Generating and disseminating environmental knowledge from the Global South

At a time when the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent both a challenge and a call to action, there is an urgent need to address the global crisis threatening human existence and the environment. This urgency requires an ethical commitment from the scientific community to collaborate and advance the knowledge needed to address these critical issues. To do so, it is essential to understand how knowledge is generated, particularly in the context of SDG 10, which focuses on reducing inequalities within and among countries.

This international seminar aims to shed light on an often-overlooked inequality: the disparity in how knowledge is produced and disseminated, particularly in the Global South and non-English-speaking contexts. Our goal is to foster a rich discussion, share experiences and research advances on interdisciplinary topics related to sustainable development, critical studies, the social sciences and humanities, science and technology studies (STS), and other critical findings from the Global South.

The seminar will focus on identifying barriers and critical issues in the publication process within major academic networks, such as Web of Science (WOS) journals, particularly for researchers from non-English-speaking backgrounds. We aim to explore opportunities for the Global South to contribute unique perspectives, topics, and concepts rooted in a legitimate otherness.

This event is co-organized by the Montpellier Advanced Knowledge Institute on Transitions (MAK’IT, University of Montpellier) and UMR SENS – Knowledge, Environment, Societies (CIRAD, IRD, University of Montpellier Paul-Valéry). It is organized in collaboration with the IGU Global Understanding Commission, ANID (Chilean Agency for Research and Development), and the Department of Geography at the University of Chile.