Workshop "Working within political contexts"

[PhD Program] March 12-17, 2013

Twenty-five doctoral students from FSC and ZEF, attended a five-day seminar titled: “Working within political contexts: strategies and methods for implementation-oriented research” from March 12 – 17, 2013 in Berlin.

The central question of the workshop was: How should a research project be organized so that it can make an effective contribution to food security, i.e., how can the results unfold in a way that they have both social relevance and a practical application? It became clear to the young scientists that future success of a project is determined at the very beginning. In order to increase the acceptance of a project and its results, stakeholders must be integrated from the start. For this purpose, a transparent and ongoing exchange is necessary.

In addition, the seminar illuminated the role and responsibility of scientists in the field of policy consulting. In small groups, the PhD students analyzed relevant actors, exemplified through various PhD projects, and developed appropriate strategies for cooperation and participation. In training sessions the communication was practiced with real stakeholder representatives. Therefore meetings with politicians and lobbyist were organized and the PhD students visited the Bundestag. In short presentations hold for members of parliament, the results of their communication training were applied in practice. Furthermore, the BMZ and GIZ were visited while in Berlin. The following topics were covered in the workshop:

• working with political, public and civil-society stakeholders
• political implications of scientific work
• strategies and tools for communication
• cooperation and participation
• profiling the own research case
• cases of cross-sectional governance
• creating an elevator pitch of the own research project to relevant stakeholders