Join us at the CCES «Science Meets Practice» Winter School 2017 and learn how to better interact with practitioners and strengthen a dialogue between science and practice.
There is an increasing demand for scientists to interact with people and institutions outside of the scientific community. In this Winter School you learn methods on how to better interact with stakeholders such as practitioners in public or private institutions and the general public. You learn methods in sharing and exchanging knowledge, such as «focus groups» and «accompanying groups», as well as key theoretical foundations that underpin these techniques.
A key feature of this Winter School is the direct application of these methods in real science-practice situations, thereby giving you the unique opportunity to actively interact with various stakeholders from administration, business, policy, and civil society, as well as allowing you the chance to expand your own networks. Furthermore, together with your peers, you also critically analyze and reflect on your own PhD or postdoc research project with respect to its societal relevance and application.
The CCES Winter School addresses primarily PhD students and postdocs in environmental and natural sciences, engineering, and social sciences working on topics relevant for sustainability and sustainable development, with maximum number of participants limited to 25. PhD students and postdocs from the ETH Domain, other Swiss universities and also from universities all over the world are encouraged to apply.
The course language is in English, however, knowledge of (Swiss) German is useful for stakeholder meetings as these are normally held in the local language. However, some translation to English will be provided during the stakeholder meetings.
The CCES Winter School takes place during two blocks of four days each, with a 2-week pause interval between these blocks, when participants have the chance to conduct preparatory work for the second block. The format of the CCES Winter School 2017 is as follows:
- The first block (9 – 12 January 2017) is dedicated to lectures, group work exercises and case studies, with a focus on theory and methods in knowledge exchange. In 2017 we will introduce a new module that compliments this input, on basic concepts in conflict management and dealing with group dynamics in a multi-stakeholder setting.
- During the second block (6 – 9 February 2017) participants implement some of the methods, such as hosting stakeholder meetings, where the results of these interactions are shared and exchanged with stakeholders. The Winter School concludes with round-table discussions and plenary presentations from experienced professionals in the field of science-practice interactions.
A team of coaches will guide and support you in achieving the learning objectives of the CCES Winter School during the two block weeks. The total time requirement for completing the course is in the range of 120 hours, equivalent to 4 ECTS.
The CCES Winter School takes place at Propstei Wislikofen in Wislikofen (canton of Aargau, Switzerland), where participants also stay for the duration of the two blocks.
The participation fee is CHF 400 per participant. The fee covers a contribution to costs associated with staying at Propstei Wislikofen, including board and meals and organizational support. The fee does not cover any travel expenses to and from Propstei Wislikofen.
For more information, please see the flyer or visit the website. For any specific questions or further assistance, please contact the coordinator directly at carolina.adler [at] env.ethz.ch.
Please fill out the online application form at: www.cces.ethz.ch/winterschool. Deadline: 30 September 2016.
