Does science need a friend? A mindful/mindset perspective on sustainability

In academia there is a strong focus on using science to develop solutions to tackle the myriad of crises we are confronted with. And science has an important role to play here. However, science alone might not be enough to really create change. Looking at the levers for systems change, the solutions science is working on, often relate to lower level leverage points. However, a leverage point that can totally transform the system is the paradigm or the mindset from which we act. And although a mindset change on collective level might seem difficult, a mindset change on individual level can happen in the fraction of a second and might create a ripple effect. Reflecting on the mindset from which we act for sustainability is the aim of this program. So if you are interested in reflecting on sustainability in a different way, this program, given by Prof. dr. ir. Griet Verbeeck, might be valuable for you.

The program offers seven different perspectives to reflect on the challenges we face and the ways we could interact with them in our professional and personal life.

1. Our circles of concern
2. Our way of life
3. The foundations of our wealth
4. The impact of our resource use
5. Doing things differently
6. Our relationship with nature
7. A friend for science?

It is a highly reflective course, that aims at challenging our current way of looking to our world and acting for sustainability. Some perspectives might already be familiar to you, others might be new. It should be clear that it is not the intention of this program to impose a worldview or to convince anyone from a single truth. The intention is to broaden our mind by offering different perspectives, to create experiences of wonder ‘I never looked at it this way!’ and to reflect on the perspectives together with others. But in the end it is up to each of us to decide what to take with us as valuable and what to drop.

Should you have any interest in the course but require further information regarding the program, please feel free to email Prof. dr. ir. Griet Verbeeck (griet.verbeeck@uhasselt.be), at your earliest convenience.

Learning outcomes

After attending this training, participants will...

• have insights in much broader perspectives of sustainability, and how they are interrelated,
• be able to position themselves and their research in this broader context, which might help them to further develop themselves (personal growth) and their research in order to create positive impact for the challenges we face.

Competences

An important part of preparing for any further professional step is becoming (more) aware of the competences you have developed and/or want to develop. In the current workshop, the following competences from the UHasselt competency overview are actively dealt with:

• personal effectiveness:
  • responsibility
  • ethics & (research) integrity
• intellectual competences:
  • conceptual/synthetic thinking
  • critical judgment
• interpersonal competences:
  • stakeholder awareness

In addition, the training also addresses competencies from the broader UHasselt competency framework, specifically:

• ethical & sustainable reflection
• systems thinking

For whom?

• PhD students and postdocs
• 10 places available

When and where?

• 7 sessions:
  • April 22, May 06 & 13, 2025 - 17:00-19:00 - campus Diepenbeek - building D - room C22
  • May 27 & June 10, 24 & 30, 2025 - 16:00-18:00 - campus Diepenbeek - building D - room C22

Preparation?

The program consists of 7 subsequent sessions of 2h each, with each session being a collective in-depth conversation on one perspective, informed by a preparatory reading-watching-listening assignment prior to the session (ca. 2h preparation time per session). All input is in English (a few are in Dutch with English subtitles or could be offered in Dutch). Participants are expected to effectively executing the preparatory assignments and participating to all 7 sessions with an open mind, a willingness to listen and a respectful, connecting way of communication.

Registration?

• Register here from January 16 until April 03, 2025.
• Please register only if you can attend all days.
• As places are limited, registering does not automatically imply that you will be able to participate. You will be notified by email after the registration deadline has passed.
• Please cancel your registration at least one week in advance in case you cannot make it (cf. cancellation & no-show policy).

Acknowledged as?

• DS BSH: category 'career management & personal development' - session aimed at personal development
• DS HLS: category 'transferable skills' - one transferable skills course
• DS ST: category 'career & personal development' - course about personal development