Under the motto “Gemeinsam forschen” (“researching together”), colleagues from the ILS – Research Institute for Regional and Urban Development gGmbH contributed to the PartWiss25 conference in Leipzig, a key event on participatory and transdisciplinary research.During the conference, Ann-Kristin Koch, Kathrin Specht and Lea Fischer engaged in discussions with researchers and practitioners from urban development, health management, sustainability sciences and beyond, addressing a shared core question:
How can research be conducted together with citizens and affected stakeholders across diverse thematic fields?
As part of the programme, Kathrin Specht and Ann-Kristin Koch, together with colleagues from ITAS, organised a session on “Co-creating the transformation of food systems.” They presented first results from a joint project with Melissa Leimkühler on participatory social network analysis for transforming urban food systems, using the Living Lab Weltacker in Dortmund as an example.
Reflecting its theme, PartWiss25 itself was highly participatory, featuring interactive formats such as planning games, world cafés and creative performances.
The key takeaway: participatory research requires commitment and openness – but it is also deeply rewarding and inspiring.
