At the end of April 2024, we had the opportunity to get together as a network in Leuven to get to know the project organization and reflect together on the establishment of the project and to take time as DCs of the network to exchange ideas about the upcoming field research and shared experiences.
On the first day, in a mid-term meeting planned by KU Leuven, in particular Katrien Pype and Erin Quigley, the DCs were present in addition to Katrien Pype, and all PIs of the project and some other network partners also took part in the meeting online and offline. After a round of introductions in which the PIs and the network partners briefly explained their work, all DCs had the opportunity to present not only themselves but also their previous work and the specific research project in a presentation throughout the day.
The great diversity of the DCs in terms of their basic training and previous experience in the field and the different perspectives that they bring to the project are special. The DCs altogether combine knowledge from the fields of sociology, philosophy, climate science, forest management, anthropology, gender studies, film-making, diverse forms of activism, climate activism, graphic design, work experiences in different areas etc. The resulting rich archive of prior knowledge was already perceived as an opportunity in the various discussion rounds of the project in general and in the self-organized reading circles of the DCs and came to the fore once again in the presentations.
It became clear that despite the different research foci and different prior knowledge, there was already a shared passion for a reflective view of the world and a shared interest in social engagement during the preparation phase. Thanks to the lively exchange and the wide range of courses offered by the project network, such as the Anthropology in the Anthropocene course at Uppsala University, the Techno-Fix course at the University of Catania, the ETROD series at the University of Halle and the series of lectures on digital ethnography organized by the KU Leuven for the C-urge project, common foundations have already been laid in theory formation that will enable further cooperation after the field research. The close contact of the DCs in various ways and through learning circles has further enriched this form of joint and collaborative reflection.
As a result, the mid-term meeting in Leuven was not only an opportunity to get to know each other better, but also an important building block for close cooperation within the project network. Because even if the next step is now the more isolated time of individual field research, the network of the C-Urge project offers the opportunity to further establish reflection and thinking as a common and shared act.
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