Bringing Society’s Voice into Science

At the root of the climate crisis lies a historically exploitative relationship with the natural world. To make the shift to a sustainable future, a more reciprocal relationship with nature is urgently needed – one which will manifest in practices like reducing the toll farming takes on the earth, or restoring ecosystems that have been degraded by human activity. Dr Anna Krzywoszynska, Associate Professor in Transdisciplinary Human-Environment Relations at the University of Oulu, is working to understand how we may change scientific approaches, instutitions, and infrastructures to facilitate such a connection between the human and non-human world.

“We are at a very special moment in the history of our species, where we are caught in a seemingly impossible bind between trying to provide a good life for as many people as possible, without destroying the material basis of our well-being – the environment upon which we depend,” says Anna. For sciences, and research of all kind, to help us walk this tightrope, we first need to have conversations around what we value, and the future we want to build, conversations where the social sciences, arts, and humanities –with their focus on human values and practices – will play a crucial role. At the same time, we need rigorous plans and the means to learn from our mistakes. “Here, science is a very profound tool, helping us see what works and what doesn’t in a systematic manner.” 

This also means that academic institutions must work ever more closely with individuals, communities, and organisations working on and affected by climate change and other environmental issues. While science has historically been conducted with a top-down approach and kept separate from the public, this democratization of science will give non-scientists a louder say in shaping laws, policies, and research processes.

“If we are going to survive this moment, we need to better embed scientific tools in society, and to better embed social concerns in scientific processes”, says Anna. Without a level of understanding and dialogue between the two spheres, distrust, tension, and struggles will emerge, “like we are already seeing in the United States.” 

Now, Anna is spearheading a breakthrough example of this type of transdisciplinary work at the University of Oulu with the Safeguarding Biodiversity through Interdisciplinary Approaches to Ecosystem Restoration (SAFIRE) initiative, which launched in January. Co-chaired by Dr Stefan Prost, an ecologist, SAFIRE is an umbrella of research projects united under one vision: “that to achieve environmental restoration we need research which is both scientifically and socially robust."

SAFIRE will lead specific research projects that address ecosystem restoration, with a focus on the Arctic, as this particularly fragile environment is where the accelerating effects of climate change are already the most pronounced. But its overall aim is much more ambitious: to truly embed a new research culture at the university, one where relationships between researchers and non-scientist stakeholders are firmly ingrained. While this idea is not new, “what is unique to SAFIRE is the seriousness of our investment,” says Anna. 

Part of this commitment includes the creation of the role of a transdisciplinarity coordinator, who will facilitate these relationships. “Scientists often say, ‘we don't have the skills. We don't have the capacity. This is not what we have trained to do.’ So it was important when designing this program to say, ‘we will help you.’ And once you've institutionalized a different way of thinking about what environmental research can look like, that has longevity beyond any particular project or career.” 

The SAFIRE initiative marks the latest step forward for a university that is truly dedicated to forging connections between different fields. “Oulu has surpassed my wildest dreams of what an interdisciplinary environment can look like,” says Anna. “You can turn up to a seminar on a topic that interests you and there will be people from the business school, from the department of biology, from hydrology, from archaeology, from history, from architecture, and you will have a rich conversation across these disciplines on that topic. That has never, ever happened in my experience, until I came to the University of Oulu. There is this willingness to leave your lab or your office and see what is out there, without judgment, but with interest and curiosity, and see what happens.”

As well as being home to such a unique research environment, the city of Oulu itself also stands out. “You can hardly believe there is a city here at all, because from the air, all you see is the forest. And you think, ‘wow, I've really come to the end of the world here.’ It’s the perfect balance between the conveniences of urban life, and the stunning nature that surrounds us. 

“It's a really wonderful place for people who value this relationship with nature and want to have it close.”