Research Unit

Centre for Sustainable Development

Acronym
CDO
Duration
19 April 1995 → Ongoing
Group leader
Other information
Research disciplines
  • Humanities
    • Environmental philosophy
  • Natural sciences
    • Climate change
    • Environmental education and extension
    • Environmental science and management not elsewhere classified
    • Other environmental sciences not elsewhere classified
  • Social sciences
    • Development planning and policy
    • Innovation, research and development, technological change, intellectual property rights
    • Economic development, innovation, technological change and growth not elsewhere classified
    • Teacher education and professional development of educators
    • Informal learning
    • Political sociology
    • Radical and critical sociology, feminist studies
    • Sociology and social studies of science and technology
    • Sociology of development
    • Urban sociology and community studies
    • Environment policy
    • Research, science and technology policy
    • Urban and housing policy
    • Social movements and collective action
    • Sociology of complex organisations
    • Citizenship
    • Political inequality
    • Interest group politics
    • Other political science not elsewhere classified
  • Engineering and technology
    • Environmental and sustainable planning
    • Urban and regional development
    • Urban and regional planning policy, instruments and legislation
  • Agricultural and food sciences
    • Sustainable agriculture
Description
At CDO, scientific researchers from different disciplines (politicalscientists, economists, educational scientists, (bio)engineers,sociologists, environmentalists, physicists, urban planners, etc.) worktogether to conduct research on sustainable development. Takingsustainable development in its multiple dimensions (economic, social,physical-ecological, institutional and ethical) as a guiding – though not determining – perspective, interdisciplinarity andtransdisciplinarity are key aspects of research conducted at CDO, whereinterdisciplinarity is broadly understood as a kind of cooperationbetween scientific disciplines, and transdisciplinarity is understood asa kind of interrelationship between science and society. The identity ofthe CDO researchteam also lies in its adherence to a nuancedconstructivist epistemological stance, which is reflected in the use ofa critical policy analysis framework, a participative research approachand, last but not least, the framing of sustainability issues as‘political’ issues.