This workshop is all about developing ideas on how to democratize academic research on sustainability. We want to open a space for dialogue and cooperation between social movements and members of academia in order to discuss how different actors' perspectives can be included in the academic research process. Against the backdrop of multiple environmental, social, and political crises, we want to understand what the democratic turn in academia can entail and what shape it can take.
We want to build a community at the intersections of activism and academia, that is committed to challenging the orthodoxy of academic research. This workshop is the starting point of a series of events and activities - making the democratization of academic research a reality.

Agenda of the workshop:

First part, 14:00-15:15 CET:
Panel Discussion with 4 speakers, they will share their perspectives on different phases of academic research and how a more democratic research process in each case might look like. The session will include speaker presentations and Q&A.

Break 15:15-15:30 CET

Second part, 15:30-16:30 CET: 3 different breakout sessions from which you can choose one
1. Building a blog - creating a knowledge base: Participants in this session will discuss concrete ideas on how to develop a knowledge base on the democratization of academic research, how to open new spaces for discussion and multiply the effects of the workshop and other events. Can a blog aid the process? If yes, how would it look like and what content would you publish?
2. Bringing participatory methods into research: Participants will discuss where in the research process participatory methods can be used and how they can be applied.
3. Open Session: Participants are also welcome to discuss a concrete topic based on the input from panelists or raise a new topic that they consider vital in the process.