{"id":133498,"date":"2021-11-29T11:43:35","date_gmt":"2021-11-29T10:43:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=133498"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:01","slug":"derk-loorbach-wishes-to-use-dit-platform-to-change-research-methods-throughout-the-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2021\/11\/29\/derk-loorbach-wishes-to-use-dit-platform-to-change-research-methods-throughout-the-university\/","title":{"rendered":"Derk Loorbach wishes to use DIT platform to change research methods throughout the university"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Thursday, the <\/strong>Design Impact Transition (DIT)<\/strong><\/a> platform in the Q-Building has officially opened its doors, albeit with an online launch. The platform\u2019s managing director Derk Loorbach and the other initiators hope that many EUR researchers will join them in research projects that actually have the power to change things.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDIT<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

DIT is a project supported by the university, because the platform has promised it will result in impactful studies, which is voiced as a priority by the university. For now, the project is expected to run until the end of 2024, and eight academics representing various disciplines are involved. Furthermore, the project has its own project assistants and a designer in residence. The project (which includes the development of a new Master\u2019s degree programme) will cost \u20ac4 million.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The platform claims to oppose the way in which academic research is generally conducted. What is that all about?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

\u201cIn the social sciences, research projects often start with a description, in which researchers seek to formulate things as neutrally as possible, analyse data and formulate recommendations. Generally, they are inspired by social issues of which policy-makers wish to gain a better understanding or for which they wish to receive solutions.<\/p>

When this method is used, academics often don\u2019t penetrate into the essence of the issues, and researchers mistakenly believe that their suggestions for improvement will be easy to adapt to the situation at hand. But all too often these suggestions are ignored, because they are not in line with what the parties involved actually want.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cIn addition, the disciplines that are prominent at our university are largely based on the idea of monitoring, control and risk management. Take economics, business administration, law\u2026 In the past, knowledge gained from these disciplines formed the basis for growth and innovation, but it also came with severe social and ecological sustainability issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t
\n\t\t\u2018We must look at the fundamental factors that cause problems to be persistent\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>

Can you give us an example of this type of research?<\/strong><\/p>

\u201cOne example would be the study on the socio-economic problems of city dwellers. We know that many people are in problem debt and that the health inequalities between various groups of people living in cities are enormous. Instead of believing that we must \u2018solve\u2019 aspects of these inequalities, we must try to identify the fundamental factors that cause these problems to be persistent.<\/p>

For instance, they may be related to the way in which municipal authorities impose fines and levies with retroactive effect, or to the way public space is designed, which doesn\u2019t allow for healthy types of exercise, or where you\u2019ll only find unhealthy food. Once you\u2019ve identified these factors, you can start making sustainable changes.<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s not much use isolating these kinds of problems and analysing them in isolation. We must join hands to tackle the issues in a holistic manner. We can do so by experimenting with research projects in a systematic manner.\u201d<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t
\n\t\t\u2018Learning and changing on the job \u2013 we call that transformative research\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>

So how do you do that?<\/strong><\/p>

\u201cWe believe that what it takes is support for a more designing, proactive and transition-oriented type of research. When it comes down to it, we know a lot about what needs to change, but we don\u2019t know how to change until we actually start doing it.<\/p>

In other words, we must work the other way round. Recommendations shouldn\u2019t follow from a study. They should be the point of departure for studies. And then we can learn and change on the job. We call that transformative research.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Wasn\u2019t the DRIFT research institute doing something like that already?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

\u201cThe platform supports research projects, degree programmes and engagement in and on social issues. As far as research is concerned, we are seeking to establish a scientific basis for transformative and interdisciplinary work \u2013 which is to say, involving multiple disciplines. A method we previously developed at the DRIFT research institute.<\/p>

In this method, we contemplate which ethical principles must be considered and which methods we can use, and we also contemplate how this type of research is to be conducted in actual practice. What is required in terms of collaboration, roles and competencies?<\/p>

\u201cIn both our research projects and degree programmes, we actively collaborate with external parties. Our goal is to have a positive impact on social transitions \u2013 for instance, by performing a system analysis with people from the business community, identifying the forces that might cause change and then jointly experimenting with interviews and learning from this.\u201d<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Since research conducted in accordance with DIT principles constitutes applied research, is there no risk of the research projects becoming \u2018research on demand\u2019, where clients have a large say in the study results?<\/strong><\/p>

\u201cThis is exactly why we use DIT to establish a scientific basis and methods for this kind of research. The great thing is that if we do this well, researchers remain in charge, because it is they who decide the framework of a study and the conditions on which external parties are allowed to join in. So this won\u2019t be a matter of: tell us what you want and we\u2019ll get it for you. No, we are guided by the research question: why can\u2019t we seem to solve this issue? People working for companies and municipal governments, too, really benefit from reflecting on their own performance, which will allow them to really learn things and change.\u201d<\/p>

The platform\u2019s first specific step is to establish an interdisciplinary minor. The co-ordinator of that minor, ecologist Ana Vasques, told us that students taking the minor will be taught by lecturers representing several disciplines, and the focus will be on analysing and solving problems such as food waste and transport.<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t