· Listserver for Individual Sessions

Further Information about the Mutual Learning Sessions
A list of associated contributions for the mutual learning sessions can be found on page 21.
Fields: Industry and services
M 01
Technology Sharing – A case study of the China energy technology programme
Chinese institutions and the Energy and Global Change Department of ABB Corporate Research, in
conjunction with the Alliancefor Global Sustainability (AGS) and world-renowned universities, have
initiated a two year programme to investigate energy technologyand emissions in the electrical
power sector in China. Developing a sustainable energy supply for China is an essential part
of a global strategy to promote development while mitigating environmental pollution and the potentially
disastrous effect ofgreenhouse gas emissions.

Hosted by: ABB Corporate Research Ltd
Organizer: Alain Bill (ABB)
Key Persons: A. Wokaun (PSI), R. Suter (AGS), R. Baud (AGS), B. Eliasson (ABB), Y. Lee (ABB).
Conference Board: Tony Kaiser(ABB)
Location: Baden-Dättwil (near Zurich)
Number of Participants: 50
M 02 Gene-Seeds – Contribution of genetic engineering to sustainable agriculture
Genetic engineering of crops offers a powerful tool for shaping current and future agriculture. The
implementation of some ofthese novel technologies will have an impact on ecological and economic
structures, which reach far beyond agriculture. In additionto risk debates focusing merely on
unwanted side effects, the rapid and intentional implementation of these emerging tech-nologies
is of concern to large segments of our society. The situation needs to be assessed and debated,
addressing not only technicalbut also the societal aspects. Our mutual learning session aims to
involve various stakeholders such as consumers, ecologists, politicians, scientists and entrepreneurs.

Hosted by: Novartis Switzerland
Organizer: Hans-Peter Bernhard (Novartis)
Key Persons: K. Ammann (Botanical Garden, Berne), A. Einsele (Novartis Seeds, Basel), Calestous Juma
(Harvard University, Cambridge), Klaus M. Leisinger(Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development, Basel),
Jean-Pierre Protzen (University of California, Berkeley).
Conference Board: Max M. Burger
Location: Basel
Number of Participants: 50
M 03 Sustainable Banking – Relationship between banks, companies, society and environment
In this session representatives from banks, consultants, companies, society, environment and
researchers from these fields will de-finecriteria for a sustainable relation between banks and their
stakeholders. In the session a business plan for a new company willbe created, which fulfills the
conditions of sustainability from the point of view of all participants. It should produce welfare for
all stakeholders including banks, society and environment. This virtual company can be the first
starting point to create sustainabilitycriteria, which are real guidelines for sustainable economic
actions useful in research and practice.

Hosted by: Bank in Zurich, in cooperation with Swiss Banking Institute, University of Zurich
Organizer: Olaf Weber (ETH-UNS)
Key Persons: H. Geiger (Swiss Banking Institute, Univ. Zurich), R. Volkart (Swiss Banking Institute,
Univ. Zurich), CEO's from Banks, Consultants, Other CEO's.
Conference Board: Sybille Oetliker
Location: Zurich
Number of Participants: 50
M 04 Nutrition – Strategies for sustainable development in the need field nutrition
In this mutual learning session, participants will cooperatively evaluate strategies for
dealing with sustainable development in theneed field nutrition. They will use a novel
instrument, a “policy exercise”, that has been developed in close contact to scientistsand
practitioners. During the exercise, participants take the roles of farmers, food industry, food stores,
and consumers. They areconfronted with challenges, such as unforeseen consumer trends,
or environmental problems. They will advance sustainable de-velopmentunder many restrictions.
Participants will “act out”, not simply “discuss”, what future strategies might be. Experiencefrom the
exercise is reflected in a final discussion.

Hosted by: Migros
Organizer: Markus Ulrich (UCS Ulrich Creative Simulations)
Key Persons: S. Maier (IEE-HSG), n.n. (Migros), n.n. (Swiss Re, Guest Services).
Conference Board: Hans Beck
Location: Zurich
Number of Participants: 25
M 05 Sustainable Tourism – The future of ski-tourism revisited – the impact of transdisciplinary science
The project “The Future of Ski-tourism” was designed at the end of the eighties, when ski-tourism
underwent a crucial period, be-causeof shortage of snow, strong market competition,
ecological interventions and measures by the state. The “8-points-pro-gramme
for a sustainable tourism” was developed in a process-oriented approach, together with
local actors, civil servants, and ateam of natural scientists, economists, lawyers and sociologists.
Five years after its termination, the following questions will bediscussed: What were the effects
of the project on the involved parties? Has the “8-points-programme for a sustainable tourism”
proven to be a success in daily application? How can the approach of transdisciplinarity be improved
for the benefit of all the con-cernedparties? (Session in German with contributions in English.)
Hosted by: Alpenregion Brienz Meiringen Hasliberg / Gemeinde Hasliberg / BEREG / GEOPROGNOS,
in co-operation with SAEFL (Swiss Agency for the Environment,Forests and Landscape),
Association for Tourism, Swiss Association for the Alpine Regions (Schweiz. Arbeitsgemeinschaft
für die Berggebiete SAB).

