Reflections and Testimonials

Dr. Mzukisi Kuse, Postdoctoral Fellow: "I have learnt the importance of understanding and considering peoples’ different approaches and perspectives towards trandiscplinarity. My research has exposed me to various professionals and researchers who perceive transdisciplinarity in diverse manners.

...The TRANSECTS opportunity is a once in a lifetime learning opportunity which can catapult you from a regular researcher to a more open-minded, collaborative and impact driven practitioner, with an internal desire to see sustainable changes on the ground."

Dr. Duduzile Ngwenya, Postdoctoral Fellow: "I learnt about the importance of transdisciplinary research approach in solving real world problems."

Danielle Spence, Former START Lead and TILL 2022 alum: "My experience with TRANSECTS, including attending the mini-TILL and working on START, has been one of the most impactful and important experiences of my educational journey thus far. During my time with TRANSECTS, I gained important knowledge about sustainability and transdisciplinarity and built critical skills such as how to design and facilitate workshops and collaborate on international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary teams. In addition to learning and expanding my experiences and skillset, one of the things that I value most from my time with TRANSECTS is the connections I have built, gaining life-long friends and colleagues from across the world. In joining this growing community of practice, TRANSECTS has truly enriched my learning and professional development, making me a better collaborator and transdisciplinary researcher."

TILL 2024 alum: “Participating in the TILL and TRANSECTS programs has transformed how I approach learning and research. Immersing myself in interdisciplinary collaboration taught me to see challenges from multiple perspectives and find innovative solutions. This experience has not only deepened my understanding of sustainability and community engagement but has also enriched my biotechnology research, inspiring me to focus on impactful, real-world applications” 

TILL 2024 alum: “My practical experience of transdisciplinary research during the TILL 2024 on Vancouver Island encouraged me during my research stay in the Lake Bosomtwe Biosphere Reserve in Ghana, where I collected the data for my master's thesis, to spend as much time as possible together in the villages around Lake Bosomtwe to interact with the local people, understand the socio-ecological context and adapt my research agenda based on these experiences and the local circumstances.” 

TILL 2024 alum: “Taking part in the TILL has further sensitised me for the importance of taking different perspectives into account and the potential of bringing different skills, backgrounds and worldviews to the table to create holistic results.” 

TILL 2024 alum: “Prior to participating in the 2024 TRANSECTS TILL, I had minimal knowledge of the theory and practice of transdisciplinary research. Being part of the TILL was a truly transformative experience. Through my engagement in the program held on Vancouver Island, Canada, I gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of the complexities of socioecological systems research, the beauty and significance of biosphere reserves, and the value of diverse relationships on broad scales. Additionally, being exposed to people from widely varying professions, worldviews, and cultural perspectives enlightened me to the crucial role of diversity itself. I also found it immensely enriching to work on and help solve a real-world problem, and feel validated as a scientist. From a practical perspective, my experience as a TILLie has been invaluable in my current postgraduate research, which adopts a multi-disciplinary and multi-methods approach, and hinges on numerous multi-stakeholder engagements. I am honoured to have been a 2024 TILLie, and look forward to further engagements with the TRANSECTS community, along with the fruitful application of transdisciplinary and sustainability work!” 

TILL 2023 alum: “I would also like to say that the TILL really helped me see all different aspects of one subject, as a biologist I was really inclined to only see the ecological function and working of things. Now I take into account different social aspects, like cultural habits, work conditions of those concerned about my projects, the need to integrate an educational part with school projects, but also economic aspects.  

It is also entirely thanks to the TILL that I was able to find my current job: Forest and wildlife project manager in a régional natural park (PNR Aubrac). On one hand the subject of the TILL I participated in, forests, gave me a first experience in forestry. And on the other hand the transdisciplinarity of the TILL gave me a better understanding of my current job and how I can enhance forest ecosystems. As a natural park employee I am convinced that we couldn't do or change anything if we don't work on transdisciplinarity and I am really grateful that the TILL could bring me that.” 

TILL 2023 alum: “The TILL experience assisted me in realising the practical implications of transdisciplinarity on the ground. I finished my PhD and I was able to incorporate from the TILL experience into my research and dissertation.” 

TILL 2023 alum: “My participation in the TILL program in Germany broadened my knowledge of the intersection of social and environmental sciences in promoting sustainable development.  

My initial thesis proposal was centred on illegal mining and forest degradation. However, my participation in the TILL program and the interaction with the mentors, facilitators, and students helped me understand that livelihood is the key underlying factor in environmental degradation. The impact of livelihoods on the climate and biodiversity is significant in the 21st century. Hence, I refined the thesis to focus on biodiversity, climate change, and livelihoods with special emphasis on biosphere reserves.” 

TILL 2023 alum: “Being part of the Transdisciplinary International Learning Laboratory (TILL) in Germany was a pivotal moment in my academic and personal journey. The platform not only broadened my horizons but also instilled in me a profound appreciation for the integration of diverse perspectives in addressing complex challenges. Through the program’s immersive sessions, I gained valuable insights into how transdisciplinary approaches bridge the gap between scientific research and community-based knowledge, especially when working with farmers and Indigenous communities. 

