vision
Societies today are undergoing profound transformations driven by intensifying social inequalities, growing sustainability challenges, and accelerating digitalisation – particularly through AI – in an increasingly uncertain world. In response, the BMS theme Learning and Research for Societal Transformation addresses advancing fair, sustainable, and digitally responsible futures by connecting learning with research and societal impact. Learning – as personal growth, professional reflection, and organisational or community development – is a key driver of transformation. It is a dynamic and ongoing process through which individuals and groups acquire and develop knowledge, skills, attitudes, and ways of being that enable them to interact with and shape their environment. In times of societal transformation, it goes beyond individual cognitive growth: it is also about caring for one another and the world, daring to explore new possibilities, and bearing the uncertainties and tensions inherent in change. Learning in this sense is not only the acquisition of capacities, but also the cultivation of equitable relationships and resilient practices that allow people and communities to navigate complexity together.
Complementing this, research is a collaborative, reflexive, and learning–oriented inquiry. It attends to care and curiosity, holds uncertainty, and works across differences to make sense of complex situations. In this sense, research not only develops and tests ideas but also cultivates equitable relations and resilient practices – co-producing situated knowledge and practical pathways for just and sustainable change with practitioners, policymakers, and affected communities. This approach is operationalised in the theme through three interconnected strands – research, education, and dialog with society – each being reshaped by societal transformation.
Research is increasingly moving towards inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration, to face complex societal challenges, foster engagement with communities and organisations, and to co-create practices ethically that are attentive to power dynamics, distributional effects, and long-term impact. Methods are evolving accordingly, with greater emphasis on mixed-method, design-based and action-oriented approaches that align analysis with intervention (e.g., interventions aimed at societal impact).
Education, too, is undergoing a transformation. Traditional modes of instruction are no longer sufficient for preparing learners to navigate uncertainty, rapid technological change, and social fragmentation. There is a growing need for curricula that integrate AI and data literacy with critical thinking, empathy, and ethical awareness. Reflective practice, collaborative problem–solving, and inclusive pedagogies – such as Universal Design for Learning – are increasingly central. Learners are not only acquiring knowledge but also unlearning fixed assumptions, imagining alternative futures, and developing the competence to act responsibly and adaptively.
Dialogue with Society. Currently, knowledge exchange and societal impact are shifting from one–way communication to dialogic, purpose-driven engagement. In a world where trust in science is under pressure and the pace of change is high, partnerships with society foster shared meaning-making across sectors and communities. Such partnerships create spaces for exchange – policy dialogues, public events, podcasts, living labs, and leadership programmes – where different forms of knowledge can meet, be questioned, and evolve. In this mode, researchers and educators act as facilitators, co–creators, and communicators, engaging with diverse publics in reciprocal, sustained relationships that generate mutual benefit and actionable insight.
goals of the theme
The theme seeks to support BMS Faculty in developing learning-oriented research for just and sustainable societal transformation, while strengthening dialogue and exchange with society and communities. In this light, the theme pursues the following goals:
Embedding Societal Impact in the Research Process
The theme encourages researchers to position societal relevance as a central element in the research process. This involves formulating research questions in dialogue with societal actors, using “impact pathways” to articulate goals and feedback loops, and designing studies that contribute meaningfully to real-world change – while upholding academic rigour.
Investigating Education in the Context of Complexity and Transition
The theme supports research and development activities that critically examine how education can respond to and shape societal transformation. This includes investigating how competences such as AI and data literacy, critical reflection, ethical awareness, and inclusion are developed and assessed within different educational settings. It also involves studying how learning environments – formal and informal – can foster transformative learning, support identity development, and equip individuals and communities to navigate uncertainty, inequality, and technological disruption. Research in this area contributes to rethinking educational design, pedagogy, and policy in light of complex societal transitions.
Enabling Transdisciplinary and Collaborative Knowledge Practices
Societal transformation requires research that is open to diverse perspectives and grounded in collaboration. The theme supports transdisciplinary approaches and the formation of learning communities in which researchers, students, and practitioners co–create knowledge, reflect critically, and develop shared approaches to complex challenges.
Advancing Dialogic and Purpose–Oriented Knowledge Exchange
The theme promotes a shift from one-way dissemination to reciprocal, purpose–driven engagement with society. Whether through public dialogue, policy collaboration or co-designed outreach formats, knowledge exchange is understood as a space for mutual learning, long-term relationship-building, and shared understanding.
board members
Theme chairs: Andrea Kottmann
upcoming activities
The theme’s activities include to create a community of inspiration for researchers, practitioners, learners, and all other interested parties, providing opportunities for exchange and collaboration. In 2026, three thematic afternoons will address challenges in academic and professional practice as the relationship between research, education, and societal engagement is reimagined – with particular attention to the role of learning.
The afternoons will provide you with examples from research, education and societal engagement and also provide you with the opportunity to share your thoughts, insights and experiences when addressing societal transformation in your academic practice.
Exact dates for these afternoons will be published soon. Additionally, we invite you to bring in your ideas for activities.