Organizer: Madeleine Hirsch (Geoprognos), Ueli Stalder (BEREG/Geographical Inst. Univ. Berne)
Key Persons: R. Wyder (SAEFL; Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape),
J. Wyder (SAB), E. Baumberger (Tourism Region Brienz Meiringen
Hasliberg), repr. community of Hasliberg, repr. cable way, repr. landscape / environment
conservation , repr. Berner Oberland Tourism.
Conference Board: Rudolf Häberli / Walter Grossenbacher
Location: Hasliberg (Bernese Alps)
Number of Participants: 30
M 06 Health Costs and Benefits – Who cares about costs and benefits in health care?
The growing costs and the rationing of medical care forces difficult decisions and raises
awkward moral, economical, legal and po-liticalquestions, mainly concerning:
1) Quality – What system of medical care do we want? 2) Quantity – How much are we will-ing
and able to spend? 3) Fairness of distribution – Who gets which care? The goal of this mutual learning
session is to discussthese problems between scientists and practitioners from various fields of medical
care among countries with similar health caresystems (Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland)
contrasted with the situation in third world countries.

Hosted by: DIALOG ETHIK Institut für Ethik im Gesundheitswesen (Institute for Ethics in Health Services)
Organizer: Ruth Baumann-Hölzle
Key Persons: R. Baumann-Hölzle, M. Baumann, F. Britt, E. Fehr, M. Tanner. Representatives from
different fields (e.g. health care insurances, patient organi-sations,
pharmaceutical industry, hospital directors, etc.).
Conference Board: Albert Waldvogel
Location: Zurich
Number of Participants: 100
Fields: Organizing Learning
M 07 Education – New concepts for continuing education, a challenge to the entire education system
The FACILE (= FACILitated open distance learning Environment for continuing engineering education,
Technical Univ. of Vienna,Austria) project enhances the knowledge and skills of professionals in European
centres for continuing open distance learning intheir daily work. It makes existing expertise widely
available and develops transferable products based on the application of widelyavailable technology.
The project develops and delivers (among other products) a distance learning course on facilitated open
distancelearning in jointly provided pilot courses.

For Programm go to http://www.ndit.ch/8000/8500/Transciplinarity_Conf.htm

Hosted by: NDIT/FPIT (Postgrade Formation in Telecommunication), Berne, in cooperation
with TU Vienna Ausseninstitut, Vienna
Organizer: Federico Flückiger (NDIT / FPIT)
Key Persons: F. Reichl, O. Abou-Khaled, M.-C. Pettenati, A. Röllinghoff.
Conference Board: Daryl Chubin
Location: Berne, Zurich and www
Number of Participants: 35
M 08 Secondary Education – Bildungszentrum Uster: Joint education in vocational and intermediate schools.
Building a new paradigmin Swiss upper secondary education
Joint education centres integrate technical, business and pre-academic education on the upper secondary
level. At the age of 16-20,students and apprentices shall study together in a transdisciplinary framework.
The session will outline the concept of joint educationand the impacts it has on processes and structures
within the educational system. In parallel workshops experiences in transdisciplinaryeducation and
the details of the project will be discussed. A final panel discussion will sum up the session and try to
establish a common view on future trends and developments (session in English with contributions in German).

Hosted by: Akronym GmbH, in cooperation with Bildungszentrum Uster
Organizer: Peter Troxler (Akronym GmbH)
Key Persons: E. Buschor (Director, Department of Education of the Canton of Zurich), representatives of
partner schools (managers, professors, teachers,
students), F. With (Business Promotion of the City of Uster).
Conference Board: Rainer Gerold
Location: Uster (near Zurich)
Number of Participants: 45
M 09 Applying Sciences – Competing for the future by reshaping the education system of the
applied universities in Switzerland
Innovation management in the tertiary education system requires a strategic planning approach,
which today demands transdisciplinarythinking. The key factors in fulfilling the missions and
developing successfully a tertiary education and in a R&D portfo-lio,are: 1) Potentiality analysis,
2) Strategic planning, 3) Core competencies, 4) Innovation and education portfolio development,
5) Organizational learning. The goal is to address these questions and to refine or even redefine the
knowledge potential of an organization,such as higher education, and how to utilize it most effectively.
Hosted by: HTA Burgdorf School of Engineering

