Accelerating societal transitions with MAK’IT
Since 2019, the Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of Montpellier, known as MAK'IT, has been hosting researchers from different geographical backgrounds and disciplines. Their goal is to contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by analyzing and accelerating the transition in the fields of the environment, health, and agriculture.
Around thirty researchers from foreign institutions have already participated or are currently participating in one of the four hosting programs offered byMAK'IT, the Institute for Advanced Studies (IEA) at the University of Montpellier, headed by Patrick Caron, Vice President for International Relations. There are currently around 100 IEA institutes worldwide, but only eight in France, located in Lyon, Paris, Marseille, Nantes, Cergy, Toulouse, Strasbourg, and Montpellier. "The first distinctive feature of MAK'IT is its thematic focus: the environment, health, and agriculture," explains Marianne Chaumel, project manager at Muse. "Our second distinctive feature is a strong orientation towards the 'South', where half of the researchers we host come from. Finally, we place great emphasis on dialogue between the social sciences and the life sciences."
The links between science and society at the heart of the approach
What do these researchers from different disciplines and continents have in common? They are all contributing to accelerating the transitions needed to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. With this goal in mind, MAK'IT offers resident researchers a unique approach: "We ask researchers to use their work to tackle societal controversies that may be causing obstacles to transition," explains Marianne Chaumel.
" The link between science and society is really at the heart of the approach, since their results must be applicable or transferable to civil society," continues the project manager. Thus, the organization by and for researchers of conferences, seminars, and public meetings bringing together actors from the socio-economic, political, associative, and artistic worlds is strongly encouraged, as is the deployment of educational content and innovative teaching programs. Since 2020 and the first MAK'IT events, the Institute's researchers have organized around ten events involving more than 70 speakers and 1,000 participants. MAK'IT was also involved in the Africa 2020 Season. MAK'IT offers four different formats for this approach, corresponding to the four host programs on offer.
"Visiting Scientists": a prestigious program
4D photoacoustic imaging of the heart and brain for American Craig Goergen; combating Chagas disease for Argentine Marcelo Lorenzo; camel milk technology and markets for Kazakh Gaukhar Konuspayeva; and the use of peri-urban land for Australian Roel Plant... Geographical and thematic diversity is the order of the day in the "Visiting Scientists" group. This is a 3- to 10-month hosting program reserved for "senior" researchers with at least 10 years of post-doctoral experience. "In this program, researchers must propose a cross-disciplinary project. They are integrated into the local scientific community, as each of them is invited by a unit that co-finances their visit," explains the project manager.
Six researchers are participating in this program for the 2021-2022 academic year, with the first representative from the Middle East coming from Lebanon. "In total, we received more than 200 applications, which shows the growing enthusiasm for this program," says Marianne Chaumel. The vast majority of the researchers currently participating in the program work in the field of biology and health. Next September, we will also welcome our first female researcher in physics."
"Cohort": group research
Second option: the "Cohort" program. This is a MAK'IT exclusive , offering a small group of researchers working in various fields the opportunity to spend six months working together on a theme chosen by MAK'IT. "Our first cohort worked on the theme 'Fake news or failing science?' and also took part in a Science Bar on this topic. The group we will be hosting between January and June 2023—the call for applications is currently open—will examine the question: 'What role does science play in times of crisis?'. MAK'IT, in collaboration with the South Center, an intergovernmental organization based in Geneva, is organizing an international conference on this same theme on April 7 in Montpellier, where several high-level international experts are expected to attend.
The researchers in the cohort, who are based in an open-plan office at Muse, will ultimately be required to produce at least one joint, cross-disciplinary publication. "With this program, they commit to working two days a week on this joint project, while the rest of their time can be devoted to advancing their personal research," explains Marianne Chaumel.
FIAS and CAT: the network moves forward
The FIAS program for French Institutes for Advanced Study, open to researchers in the humanities and social sciences, offers the same conditions as the "Visiting Scientists" program, namely a ten-month residency co-financed by a research structure at the University of Montpellier or its partners. The difference is that this program, shared by five French IEAs, is run by the French Network of IEAs (RFIEA). Of the 28 residencies offered in 2022-2023, three will take place in Montpellier. In 2021-2022, UM welcomed Margreet Zwarteveen from the UNESCO Water Center in Delft, Netherlands, and Myrtille Lacoste, a Franco-Australian researcher affiliated with Curtin University in Australia.
Finally, the CAT (Constructive Advanced Thinking) program is run by the European Network of IEA, called NetIAS. It offers existing transdisciplinary teams made up of young researchers (doctoral or postdoctoral students) the opportunity to spend short stays of one to two weeks at different European IEA. "Montpellier has already hosted two CAT groups for a week. The supervision here is very different; we organize visits and meetings with researchers in the Montpellier area, all related to the proposed theme, of course," explains Marianne Chaumel. Anti-vaccination attitudes and sustainable cities were on the agenda for 2021. The next groups to be welcomed will work on the role of light in human well-being and on depression in nursing homes.