Reflections on Boundaries in Inter- and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research

At the DKN Sustainability Summit, regulate members Fanny Frick-Trzebitzky and Linda Söller chaired a session on “Boundaries as Integration, Boundaries of Integration”—a critical topic in inter- and transdisciplinary research. The discussion, inspired by insights from the regulate research group, explored how boundaries shape sustainability research and practice.

Key takeaways

• Epistemic boundaries between natural and social sciences influence how sustainability issues are framed—should we strive for consensus or embrace diversity of perspectives?
• The selection of topics in transdisciplinary projects is inherently shaped by power dynamics, challenging the goal of knowledge co-production
• Boundaries that exist in landscapes (e.g., dikes) and institutions shape knowledge boundaries, reflected in policies and sustainability measures.
• Joint field activities could foster better integration, but the challenge remains: How do we identify and work with boundary objects effectively?

This session reaffirmed the importance of critically reflecting on boundaries to advance transformative sustainability research. Looking forward to continuing the conversation!