The Transformative Innovation Lab || Philip Bernert

In this episode of The (Re)generative Education Podcast I chat with Philip Bernert a teacher-researcher active as a PhD student at the Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research of the Leuphana University Lüneburg In Germany. Here he co-coordinates the transformative innovation lab with two other institutions in Germany (Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment & Energy and The Free University of Berlin). We chat about how the transformative innovation lab, simultaneously ran in multiple cities across the country, all working on combining future studies and sustainability sciences. Leads to transformational change He is also a co-author of a handbook for educators who which to engage with transformative sustainability education which I highly recommend.  

In this discussion the following systemic barriers and opportunities emerged:  

1. The importance of gradually developing the capacity to engage in transdisciplinary sustainability projects.  
2. The power of incorporating insighs from futures studies into transformative sustainability education.  
3. The importance of bringing together different experts and knowledges to tackle wicked sustainability challenges.  
4. The power of working with sustainability futures in the now, and the agency and challenges that come with working on wicked problems in the real world and not just as theoretical excercises. 
5. The importance of long-term perspectives for tackling sustainability challenges.  
6. The possibility of kick-off events to explore and engage student’s expectations of the programme.  
7. The power of bringing student outside of their regular biophysical environments (universities) where no one feels totally at home so that people can learn and be together. Combining reflexivity (who am I as a researcher, what is my perspective of research) and community-building.  
8. The importance of providing space for reflections and taking the time to do this properly.  
9. The importance of slow(ness) learning when dealing with complex sustainability challenges.  
10. The importance of integrating the student’s perspective in the design and co-creation of this type of education.  

External Links:  

Philip BERNERT | PhD Student | Master of Science | Leuphana University Lüneburg, Lüneburg | Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research (researchgate.net) 

Philip Bernert, M.Sc. | Leuphana Universität Lüneburg 

Projektteam – Transformative Innovation Lab (transformative-innovation-lab.de) 

Towards a Real-world Laboratory - Leuphana Universität Lüneburg