Reasons and ways for working more creatively and collaboratively to address sustainability challenge

Location and Venue: Room CST006/7 Ground Floor, STEAMhouse Building, Birmingham City University, City Centre Campus, B4 7RQ

Claudia Carter

Professor of Environmental Governance and Planning

Claudia Carter joined Birmingham City University in 2011 as Lecturer in Environmental Management and Policy, progressing in 2014 to Reader in Environmental Governance and in 2022 to Professor. She is a chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Course Leader of the Masters in Planning Built Environments programme. Over the past 3 decades, her research has spanned environmental management, policies and values; urban and spatial planning; and participatory processes and interdisciplinary research methods.

Her current interest centres around social-ecological challenges and transformation, especially (lack of) awareness of and responses to rapid climate and environmental change. Claudia enjoys working in inter- and transdisciplinary teams developing and testing new or hybrid approaches and methods, including exploring the creative process of board games as a way to facilitate engagement, learning and collaboration (see e.g. Participology and Climania). Her involvement in STEAM research (e.g. STEAM INC project) came through Design Thinking and her past diverse training and research experiences. Previously, she held research, project management and editorial positions at Forest Research (UK Forestry Commission), the Macaulay Land Use Institute (now the James Hutton Institute) in Scotland, Cambridge.

Reasons and ways for working more creatively and
collaboratively to address sustainability challenges

This talk presents some of the findings and insights gained from my inter- and transdisciplinary research relating to environmental governance and planning in different educational, policy, research and practice contexts. Starting with the personal journey to highlight the importance of greater awareness of ‘framing’ and different perspectives, transdisciplinary approaches and interdisciplinary learning and working are shared, drawing on insights gained from several international and UK-based research projects relating to environmental governance and well-being.

A key element will be the recent work on STEAM approaches and methods for Higher Education and professional practice. The talk will help stimulate reflections on our professional identities and the potentially transformative ways of inter- and transdisciplinary thinking and working. While STEAM is seen as an amazing opportunity for collaborative research and practice, the talk will also outline the range of different motivations and values of those promoting STEAM endeavours.

Host or Publisher Mohammed Ayaz