On May 5th, 2025, Dr. Prajna Kasargodu Anebagilu and Dr. Thi Thu Giang Luu from the HortiBonn team attended and presented their recent works at the inspiring workshop “Change Agents for Sustainable Transitions” organized by the Transdisciplinary Research Area (TRA Individuals & Societies, TRA Sustainable Futures) at the University of Bonn. The event brought together researchers from diverse disciplines to explore the pivotal role of individuals and institutions in steering sustainability transitions.
The day opened with an inspiring keynote by Prof. Dr. Denise Fischer-Kreer, who captivated the audience with her reflections on the “inner path to outer change.” She emphasized that true progress toward sustainable development begins within—through cultivating researchers’ Inner Development Goals as essential transformation skills. Central to her message was the power of resilience: the ability to stay grounded and forward-focused amidst the inevitable challenges of academic life. Prof. Denise Fischer-Kreer encouraged embracing positive reframing, drawing strength from social support, managing emotions with awareness, and aligning one’s work with long-term values and goals. Her talk set a reflective and empowering tone for the day.
Prajna presented the HortiBonn agroforestry team's latest work on Change Agents in Scaling Agroforestry in Germany, and Giang presented the NIFAM team's work on Experience in Translating Knowledge Generation into Action to Improve Urban Consumers’ Access to Safe Vegetables in Vietnam.
It was enlightening to see parallel challenges and successes reflected in other talks and fields of sustainable transitions, such as laser land levelling in India and the struggle to reduce food waste in German households, to name a couple.
Equally valuable were the method and funding sessions, particularly for early-career researchers navigating interdisciplinary spaces. More information on this can be received from the Support to Early-Career Researchers team at the University of Bonn. The poster session and networking during coffee breaks fostered meaningful conversations and future collaborations.
The final talk by Prof. Dr. Matthias Braun on building his successful academic career was eye-opening in its simplicity and honesty, offering genuine inspiration to early-career researchers aspiring to follow a similar path. His reflections reminded that authenticity, persistence, and clarity of purpose can be just as crucial as publications and accolades in shaping a meaningful academic journey.
Overall, the workshop created a much-needed platform for exchanging ideas and strategies on how different areas of research within sustainable innovations and transitions, and the role of researchers, educators, practitioners, and citizens, as change agents.
