New Directions in the Earth Sciences and the Humanities: Implementing Wide Interdisciplinarity

PI将于2002年2月和8月分别召开一次对口研讨会，专门讨论为公众广泛关注的环境问题制定广泛的跨学科方法。本次“新方向”研究会议将分为邀请研讨会和公开会议两部分。这种结构将使(1)在解决环境问题方面超越学科限制，(2)促进解决这些问题的长期跨学科研究伙伴关系。这两次会议将在跨学科环境研究和教育的理论和实践方面开辟新的领域。这次讲习班和会议的目标是：(a)设计更有效地将科学知识置于社会之中的方法；(b)善用人文学科的丰富资源，解决社会问题；(c)在各个学科之间，以及在各种类型的最广泛的研究人员和教育工作者以及公共和私人领域之间建立持久的伙伴关系，以便更成功地应对环境挑战。2002年2月的研讨会将邀请20-25名代表广泛观点的受邀参与者：地球科学、人文科学、以人文为导向的社会科学、企业部门和社区团体。2002年8月的公开会议将包括研讨会的参与者，以及一个更大的群体（背景同样广泛），他们响应了关于发展跨学科、局部方法来应对环境挑战的主题的论文征集。2月的研讨会将启动为期6个月的跨学科合作以及知识生产者与公共和私营部门代表之间的合作，帮助确保8月的会议产生最大可能的效果。配对会议的总体目标是提高社会的能力，使学术研究的见解对社会（特别是环境）问题产生影响，设计出重新定向知识生产者工作的方法，使他们的研究和学术更与社会相关。

The PI will convene, in February and again in August of 2002, a paired workshop-conference devoted to developing wide interdisciplinary approaches to environmental issues of broad public concern. This "New Directions" research conference will have a two-part invitational workshop and public conference structure. This structure will enable (1) transcending disciplinary limitations in addressing environmental issues, and (2) stimulating long-term interdisciplinaryresearch partnerships for tackling such issues. Together, the two meetings will break new ground in both the theoretical and practical aspects of interdisciplinary environmental research and education. The goals of this workshop and conference are: (a) to devise ways to more effectively situate scientific knowledge within society; (b) to bring the powerful resources of the humanities better to bear on societal questions; and (c) to create enduring partnerships across the disciplines, and between the broadest array of researchers and educators of all types and the public and private realms, in order to more successfully address environmental challenges. The February 2002 workshop will consist of 20-25 invited participants representing a wide range of perspectives: the Earth sciences, the humanities, humanistic-oriented social sciences, the corporate sector, and community groups. The August 2002 public conference will consist of the workshop participants, plus a larger group (of similarly wide background) who have responded to a call for papers on the theme of developing interdisciplinary, topical approaches to environmental challenges. The February workshop will launch a six-month period of collaboration across the disciplines and between knowledge producers and representatives of the public and private sector, helping to ensure that the August conference has the maximum possible effect. The overall goal of the paired meetings is to improve society's ability at bringing the insights of academic research to bear upon societal (especially environmental) problems, to devise ways to redirect the work of knowledge producers so that their research and scholarship is more pertinent to society.