The risk of the wrong priorities in university education

Center for
Global Change
and Sustainability

The Risk of Wrong Priorities
in University Education

Helga Kromp-Kolb, Thomas Lindenthal,
Adam Pawloff, Wolfgang Kromp

BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna
Center for Global Change and Sustainability

The Challenge:
Center for
Global Change
and Sustainability

World in disruption

BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
• Ecological crisis
• Energy crisis
• Social crisis
• Economic crisis
• Financial crisis

Vienna
• Political crisis / crisis of democracy
• ……..

 These crises are interconnected and
cannot be solved individually
IDRC Davos 2012.08.26 Risk of Wrong University Education Helga Kromp-Kolb et al. 2012

Center for
Global Change
and Sustainability

Vienna

Global temperature change Center for
Global Change

relative to 1800-1990 average
and Sustainability

Climate
+4,6 (+5,1) Stabilisation
+3,6 (+4,1) probably not
possible

Vienna
+1,8 (+2,3)

probably
possible

Copenhagen Diagnosis 2009


Energy crisis Center for

Oil production world
Global Change
and Sustainability

summary

Energy Watch Group
120 120
WEO2006
Middle East Peak Oil: WEO 2006
Africa
100 Latin America Point in time when 100
South Asia production cannot
Oil production [Mb/d]

East Asia be increased
80 China 80
Transition Economies -3,7 %/a

Vienna
OECD Pacific IEA 2008
60 OECD Europe 60
OECD North America

40 40

20 20

0 0
1935 1945 1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015 2025

Social crisis …. Center for
Global Change
and Sustainability

• In the
competitio
n between
fuel for
cars and

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food for
people the
cars will
win.
Monbiot 2006


Economic crisis
Center for
Global Change
and Sustainability

Vienna
From: Steffen et al. 2004 Source: IGBP 2001
IGBP, 2004

io
n n ct
ire t
Center for

t io
on e
Global Change
a t d e
ul a
and Sustainability

p ul gn en rb id 2O ha
n
Po Po
p e i s tm Ca o x N et
or ve
F in di M

l
se e r on ra hes
s ru iz i u
at rop
am e til pt
D at e r um
F s
N t
s
W ta
C on ca

s ne

Vienna
ld
n n er tion na n . l zo s
ba tio ap p
P m Do cea st sta ture
r a c O osy
U ul su M o a ru c
p op con Ec C st

e d
f at
es o
s est ic i ty
r n m st d s
to es
o l ho r is os for e
m lan ver
M ic le
p ou L n
Do di s s
eh Te
T r ai o
Bi lo
v
From: Steffen et al. 2004 Source: IGBP 2001
IGBP, 2004

Center for
Global Change
and Sustainability

• The defining challenge of our he is to
age
rt
s e s?
safeguard Earth’s natural tprocesses to
ma ise
ensure the survival of civilization
to cr
ng iple reducing
while eradicatingi poverty,
elp ult
eh sm

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conflict over resources, and
nc ou
cie human and ecosystem
supportingane
Is s ult
health.
s im

PuP “State of the Planet Declaration”
Declaration 2012

Responsibility vis-à-vis
society calls for paradigm Center for
Global Change
and Sustainability

change

• besides how research is done, what is being
researched becomes essential
• dealing with challenges society faces not
issues lucrative financially or for ‘scientific
standing’

Vienna
• real world problems rarely can be framed in
a disciplinary manner  considered
unscientific
• “If it is countable, it may not count; if it
counts, it may not be countable.”
(Froudeman 2011)
• answers to pressing questions with high,

Sustainability science Center for
Global Change
and Sustainability

• Topics relevant for society (safeguard
Earth’s natural processes to ensure the
survival of civilization)
• Transparent research, accessible results
• Systems thinking & interdisciplinary
research,

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• Knowledge transfer into and from society as
responsibility of scientists
• Transdisciplinarity: no rigid separation of
“academics” and “non-academics”
• Responsibility for the consequences of its
work
• Restricted monetisation of education &

Transparency and
independance: Center for
Global Change
and Sustainability

WHO and IAEA

• Whenever either organisation [the WHO or
the IAEA] proposes to initiate a programme
or activity on a subject in which the other
organisation has or may have a substantial
interest, the first party shall consult the
other with a view to adjusting the matter by

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mutual agreement."
Clause 12.40 of WHO and IAEA agreement (28 May
1959)

• "The agency shall seek to accelerate and
enlarge the contribution of atomic energy
to peace, health and prosperity through the
IDRCworld."
Davos 2012.08.26 Risk of Wrong University Education Helga Kromp-Kolb et al. 2012

Interdisciplinarity: Center for
Global Change

Energy crunch and Sustainability

• Energy accounts for ~5% of GDP
• 3% drop in energy  0.15% decline in
GDP
nothing to worry about?

