Uta Wehn new professor by special appointment for Citizen Science and Sustainability
As of 1 December 2024, Uta Wehn is professor by special appointment of the chair 'Citizen Science and Sustainability' within the Focal Area Engagement and Inclusion at the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) at Leiden University. The new chair has been established jointly by CWTS and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education.
First of all, congratulations on your appointment! Could you tell us more about the new special chair on Citizen Science and Sustainability?
"Thank you, I feel honoured to be appointed! In general, there is increasing interest from science, policy and societal actors in citizen science and its role in sustainability. Citizen science has become an umbrella term, there are all kinds of 'shapes and sizes' of citizen science. In its different forms and different ways, citizen science has the potential to help promote conservation, efficiency, and (intergenerational) equity to create a more balanced and harmonious relationship between people and the natural world. CWTS and IHE Delft share a strong interest in the so-called 'science-society-policy interface' and the role of citizen science and open science, with IHE Delft specifically focusing on these topics in the context of sustainability. To advance the application and the deeper understanding of how citizen science can support sustainability, CWTS and IHE Delft have created this professorship on Citizen Science and Sustainability."
You have been active in citizen science for many years. What stands out for you?
"I have been leading complex multi-stakeholder Action Research projects and research on citizen science for 1.5 decades now. Citizen science is now acknowledged (e.g. by the recent UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science) as integral for engaging societal actors in open, inclusive, and participatory processes of knowledge creation and application. At the same time, it is clear that expectations of citizen science as a panacea for sustainability are difficult to deliver on. The 'science of citizen science' must not turn into yet another silo. To better understand citizen science and its contribution to sustainability, we need to draw on and combine various fields and types of expertise (e.g. science & technology studies, behavioural science, political science and sustainability science) rather than reinvent the wheel. "
"At the core of citizen science are people - citizens and communities but also other key stakeholders such as scientists, authorities, and policy-makers."
The new chair will focus on Citizen Science and Sustainability. What does this include?
"At the core of citizen science are people - citizens and communities but also other key stakeholders such as scientists, authorities, and policy-makers. The purpose of this professorship is to understand the behavioural dynamics of stakeholder collaborations and (new) constellations in data and knowledge co-creation across science, society and policy for transparent and democratic governance of natural resources and ecosystems. This will contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the dynamics and challenges of leveraging different forms of citizen science for sustainable practices."
How will the new chair connect to other activities at Leiden University?
"This professorship is positioned within the Engagement & Inclusion Focal Area at CWTS, which focuses on understanding and creating a more diverse, inclusive, and engaging science ecosystem and the engagement of societal actors in scientific knowledge production. It will help to bring together and create synergies among diverse existing expertise within this Focal Area, such as the Citizen Science lab, hosted at CWTS. The focus of this professorship will provide complementary insights for the UNESCO Chair on Diversity and Inclusion in Global Science, which aims to foster diversity in research with a focus on research contents. I also look forward to exploring thematic connections with existing professorships at Leiden University that focus on environmental governance intending to balance conservation efforts and livelihoods of communities, and on water, transboundary and marine environments in the Global South."
What will change for you in this new position?
"I am already collaborating with colleagues at CWTS on a project basis (e.g. the Horizon Europe CitiObs project) and via participation in the Citizen Science NL network which is co-led by colleagues based at CWTS. I really look forward to collaborating with CWTS colleagues on joint PhD supervision in ongoing and future projects and to engaging in the focal area activities. It will be exciting to join forces in our respective Open Science activities at national and international levels and relevant policy fora."