Initiative for research on conflicting objectives in sustainable development

On 4 March, Uppsala University will inaugurate a new research institute aimed at identifying, analysing and navigating conflicting objectives in sustainable societal transition. The new institute, which has been named UUniCORN, has been set up on the initiative of Vice-Chancellor Anders Hagfeldt as part of Uppsala University’s ambition to be a more active partner in creating an ecologically, socially and economically sustainable society.

“To address many of the conflicting objectives that exist and arise in the endeavour to build a more sustainable society, we need to think in new ways. We need to listen to more voices and perspectives both within and beyond academia,” says Mats Målqvist, Professor of Global Health, who has been appointed director of the new institute.

The world today faces many challenges linked to climate change and other developments. Mass extinctions of plants and animals, the poisoning and loss of entire ecosystems, threaten the very conditions for human life. At the same time, there is increasing polarisation and insecurity in the world, driven by growing gaps in economic assets, power and opportunities.

“There are many solutions to each of these problems, but these different perspectives need to be put together side by side. Within UUniCORN we will approach the issues from multiple perspectives. We want to create a meeting place to discuss, try to understand and find ways to deal with the many conflicts that are both inherent in society and generated by attempts to meet the challenges.”

UUniCORN has established a collaboration with Uppsala Municipality within the framework of the existing partnership between the University and the municipality, and is actively working to build and be part of various local and global networks. According to Målqvist, so far there has been a lot of interest in the new institute and its focus on trying to understand and manage conflicting objectives.

“It’s very exciting that Uppsala University and the Vice-Chancellor are taking this initiative to create new ways and forms of working on sustainable development,” Målqvist says.

For the inauguration of UUniCORN, the University has invited Lisen Schultz from the Stockholm Resilience Centre and Mikael Kurkiala from the Church of Sweden as guest speakers. Other invited participants at the opening ceremony include Pella Thiel, author, Karin Tegmark Wisell, Sweden’s Ambassador for Global Health and Måns Nilsson, Director of the Stockholm Environment Institute.

For further information:

Mats Målqvist, Professor and Director of the Uppsala University Conflicting Objectives Research Nexus (UUniCORN), phone: +46 70 267 35 45, email: mats.malqvist@uu.se

About UUniCORN

UUniCORN is a platform for interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and trans-disciplinary research on conflicting objectives related to sustainablity transformations. The institute engages researchers from different disciplinary domains and non-academic stakeholders to move beyond siloed thinking by using transformative and co-created approaches.

Uppsala University Conflicting Objectives Research Nexus (UUniCORN) is the first of Uppsala University’s Future Institutes dedicated to advancing world-leading research on complex societal challenges through a transdisciplinary lens. Initiated by vice-chancellor Anders Hagfeldt, UUniCORN seeks to initiate, facilitate and conduct research on goal conflicts in sustainability transformations, and to contribute to societal transition through collaborative action.

The mission is to Re-Think, Re-Search and Re-Pair as an iterative process that emphasises a shift in values, thinking, and acting, moving us from a mindset of mere sustainability to one of (sustainable) transformation. Through co-created collaboration and collective action, UUniCORN aim to become a resource hub, conducting trans-disciplinary research and uniting tools, knowledge, and people to contribute to a lasting positive change.