This experience has significantly influenced the direction of my PhD research, which focuses on the propagation and sustainable mass production of Mimusops zeyheri (milkwood) across three South African provinces. The TILL program highlighted the importance of collaboration and inclusivity, inspiring me to actively involve local farmers and Indigenous people in my work. By valuing their traditional knowledge and fostering shared learning, I aim to contribute meaningfully to the sustainability of this indigenous wild fruit tree, ensuring its availability for future generations. 

Beyond academia, TILL instilled in me confidence , communication and problem-solving skills (My fellow tillies would be shocked at how confident I am to speak and voice my opinions now considering I always had little to say) and that ignited my passion for education advocacy. It emphasized the transformative power of education as a tool for empowerment, particularly for young women and adolescent girls. Motivated by this experience, I proudly serve as a Young Woman for Life ambassador with UN Women, where I strive to advocate for equitable access to education. I believe that empowering girls with knowledge, particularly about their rights and potential, lays the foundation for dismantling harmful practices and fostering leadership in their communities. 

The TILL program was more than an academic experience; it was a call to action. It reinforced my commitment to champion transdisciplinary solutions in science and to uplift others through education. As I continue my journey, I carry forward the invaluable lessons learned, working towards a sustainable future while advocating for the transformative power of knowledge.” 

TILL 2022: “My work with TRANSECTS greatly increased my understanding of the importance of transdisciplinarity and also affected my thesis in many different forms. I took special care to include as many different backgrounds in my empirical research and also included references to the importance of transdisciplinarity in conservation and in the ECRL specifically. I thus feel like a profited a lot from my time on START and will definitely stay engaged with transdisciplinarity wherever I can.”  

TILL 2022 alum: “Participating in the TILL opened my eyes to other ways of knowing and doing science, as well as cultures and traditions such as food norms. It also reinforced how intrinsically linked people, and their history, are with the environment, and how if research is done without the meaningful involvement of rights-holders, it can damage relationships and trust. For me, learning about people and history was as interesting as learning about biosphere reserves, and has changed the way I think about research” 

TILL 2022 alum: “Taking part in my first TILL in 2022 influenced my personal journey as well as my learning journey greatly. It showed me how much more there is out there in the world and all the possibilities that come with it. It was my first international trip and I couldn't have asked for a better suited one. Meeting 17 other international TILLIES was incredibly fulfilling and I learnt so much together with them and from them.  

While I was TILL, I was busy with my masters degree, the first qualitative study I had ever engaged in. Though I had collected some of my data, I was still very intimidated, especially by the analysis and writing up. Being at the TILL not only helped me to reflect on my master's Journey but it helped me to sharpen up on my analysis skills as well as give me confidence on academic presentation. Thematic analysis is never easy, but doing it in a team where we divided the work, supported each other and encouraged different ways of working made it so much lighter. The support from the mentors during this time also made worlds of a difference.  

This way of working is something I adopted in my data analysis when I returned to South Africa after the TILL, to be calm and engage in the iterative process positively and to know that it does not have to be perfect. Not only this, but I was also exposed to other TransD methods such as the three horizons method which is of great interest to me for when I do my PHD.  

In addition to the above, the confidence I gained in my TILL encouraged me to apply for the first peer mentor position and to actually be confident in inserting myself in multiple transformative spaces. I am now able to advocate for and encourage multicultural integration, self care as well as Journaling because of how these were encouraged at the TILLS. The TILLS for me represent a wealth of knowledge, insight, networking and relationship building. I am forever thankful to have been involved. Thank you TRANSECTS!” 

TILL 2022 alum: “The mini-TILL that I attended in 2022 was the best educational experience I have ever had. It gave me so much that I´ve never encountered elsewhere, and I´m not sure how to explain what I mean properly. We arrived as a bunch of students who did not necessarily know much about transdisciplinarity or each other, and the mentors and Biosphere Reserve practitioners provided us with an adult playground in which we could learn: They shared their knowledge and their needs for the research project and trusted us to find the best pathway to a solution, given our diverse expertise and group dynamics. They gave us so much freedom to engage with the work and our peers in a way that felt natural, and so much trust was placed in us: Trust that we would take the work seriously and do the best we could with it. I think this combination of freedom and trust is quite unique to education. I´ve never felt it as strongly as I did there, and it made the learning experience incredibly fun!  

Despite a pretty full schedule, there was more than enough time to get to know other students on the TILL and to design our experience to some extent. I recall fondly one outing that I did with another student and our group mentor, where we crossed the Elbe River and interviewed a few people living in the BR who we crossed paths with. What started off as an adventure to see something new ended up also being a research trip. It was wonderful to meet the locals and bond with my peers while at the same time gaining knowledge that directly benefitted our research project by giving us a different perspective from the one that had been curated through the pre-arranged interviews.  

By the time our TILL finished two weeks later, I had new friends all around the world, and I´d learned so much about working in transdisciplinary spaces that I´m sure could only be learned in a practical setting. As students, we had conducted research that was meaningful to the Biosphere Reserve, explored many new cultures and diverse worldviews, and had a wonderful opportunity to travel in a new place. And I think that´s really what the TILLs are about: Learning to communicate and build strong connections across cultures and disciplines, while experiencing what it actually feels like to work with such diversity. It´s not always easy, but the TILL mentors provided so much support on the learning journey and I´m a much better researcher and sustainability practitioner for it! Thank you TRANSECTS!”