Summer School 2026
Co-creating transformative knowledge: Inter- and transdisciplinary research in practice
Course Overview
The Summer School strengthens master’s and PhD students’ competences in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research, focusing on co-creating transformative knowledge with diverse actors. Through hands-on tools, and collaborative experiments, participants explore challenges in designing and conducting research that meaningfully responds to societal needs.
MAIN LECTURER:
PD Dr Bianca Vienni-Baptista, CSTS Group, Transdisciplinarity Lab, ETH Zurich
TEACHING ASSISTANT:
Cloe Compagnoni, CSTS Group, Transdisciplinarity Lab, ETH Zurich,
CO-LECTURERS:
Dr Stephanie Briers, CSTS Group, Transdisciplinarity Lab, ETH Zurich
Dr Nathalie Dupin, CSTS Group, Transdisciplinarity Lab, ETH Zurich
MSc. Konstanty Ramotowski-Kula, CSTS Group, Transdisciplinarity Lab, ETH Zurich
Learning objectives
Doing science with society requires rethinking how knowledge is produced and who is involved in its creation. Increasingly, academic research and knowledge production extend beyond disciplinary boundaries, engaging a wider range of societal actors who bring diverse forms of knowledge. This shift requires both recognition and active integration of different cultural and disciplinary perspectives.
This Summer School is framed within the external page ENHANCE Alliance (The European Universities of Technology Alliance) and complements a first edition offered in 2025. In an experiential setting, the Summer School will offer practical guidance for Master's and PhD students embarking on or curious about interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary research projects that involve co-creating socially-relevant transformative knowledge in collaboration with diverse actors. It draws on a rich overview of the research process and career pathways, offering tools and resources to enhance collaboration across disciplines, sectors and civil society. Through hands-on experimentation with selected tools, participants will explore key challenges in designing, investigating and conducting research that is responsive to societal needs.
At the end of the summer school students are able to:
- Jointly-frame and analyse complex societal and environmental problems, and evaluate their potential societal impacts.
- Critically reflect on the strengths and limitations of their own perspectives, positionality, and epistemic assumptions.
- Develop a broader understanding of collaborative constellations and processes involved in addressing real-world challenges.
Content
Combining conceptual insights, empirical examples, a site visit and interactive exercises, the summer school builds on participants’ prior experiences while remaining accessible to newcomers. It is designed to foster inter- and transdisciplinary (ITD) integration, reflexivity, and collaboration. The course focuses on four key modules representing the phases of the ITD research process:
a) Understanding Inter- & Transdisciplinary Research
b) Developing Collaborative Conditions
c) Co-creating a Research Project
d) Improving Research Skills and Competencies
To approach these topics participants will work on two case studies to gain hands-on experience on inter- and transdisciplinary research. Researchers and practitioners involved in the case studies will present their experiences in the cases: (i) integrated assessment models for sustainable development (DIAMOND) and (ii) coordinated interactions among researchers and partners in the energy system (CoSi). A third case will be introduced to discuss the governance, funding and evaluation of inter- and transdisciplinary research (INTERSECTIONS).
A site visit in Zurich is planned to complement the concepts and methods explored during the Summer School. This excursion will feature a case of interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary research in Switzerland, offering participants the opportunity to engage directly with researchers and practitioners, observe collaborative processes in action, and reflect on the real-world application of inter- and transdisciplinary approaches.
Mandatory readings
The course is complemented by the following reader:
Selected chapters will be provided by the lecturers in advance.
Important Information
OPEN TO: Master’s and PhD students, as well as early-career researchers
LANGUAGE: English
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 25-30
TEACHING PERIOD: Monday 24 August, 2026 - Friday 28 August, 2026
DURATION: 5 days
FORM OF PARTICIPATION: Onsite (ETH Zurich, RZ building, Clausiusstrasse 59, 8092 Zurich)
ECTS CREDITS: 2 (60 hours)
FEES: The Summer School has no participation fees; lunches and one dinner are provided.
EXCURSION: Visit to a real-world lab in Zurich (train tickets provided)
ACCOMMODATION: Participants are required to arrange their own accommodation. Recommendations will be provided to selected participants. ENHANCE students may apply for a scholarship to cover travel expenses and accommodation.
MATERIALS: Participants will receive a printed copy of the working materials.
APPLICATION:
The application deadline has passed.
We have finalized and sent out emails to the chosen applicants. We hope to meet and engage with our participants soon!
QUESTIONS OR ANY ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Please contact us at
Sustainability and Inclusivity
Summer School 2026 has been awarded the Sustainable Events Gold Label by ETH Zurich, reflecting our commitment to hosting an environmentally and socially responsible event. We have taken several concrete steps to reduce the ecological footprint of the event and promote inclusivity. Our commitment, amongst other things, include:
- Efforts to reduce food waste (e.g. sign-up form, tupperwares)
- Accessible to people with physical impairments and inclusive communication
- Recommendations on sustainable travel and eco-certified accommodation
- Use of sustainable materials and printing services
- Participants could support these efforts by choosing low-emission travel options, recycling, minimizing used printing resources, or avoiding single-use items.
Feel free to read more about our implemented measures in our downloadable program, and further inform yourself about "Sustainable and Inclusive Events" at ETHZ.