Organizer: Jean-Pierre Steger (University of Applied Sciences, Burgdorf)
Key Persons: R. Mathys (University of Applied Sciences, Burgdorf), H.J. Mey. Conference Board: Hansjürg Mey
Location: Burgdorf (near Berne)
Number of Participants: 80
M 10 Medical Knowledge – Knowledge transfer in Medical Care: What information do doctors and patients need?
An enormous amount of medical information is produced, but the problem is to transfer this information into
daily medical care.Relevant and valid information should be disseminated rapidly in a concise and
comprehensive form. The goal of the mutual learningsession is to bring people with different interests
and background together and broaden discussion of the topic of knowledgetransfer.
After assessing needs, expectations, and barriers of the producer, the disseminator and the user of the
information, concreteideas will be created to improve the process and generate a network of interested
people.

Hosted by: University Hospital Zurich
Organizer: Johann Steurer (University Hospital Zurich)
Key Persons: A. Borbely (Zurich), Th. Lüscher (University Zurich), P. Freimüller (appunto Zurich),
F. Schmidthaler (INSEAD Paris), P. Hug (Roche Basel), S.Goldbeck
(British Medical Journal London), S. Niederer (IBM, Zurich), J. Kleijnen
(Center for Review and Dissemination York/UK), W. Bauer (KHM Küsnacht),
P. Girardi (SMO Bregenz).
Conference Board: Heidi Diggelmann
Location: Zurich
Number of Participants: 30
Fields: Regional development
M 11 Urban Quality – strategies for sustainable development
The discussion about urban development and quality in the 1990s was dominated by the concept of
sustainable development. Yet, the strategies to reach sustainability contain a wide range of concepts
and ideas. This transdisciplinary session will be held withinan area of urban regeneration (abandoned
industrial areas, deprived areas) in the West of Zurich. It will enable a look which willclarify the aims
and strategies of actors from administration, developers, landowners and utopists which will dispute their
differentplanning perspectives and give the opportunity of exchanging experiences, attitudes and knowledge
concerning urban qualityand sustainable development.

Hosted by: City of Zurich, in cooperation with INURA Zurich
Organizer: Philipp Klaus (economic and social geographer, Zurich)
Key Persons: E. Ledergerber (city councillor, City of Zurich), A. Hofer (KraftWerk1, Zurich), B. Wehrli Schindler
(Office for urban development Zurich),
S. Gartmann (Maag Holding, landowner/developer), N. N. (urbanist, scholar).
Conference Board: Betty Zucker
Location: Zurich
Number of Participants: 50
M 12 Local Agenda 21 – Science and sustainable development on a local level in Illnau-Effretikon
In 1997 SAGUF (Swiss Academic Society for environmental research and ecology) launched a working
process in Illnau-Effretikon asa mediator between local actors and scientists in order to introduce sustainable
development on a local level. Now several groups oflocal actors are engaged in a “Local Agenda 21” process.
The session will involve a survey of sustainable development in Switzerland.Actors of Illnau-Effretikon will
present their experiences and their questions to scientists. The key questions of the session are: What
role does or could science play in sustainable development on a local level? What research fields and
questions should be dealt with?

Hosted by SAGUF, in cooperation with Forum 21 of Illnau-Effretikon
Organizer: Karin Marti (SAGUF)
Key Persons: H. Gutscher (University Zurich, Social psychology), M. Graf (head of the town Illnau-Effretikon).
Conference Board: Roman Boutellier
Location: Effretikon (near Zurich)
Number of Participants: 100
M 13 Landscape Development – Policies for a sustainable development of the landscape in partnership with agriculture
The degradation of biological and landscape diversity is linked up to fundamental changes in agriculture and
society. Therefore,conservation efforts have to take into account socio-economic and cultural factors.
In order to develop and implement good policies, partner organizations need encouraging experiences
with the transdisciplinary approach. The participants are invited to sharetheir experiences in a way that might
lead to a new transdisciplinary project. Key questions: What characterizes “good policies”
with the aim to facilitate a sustainable use and development of the landscape in partnership with agriculture?
What kinds of problemsare not yet solved? How can science and practice collaborate in order to answer
those questions? How can conditions for joint problem solving be improved?

