Dear all,

this is a brief reminder for our Session 43 "Innovative formats of science-policy-society interaction" at the IUFRO 125^th Anniversary Congress, “Interconnecting Forests, Science and People” 19.-22. September 2017 in Freiburg, Germany.
Please find details below and at http://iufro2017.com/call-for-abstracts/ (for the procedural details) and http://iufro2017.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IUFRO2017-AllDiv9-Sessions-1.pdf (Nr.43 for session details).

The new deadline for submissions is 15th December 2016.

We are looking forward to your contributions on innovative approaches relating to transdisciplinary forest research and scientific knowledge transfer.

Best regards,

Michael Böcher, Michael Pregernig, Georg Winkel and Regina Rhodius

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Innovative formats of science-policy-society interaction (session 43)
Regina Rhodius, Michael Böcher, Michael Pregernig, Georg Winkel

Forest science is a discipline with a strong tradition in and focus on applied, solution-oriented research. Nevertheless, to generate und communicate scientific knowledge that is indeed relevant for forest-related decisions, a better interaction between science, policy and society is crucial. Against this background, within the session we will discuss two current approaches contributing to bridging science, policy and society by offering innovative formats of interaction: A) the concept of transdisciplinarity, and B) concepts of scientific knowledge transfer. In the subsequent panel discussion, we will bring together the concepts and discuss in how far and under which conditions they contribute to a better science-policy-society interaction. For both session parts, we invite oral and poster presentations.

Part A: Forest science between 'research for the sector' and a new wave of 'transdisciplinarity'
(Regina Rhodius, Michael Pregernig, Georg Winkel)

Transdisciplinarity is seen as a new paradigm as regards the cooperation between science and society: Following the principles of co-design, the research topics and questions shall be set not only by the involved scientists, but in close cooperation with practitioners and civil society; following the principle of co-production, this cooperation shall be continued during the following research phase itself. In light of this, this part of the session strives to discuss and assess in how far the concept of ‘transdisciplinarity’ relates to the current practices in forest research. We explore, further, if the concept is useful for forest research practice, and where the challenges to be overcome lie. Thus, we invite papers that report on forest research projects with a transdisciplinary approach to discuss, inter alia, the following questions:
•    How is transdisciplinarity practiced in forest research projects?
•    Does it make a difference to forest research – or is it just old wine in new skins?
•    What are the main challenges forest research is facing when applying principles of transdisciplinarity?
•    What can the transdisciplinarity community learn from experiences of forest research?

Part B: Advanced approaches for a better understanding of scientific knowledge transfer for interconnecting forest-related policies, science and people
(Michael Böcher, IUFRO sub division 9.05.07 – Science policy interactions)

Interconnecting forests, science and people for achieving a sustainable life on earth is often a question of how forest-related policy decisions from the global to the local level are based on latest scientific findings. Especially natural scientists often claim that politicians neglect their forest-related findings whereas political actors state that science that they need has to be well in time, practically usable and directed towards their current political problems. An irony is that, despite this central “misunderstanding” between scientists and political actors, modern forest policy that includes aspects that go much beyond traditional forestry is more and more dependent on interdisciplinary science-based expertise. For a successful interconnection between forests, science, and people, we need an advanced knowledge about the conditions under which scientific knowledge transfer can be successful to be utilized in respective forest-related policies. Part B of the session will take up this crucial question and wants to discuss conceptual as well as empirical contributions that lead to an advanced understanding of scientific knowledge transfer for interconnecting forest-related policies, science and people. The sub session is organized by "IUFRO sub division 9.05.07 – Science policy interactions" and serves as a follow up to the very successful session during the last IUFRO world congress in Salt Lake City.

Prof. Dr. Michael Böcher

Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg

Fakultät für Humanwissenschaften (FHW)

Institut II: Gesellschaftswissenschaften

Lehrstuhl für Politikwissenschaft mit dem Schwerpunkt Nachhaltige Entwicklung

Zschokkestr. 32

39104 Magdeburg

Tel.: 0391-67-56585

Fax: 0391-67-46575