New Spaces for Collaboration between Science and Practice in the Social and Spatial Sciences
The project intends to test new ways of collaboration between social and spatial sciences and non-scientific actors while guiding it scientifically. In the joint research project the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB) and the IfL develop new mediation tools between scientists and practitioners, e.g. from foundations, NGOs, companies or educational institutions.
Within the sub-project “New Spaces for Collaboration in Geography and Spatial Sciences – New Media and Intergenerational Learning” the IfL co-operates with the geographic societies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland which play a key role as a connecting link between research and the general public. On the one hand, the geographic societies have long-standing relationships with geographical science and are equipped with a wealth of experience with regard to the transfer of knowledge. On the other hand, most geographic societies lack effective tools in order to spread interesting topics by using new media.
This is where the sub-project steps in: By conducting workshops and using other accompanying formats, the IfL team and members of the geographic societies will develop and test new tools and innovative ways of knowledge transfer. The aim is to develop a transfer product – a new space of collaboration, which uses new media and promotes the mutual exchange between scientific communities and practitioners. The focus is on intergenerational learning which implies mutually utilizing the knowledge of the “digital natives” and the experience of older generations.