Hosted by: Swiss Center for Agricultural Extension (LBL), in cooperation with Agricultural Information,
Education and Training in the Canton of Zurich (LIB)
and Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL)
Organizer: Michel Roux (LBL and WSL)
Key Persons: M. Broggi (WSL), E. Waldmeier (LBL), M. Kummer (LIB).
Conference Board: Jörg Winistörfer
Location: Wülflingen (near Winterthur)
Number of Participants: 70
M 14 Solid Waste – Transdisciplinary cooperative processes for sustainable solutions
Based on the example of the “Technical regulation on wastes (TVA)” and of its revision the following key
questions will be discussed:1. How does the social discourse have to be organized, in order to achieve
an efficient revision of regulation? 2. Which roledo the representatives of different actors affected by the
regulation play in this discourse? 3. Which (scientific) knowledge is requiredfor an efficient revision?
4. How can processes of legislation be accompanied and supported scientifically? In a joint approach
participants will find solutions in support of a sensible revision of regulation. General strategies are worked
out in order toachieve environmental objectives more efficiently in the future.

Hosted by: City of Winterthur in cooperation with Office of Waste, Water, Energy and Air (AWEL) of
canton Zurich and ETH-UNS
Organizer: Wiebke Güldenzoph (ETH-UNS), Jürg Stünzi (City of Winterthur).
Key Persons: A. Mieg (ETH-MUB), A. Renken (EPFL, Lausanne), V. Carabias (Zürcher Hochschule
Winterthur), J. Suter (AWEL, Zurich), H. Hulmann (City ofWinterthur), Scientists from EAWAG, PSI, University
Lausanne: The following actors will be represented: federal authorities SAEFL (Swiss Agency for the
Environment, Forests and Landscape), cantonal and communal authorities, society (concerned public),
science (waste management experts), consultants
(landfill planers).
Conference Board: Britt Marie Bertilsson
Location: Winterthur
Number of Participants: 50
M 15 Radioactive Waste – from transcontinental gridlock to transdisciplinary solution?
Alternative dispute resolving techniques like consensus groups, focus groups, etc. have been extensively
applied to the radioactivewaste field. Their outcome has been on the whole unsuccessful. The session will
explore possible common goals, prospects and favorableconditions including institutional structures and
participatory processes to get out of the seeming deadlock in managementof radioactive waste. With
the help of “transdisciplinary personalities”, the session might serve as an experiment of mediation
of the “second generation”.

Hosted by: ETH-UNS, in cooperation with representatives from Forum VERA, Gewaltfreie Aktion
Kaiseraugst (GAK), Greenpeace, and NAGRA
Organizers: Thomas Flüeler (ETH-UNS), Susan E. Pickett (Sociotechnics of Nuclear Engineering,
University of Tokyo)
Key Persons: natural and social scientists, engineers, as well as other experts from various countries
and of international reputation, implementers, nationaland local authorities, NGO representatives, and
local interest groups.
Conference Board: Johannes R. Randegger
Location: Zurich
Number of Participants: 100
M 16 Contaminated Soil – Soil remediation of heavy metal contaminated sites
In this mutual learning session the milestones and keypoints in a transdisciplinary remediation project shall
be defined from differentpoints of view (e.g. laws, interaction between research and practice, information
management). The main goal is to reflecton a case through participation of external experts and by means
of analyzing a successfully completed case. Analysis and comparisonof choosen cases shall provide to
improvement of the solution-finding process in similar contaminated sites.

Hosted by: Swissmetall AG Dornach (to be confirmed), in corporation with: Municipality Dornach,
Amt für Umweltschutz (AfU) Solothurn (to be confirmed),landowners association Dornach (to be confirmed),
SAEFL (Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape), ETH-ITÖ
Organizer: Joachim Sell and Stefan Hesske (ETH-UNS)
Key Persons: R. Schulin (ETH-ITÖ), Ch. Wenger, U. Ziegler SAEFL (Swiss Agency for the Environment,
Forests and Landscape), experts from the IP Boden,representatives of Swissmetal AG Dornach, AfU Solothurn,
Municipality Dornach, landowners of Dornach, and representatives of another case.
Conference Board: Roland W. Scholz / Florian Kaiser
Location: Dornach (near Basel)
Number of Participants: 30


Dynamics
M 17 Participation – towards integration of lay expertise in the debate on science and technological developments
Public opinion is increasingly critical of science and technology. Consequently, interest in participatory methods
for assessing scienceand technological related issues has considerably increased. To build effective
bridges between science, technology and society new participatory methods allowing for interaction between lay
people, experts, industry representatives and policymakershave been set up. This mutual learning
session will provide an opportunity to present and discuss various examples of such participatory
methods. Special emphasis will be given to their role in politics and other public, industrial or scientific domains.

