Critical and transformative perspectives on sustainability: a doctoral winter school

Theme of the winter school

The ecological crises we face today are global phenomena that cut across geographical, national, and social boundaries. The complexity of these crises requires us to break through the boundaries between academic disciplines and think in inter- or even trans-disciplinary ways. It is important to do so, not only when trying to understand the causes of myriad forms of environmental disruption, but also when mapping out potential avenues for transformative and sustainable practices.

This winter school aims to foster connection, understanding, and cooperation between doctoral researchers across disciplines.

Format and week schedule

The course exists out of teambuilding activities, parallel workshop tracks, lectures, discussions, and an excursion.

The number of contact hours will be around 30 hours (not including the lunch break).

Program:

Lectures: 

Lecture 1: Introduction on Politics of Sustainability by prof. Erik Paredis (UGent)

Lecture 2: Ecological Boundaries & Economy by prof. Julia Steinberger (University of Lausanne)

Lecture 3: Decolonial Ecology by Drs. Philsan Osman (Open Universiteit)

Lecture 4: Post-growth Urbanism by dr. Angelos Varvarousis (Autonomous University of Barcelona)

Lecture 5: tbd

The lectures are also open for the public outside of the winter school

Workshop tracks:

Grassroots movement perspectives on sustainability
In this session, we delve into the world of different grassroots social movements all around the world. We aim to shed light on their contrahegemonic narratives, tactics, organisational forms etc. We will offer both academic insights from researchers working on these topics as well as knowledge produced by social movements itself. In doing so, we offer a broad spectrum of concrete tools for students to explore the world of social movements.

Care and Critical STS
This track explores the idea of “care” within debates about technoscience and ecopolitics, engaging with feminist traditions and critiques situated at this intersection. Starting from the situated and speculative-oriented approach to care by Maria Puig de la Bellacasa, we aim to explore how we can reflect on innovation and research through the residues (material, epistemic, social, …) they leave behind, investigating how they impact our more than human worlds. This focus on the issue of residues will highlight not only how care is shaped in research and innovation, but also allows for questioning who (which agents) shapes, and are shaped by, such practices of care, opening up discussions about the democratization of science and innovation.  

The impact of “transformative narratives”
In this session, we explore the cultural impact of  green rhetorics and environmental artistic practices, together with experts from eco-linguistics, politicology, sociology, linguistics, and literary studies. By covering political speeches, novels, legal texts, movies, and more, we examine how the narratives that shape our world are constructed and form individual and collective imaginations and its material consequences. Different perspectives will be covered: local, global, hypocritical, mainstream, sustainable, funny, decolonised, transformative, radical, … We aim to provide tools for young researchers to critically assess rhetorical tactics and develop a sense of narrative strategies applicable in different sustainability contexts and tie this to its concrete (intended) impacts.

The waste implosion
In this session, we look at ‘waste’ from multiple perspectives. Starting from a specific local case (to be decided), we apply Donna Haraway’s ‘Implosion method’. Through this method, we will reveal multiple dimensions linked to the case and waste in general, ranging from spatial-historical patterns to toxicity, and from philosophical perspectives to the role of industries and politics. A day-to-day topic is thus interrogated to learn more about the various links to society and sustainability.  

Why would you sign up?

The winter school offers an excellent opportunity to improve your knowledge of today's challenges and broaden your view. Next to that, you will reflect together with other researchers on the impact and responsibility of research. 

By actively working on problems with fellow students with diverse disciplinary backgrounds during the workshops, you experience the challenge of uniting different visions in the search for solutions for an equitable society within planetary boundaries.

In addition, you will build a network of contacts with committed fellow researchers with diverse backgrounds, and get the chance to network with experts in the fields. 

For whom?

We foremost aim to include PhD students in this winter school. We aim explicitly to organise a winter school on an interdisciplinary approach to sustainability, and we want to invite researchers from diverse backgrounds. 

The group will consist out of max. 40 researchers.

Registration & Selection procedure

You can apply here: https://event.ugent.be/registration/sustainabilitywinterschool27

PhD students of UGent are our main target group. We also have a couple of spots reserved for researchers affiliated to other Flemish Universities and other institutes.

After registering, the organising committee will evaluate the applications based on motivation, relevance and if applicable, our sustainable travel policy.

The organising committee aims to minimise the environmental impact of the winter school. Intercontinental flights for a stay of a week or less are strongly discouraged, and for continental travel we strongly encourage to use a sustainable means of transport. This will also be taken into account as one of the selection criteria. 

Dates

1st of February 2027 until the 5th of February 2027. 

Cost

This winter school is free of charge and includes lunch. We don't provide accommodation or transportation.

Locations

Technicum, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41, 9000 Gent

Green Hub, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 33, 9000 Gent

Accessibility

If you are a person with limited mobility or if you have other special needs to attend this activity, please do not hesitate to contact us so we can look together at how we can meet your needs. All locations are wheelchair accessible.

Organising team

The summer school is organised by the Green Office and funded by the Doctoral School, with the support of the Flemish Government.

The organising team consist out of researchers and staff from different backgrounds:

Dorian Accoe (UGent, PhD researcher, BIG)

Eva Vandenberghe (UGent, PhD researcher, MENARG)

Jade Hoogendijk (UGent, PhD researcher, CDO)

Jonas Meuleman (UGent, PhD researcher, Department of Public Governance and Management) 

Kobe Tilley (UGent, PhD researcher, AMRP)

Lou Braibant (UGent, PhD researcher, Department of Literary Studies)

Lucas Remue (UGent, PhD researcher, CDO)

Niko Vandebos (UGent, PhD researcher, GASPAR)

Femke Lootens (UGent, Green Office Coordinator, Sustainability Team)

Gijs Lochten (UGent, master student, FLW)

Dr. Julieta Vigliano Relva (UGent)

Prof. dr. Marco Caracciolo (UGent)

Contact

sustainabilitywinterschool@ugent.be