Registration for workshop for young researchers: Studying water as a transdisciplinary challenge

Studying water as a transdisciplinary challenge: from environmental governance to knowledge and territorial politics

May 29, 2019 – Delft Institute for Water Education (IHE)

Registration – If you are interested to participate to the workshop, please send an abstract (200 words max.) before January 18, 2019, to dupuits.emilie@gmail.com. Notification on the acceptance will be sent in February. For the accepted participants, their written contribution (chapter/article) will be asked by May 16, 2019.

Objective – This workshop is intended to bring a space of dialogue for young researchers (PhD students, Postdoc) working on issues related to water resources governance, commons, knowledge politics, territoriality, and justice. Indeed, water is often connecting various environmental challenges for example in the case of mining protests, social movements, urban-rural connections, or climate justice. Therefore, thinking about water as a transversal and connecting challenge in grassroots mobilizations, environmental movements and multi-actor partnerships can bring valuable insights to the academic debate.

The objective of this workshop is to connect young researchers from different academic institutions in the Netherlands (CEDLA Amsterdam, Delft IHE, University of Wageningen, Groningen, Utrecht, Rotterdam, VU, Radboud, etc.), and other academic institutions in Europe. The workshop is intended to provide a highly participatory and collective format with several parallel thematic master classes.

Format – There will be four parallel master classes focusing on specific issue, involving five young researchers and one water/commons scholar. This format is intended to give maximum time for discussion, with 5 minutes presentation (one student presents the work of another one) and 40 minutes discussion by the scholar and the other participants. The discussion will be based on a material that can be a thesis chapter, a draft paper, a research proposal, etc. It implies that every participant of the group previously must have read the works of the others. One of the student participants will share the main reflections of each group at the end of the day during a plenary session, which will continue with some drinks and food. The workshop will continue with a lecture where a water/commons keynote speaker will present, followed by debate, and drinks.

1. Water materialities, technicization, knowledge and expertise
Coordinator: Prof. Margreet Zwarteveen (Delft IHE)
2. Grassroots mobilizations, multi-scale strategies and water commoning
Coordinator: Dr. Fabio de Castro (CEDLA)
3. Territorial struggles, water justice and discourses
Coordinator: Prof. Rutgerd Boelens (Wageningen University/CEDLA)
4. Polycentric governance, socio-ecological systems and water-grabbing
Coordinator: Dr. Jampel Dell’Angelo (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)