{"id":25640,"date":"2026-04-20T12:55:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T10:55:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/talking-hope.org\/?page_id=25640"},"modified":"2026-04-21T12:29:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T10:29:37","slug":"transdisciplinary-research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/talking-hope.org\/en\/what-we-do\/transdisciplinary-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Transdisciplinary Research"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Transdisciplinary Research<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

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Empowering young climate actors<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Research cooperation with Utrecht University<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Socially Inclusive Climate Communications and Transformative Education<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong>
February \u2013 April 2026\u00a0<\/mark><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

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How can young people excluded from mainstream climate movements become active shapers of a sustainable future? This question was at the heart of a collaboration between Talking Hope and students from the Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development <\/a>at Utrecht University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of their three-month final project in the Global Sustainability Science programme, a team of eight students working in two groups explored how climate communication and transformative education can be brought together to motivate young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to engage for a sustainable future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research Review and Best-Practice Studies<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The students conducted a systematic literature review of the current state of research in communication and education. They also carried out in-depth interviews on best practices with five grassroots organisations working at the intersection of climate and education in Germany and the Netherlands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their findings strengthen and expand Talking Hope’s approach as a specialist organisation for socially inclusive climate communication and education: young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are by no means disinterested in climate action or politics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is missing, however, are initiatives and forms of outreach that meet young people in their own realities, build genuine trust, and strengthen their sense of agency. Trust-building and authentic participation are the keys to fostering real empowerment and civic engagement among young people. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cWorking with Talking Hope during these past two months has been fun and informative at the same time! It is very refreshing to see there are organizations out there who care so much about young people and see the potential in our generation and the ones to come. I admire the way they try to change the climate discourse from catastrophic to hopeful by giving skills and instruments to youth and to the people who are supposed to educate this youth. It has been very important for me to see what kind of work can be done that is actually making an impactful change!”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teresa Grandoni,<\/strong><\/strong> project participant 2026<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What climate communication can learn from transformative education <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Importantly, climate communication has much to learn from transformative learning and educational approaches. The project identified four core principles as the foundation for developing agency and engagement in young people: <\/p>\n\n\n\n