Hosted by: Technology Assessment Programme of the Swiss Science Council (SSC-TA), Berne
Organizer: Danielle Bütschi (SSC-TA)
Key Persons: D. Büchel (Locher, Brauchbar & Partners, Basel), G. Dürrenberger (EAWAG, Dübendorf),
H.P.Meister (Institut für Organisationskommunikation, Bensheim), A. Habisch (Universität Eichstätt,
Center of Corporate Citizenship, Eichstätt) S. Joss (University of Westminster, London),
J. Mirenowicz (ICAST; Fribourg), M. Nentwich (Institute of Technology Assessment, Vienna,
to be confirmed), D. Bütschi (TA Programme of the Swiss Science Council, Berne), N.N (industry).
Conference Board: Pieter Leroy
Location: Zurich
Number of participants: 50
M 18 Intercultural learning – Mutual learning in a intercultural context: Swiss experiences of transdisciplinary research
partnerships with developing countries
Research partnership projects with developing countries have a long-standing tradition in participatory
approaches. These formindispensable tools because the research projects usually play an active role in the
overall development process. Therefore, it isessential to involve the beneficiaries/end-users in such projects
as far as possible in order to know their priorities and needs, andto easier disseminate and use the
research findings. In this session theoretic ideals of participatory approaches shall be compared
and examined with experiences and problems which arose within several case studies of North-South
research cooperation.

Hosted by: Swiss Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries (KFPE) of the
Conference of the Swiss Scientific Academies (CASS)
Organizer: Jon-Andri Lys (Executive Secretary, KFPE)
Key Persons: G. Cissé (CSRS, Côte d’Ivoire), M. Flury (IKAÖ, University of Berne), H. Hurni (KFPE, Berne),
E. Künzi, P. Messerli, (Project BEMA, Madagascar)J.-P. Sorg (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology),
M. Tanner (Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel), U. Wiesmann (Center for Development and Environment,
University Berne), N’Diekhor Yémadji (University of N’Djiaména, Chad), and other stakeholders from
southern and eastern partner institutions.
Conference Board: Sunita Kapila
Location: Zurich
Number of participants: 30


Fundamentals
M 19 Quality Criteria – Dialogue between sciences, literature and fine arts: in search of quality criteria of transdisciplinarity
In conventional disciplinary research, scientific communities have agreed upon the problem definitions and
quality criteriarelevant in their respective fields. In a transdisciplinary dialogue, however, these processes
are more complex. Therefore, we wouldlike to discuss the following questions: What is there to be learned
in and from a dialogue between science, literature and finearts? What do the different participants of the
dialogue expect? What do they get? How can this dialogue be optimized? How canwe define quality criteria for
transdisciplinary work (from the perspective of organizing institutions and from the perspective of
funding agencies)?

Hosted by: Collegium Helveticum, ETH Zurich
Organizer: Martina Weiss (Collegium Helveticum)
Key Persons: I. Camartin (writer, Zurich), C. Cugini (historian, Fellow Collegium Helveticum, Zurich),
J. Fehr (Collegium Helveticum, Zurich), M. Klein(Institute for New Media, Frankfurt), B. Kronauer
(writer, Hamburg), H. Nowotny (Collegium Helveticum, Zurich), H.-U. Obrist (curator, Paris), R. Ondàk
(artist, Bratislava), E. Ruhnau (Humanwissenschaftliches Zentrum, Ludwig-Maximilians-Univ. München),
M. Weiss (Collegium Helveticum, Zurich), and others.
Conference Board: Jürgen Mittelstrass
Location: Zurich
Number of Participants: 50
M 20 Theory and Implementation – Lessons from the practice of transdisciplinarity: implementation, obstacles,
case studies, evaluation
Transdisciplinarity can be defined as a scientific approach that maximizes solving of oriented problems for the
public good. However,each problem has its own specific characteristics. Large differences exist in
transdisciplinary research processes. Experiencein trans- and interdisciplinary projects has shown that it is
not enough to approach such tasks only pragmatically, without theoreticaland methodological
consciousness. This session will focus on theoretical and methodological aspects of the research
process, addressing such questions as “How can it be done best?” Participants will engage in collaborative
exploration of questionsof implementing and evaluating research processes.

Hosted by: Forum on Transdisciplinary Research
Organizer: Philipp W. Balsiger, Julie Thompson Klein
Key Persons: Dr. Rudolf Kötter, Interdisciplinary Institute for Philosophy and History of Science, University
of Erlangen Nuremberg (Germany), Prof. Bernard
Giovannini, University of Geneva, Prof. Julie Thompson Klein, Wayne State University, Detroit, USA.
Conference Board: Marie Céline Loibl
Location: Rapperswil (near Zurich)
Number of Participants: 45