Vienna
• Ayres Model: 75% of GDP growth is
due to increased net energy use
• 3% drop in energy  2.25% decline in
GDP
Never seen over prolonged time by

Responsibility: Center for
Global Change

'GM Genocide' and Sustainability

• More than 1,000 farmers kill themselves in

Indian „suicide belt“ each month
• Prince Charles claims the issue of GM has
become a 'global moral question'
• But genetic engineering scientists feel no
responsibility for the use their work is put

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to.
• Memories of Hitlers Germany and post-war
accusations: „Once the rockets are up, who
cares where they come down – thats not
my department, says Wernher von Braun“
[Tom Lehrer 1960es]
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1082559/The-GM-genocide-Thousands-Indian-fa

Center for

Obstacles
Global Change
and Sustainability

• Trans- and interdisciplinarity not rigorosly
defined
• Need for supplementary evaluation criteria
– Societal impact (relevance and impact of
research on practice or society,
“accountability”)

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– Sustainability impact (impact on society against
criteria of sustainability)
• Change in paradigm is painful
• Institutional obstacles in education and
research
– Disciplinary structure at universities
– No established qualification procedure for young
scientists with inter- and transdisciplinary focus

Role of Universities Center for
Global Change
and Sustainability

• must take lead in paradigm shift
– shape the coming generations of decision-
makers and opinion leaders
– enjoy a significant measure of
independence from political and economic

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interests
• meet strong obstacles
– Self-perpetuating academic system
– Individual and group egoisms to be
transcended
– Lack of incentives for cooperation and
solidarity Risk of Wrong University Education
IDRC Davos 2012.08.26 Helga Kromp-Kolb et al. 2012

Positive examples Center for
Global Change
and Sustainability

• interdisciplinarity, foresight, responsibility
– Villach Conference 1985
– WBGU Reports
– ICSU and IGBP (2010)
• Transparency, Monetisation

Vienna
– Report on the Fukushima Nuclear Accident by
the NAIIC (2012)
• Others
– Desaster Reduction – interdisciplinary,
transdisciplinary, but local, global context could
be strengthened


Institutional Changes Center for
Global Change
and Sustainability

• National level
– Networks of Universities (Alliance of Sustainable
Universities in Austria, Ethics Plattform at BOKU)
– Lüneburg, Oldenburg, Kassel
– …

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• International
– Copernicus Network
– Higher Education Sustainable Development
Initiative (2012)
– ……


Center for
Global Change
and Sustainability

• Sustainability science cannot replace
disciplinary science
• Society needs to enter a debate on
how much of the budget and of

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research capacity is to be invested in
each


Center for
Global Change
and Sustainability

Thank you for your attention!
Helga Kromp-Kolb
Center for Global Change and Sustainability
and
Institute of Meteorology

Peter Jordanstraße 82, A-1190 Wien
Tel.: +43 1 47654 - 5600, Fax: +43 1 47654 - 5610
meteorologie@boku.ac.at, www.boku.ac.at

ICSU and IGBP (2010):
5 main challenges science Center for
Global Change
and Sustainability

faces

• Enhance Foresights: which environmental
changes, what effects, best responses
• integrating past and present observations,
natural and social features and stakeholders
into research
• Study proximity to ecological boundaries and
tipping points and enhance resilience of social

Vienna
and environmental systems
• overcome current systems of political and
economic governance which favour short-term
incentives and aid responses at multiple
geographical, temporal and political scales and
between differing interests and beliefs.
• improving the real-world applicability of
findings and change science-policy interface
to increase the capacity of civil society and

The risk of the wrong priorities in university education

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