a series of universities from Latin America. Find out more about the structure, programs and outcomes of the ITA workshops:
Seminario Inter- y Transdisciplinariedad en Acción: Enfoques de investigación y enseñanza inter- y transdisciplinarios e investigación acción participativa (edu_ITA #8). Posgrado en Ciencias de Sostenibilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 2023 → more
Seminario Inter- y Transdisciplinariedad en Acción: Diseñando y fortaleciendo programas y cursos de posgrado inter y transdisciplinarios (edu_ITA #7). Espacio Interdisciplinario, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay, 2022
Taller Inter- y Transdisciplina en Acción: Fortaleciendo la Tutoría de Proyectos de Investigación Inter- y Transdisciplinarios (edu_ITA #6). LANCIS, Universidad National Autónoma de México, 2018 → more
Seminario Internacional: Inter- y Transdiciplina en Acción (ITA #5). Universidad del Valle, Guatemala, 2018 → more
Seminario-Taller International de Investigación: Inter- y Transdisciplina en Acción (ITA #4). El Colegio de la Fontera Sur, San Cristobal de las Casas, México, 2018 → more
Seminario Educación Inter- y Transdisciplinaria en Acción (edu_ITA #3). Centro de Investigación Interdisciplinaria en las Ciencia y Humanidades, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 2018 → more
Explorando topologías de investigación en el Programa de Doctorado en Estudios Interdiscipinarios sobre Pensamiento, Cultura y Sociedad (edu_ITA #2). Universidad de Valparadiso, Chile, 2017 → more
Inter- y Transdisciplina en Acción (ITA #1). Espacio Interdisciplinario, Universidad de la República, Uruguay, 2016 → more
Td summer school: transdisciplinary research at the science · society interface
Since 2012, the Td Summer School: Transdisciplinary Research at the Science · Society Interface has been directed by Ulli Vilsmaier and implemented in cooperation with 20 universities, civil society organizations and administrative bodies in different world regions. Over 250 participants, coming from all continents, have engaged in intercultural learning spaces and advanced understanding and experience of transdisciplinary research. The Td Summer School has been provided in English and Spanish in Chile, Georgia, Germany, Mexico and Uruguay with more than 40 trainers from different partner organizations. Find out more ...
⋅ Td Summer School 2022, Austria → more
⋅ Td Summer School 2019, Georgia → more
⋅ Td Escuela de Primavera 2018, Mexico → more
⋅ Td Summer School 2018, Germany → more
⋅ Td Escuela de Verano 2017, Chile → more
⋅ Td Summer School 2016, Germany → more
⋅ Td Escuela de Verano 2016, Uruguay → more
⋅ Td Summer School 2015, Germany → more
⋅ Td Summer School 2014, Germany → more
⋅ Td Summer School 2013, Germany → more
⋅ Td Summer School 2012, Germany → more
· List of trainers (2012-2022) → more
· List of cooperation partners (2012-2022) → more
research development workshops
We've conducted workshops with a series of research teams that envisioned to expand disciplinary or multidisciplinary research towards inter- and transdisciplinary approaches. One of our well documented workshop was implemented with research teams from the Institute for Humanities and Nature (RHIN) in Kyoto, Japan. Others have been implemented at the Institute for Peace and Security Research, Hamburg, Germany; the Wuppertal Institute, Germany, and the Center for Gifted Education and Research, Salzburg, Austria.
RIHN Research Development Workshop for Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research: Methods, Processes and Practical Examples. Research Institute for Humanities and Nature, 2013 → more
university transformation workshops
Universidad Iberoamericana (IBERO) en Mexico has embarked on a journey of transforming the university towards inter- and transdisciplinarity. A series of workshops were held over one week on campus in late 2018, involving leaders of programs and departments, educators and researchers across the university. The workshop series enabled intensive learning, discussion and negotiation, accelerating university wide discourse which lead to the development of a concrete action plan.
Read more about sharing transdisciplinary expertise between Latin America, Australia and Europe. → more
accompanying transformation series
Universidad Iberoamericana founded a new Department for Interdisciplinary University Reflection, a unit responsible for a compulsory complementary study program across all degrees, to enhance reflexive and collaborative abilities of students. In 2021, we accompanied the team in developing a shared understanding of interdisciplinarity, to revisit the objectives of the program and to diversify didactical interdisciplinary approaches.
Since 2021 we conduct an Interdisciplinary Educational Design programm with KnowledgeE, Dubai and the Egyptian Knowledge Bank/Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Egypt. The workshop series are targeted to educators and university administrators of public Egyptian universities to accompany and support the transformation of undergraduate and post-graduate study programmes, institutional arrangements and research collaboration across the country.