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

国际和平协会将于2002年2月和8月召开一次结对的研讨会--会议，致力于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”研究会议将由两部分组成：邀请性研讨会和公开会议结构。这一结构将使(1)在解决环境问题方面超越学科限制，(2)促进长期的跨学科研究伙伴关系来解决这些问题。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天地。这次讲习班和会议的目标是：(A)想办法更有效地将科学知识放在社会中；(B)使强大的人文资源更好地处理社会问题；(C)在各学科之间、在最广泛的研究人员和各类教育工作者与公共和私人领域之间建立持久的伙伴关系，以便更有效地应对环境挑战。2002年2月的讲习班将由20-25名应邀与会者组成，他们代表了广泛的观点：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月的公开会议将由讲习班与会者和一个更大的小组(具有同样广泛的背景)组成，他们响应了关于制定应对环境挑战的跨学科、专题方法这一主题的论文呼吁。2月份的讲习班将启动为期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，以帮助确保8月份的会议产生最大可能的影响。结对会议的总体目标是提高社会将学术研究的见解应用于社会(特别是环境)问题的能力，设计方法来调整知识生产者的工作方向，使他们的研究和学术与社会更相关。

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.