Stockholm Trio builds bridges across disciplines

Interdisciplinary collaboration for sustainable development

The seminar was organised by Stockholm Trio for Sustainable Actions, an initiative within Stockholm Trio that supports Karolinska Institutet, KTH, and Stockholm University in their efforts to contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet, KTH, and Stockholm University presented five joint interdisciplinary research projects on sustainable development that has recieved funding from Stockholm Trio for Sustainable Actions.

A panel, moderated by Victor Galaz, Associate Professor at Stockholm Resilience Center, discussed the key challenges and opportunities in interdisciplinary research and education. The discussion emphasized the role of Stockholm Trio in supporting collaborations across disciplines and universities.

Opportunities and institutional barriers

Hanna Karlsson, Associate Professor in toxicology and research group leader at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet emphasized together with the other panellists that the geography of the three universities is a key enabler for interdisciplinary research collaborations within Stockholm trio, commenting:

"All the analysis that was done at KTH and Stockholm University could not be done at Karolinska Institutet so the close proximity between the universities that allowed to share research material was very much needed."

Michael Håkansson, Senior Lecturer, Department of Education, Stockholm University however emphasized that institutional barriers often prevent effective interdisciplinary collaboration:

"Our traditions and organizational structures often stand in the way of interdisciplinary work, but Stockholm Trio is a fantastic starting point and we should create a solid platform where we can meet, collaborate, and innovate together."

The panel also discussed how to better support students in interdisciplinary learning. Anders Rosén, Associate Professor in Engineering Education, KTH, observed:

"As senior researchers we are often poor role models for interdisciplinarity research as our whole system is rigged for narrow expertise. The current education system is also overly focused on success. Students need opportunities to explore, fail, and understand the complexities of sustainability in order to truly learn."

The seminar concluded with a call for action. Petter Ljungman, Cardiologist, Environmental Epidemiologist, and Expert Coordinator at the Centre for Health Crises, Karolinska Institutet, urged the presidents of Stockholm Trio to be vocal and proactive:

"You need to communicate a clear strategy and if we want to scale up we need to put in the resources needed to enable this."

His comment reflected a view shared by the other panelists regarding the need for increased support and resources for interdisciplinary initiatives. The seminar however concluded on a hopeful note, with participants agreeing that Stockholm Trio offers a critical framework for fostering interdisciplinary research and education for sustainable development.

Key takeaways

• Inclusive collaboration platform: Traditional organizational structures and academic silos still act as barriers to interdisciplinary work. Stockholm Trio offers an opportunity to break barriers and should be a platform that also invites other universities and stakeholders to collaborate.
• Strong leadership and resources: Clear strategies, vocal leadership, and increased resources are essential to scaling up interdisciplinary initiatives and ensuring their success.
• Need for flexibility: Effective collaboration between universities requires imaginative approaches to overcome differences in timelines, handling data, and institutional constraints.
• Jointly integrating sustainability in education: Fully embedding sustainability and interdisciplinary thinking into education programs remains a challenge. Stockholm Trio could work more closely on integrating sustainability in education including leveraging the use of shared resources and pedagogy courses available across the three universities. For instance, by developing joint courses on sustainability for teaching staff.

Photo: Ulf Sirborn