Economic and Social Considerations for the Future of Nuclear Energy in Society

ECOSENS Panel Sparks Critical Dialogue on Transdisciplinarity in Nuclear Research at EASST/4S Conference 2024

May 6, 2025 | news

At the EASST/4S 2024 conference in Amsterdam, the ECOSENS panel titled “Transdisciplinary Sensibilities in Investigating Nuclear Research and Innovation” gathered over 25 participants for two thought-provoking sessions. Chaired by two ESOSENS researchers, Susan Molyneux-Hodgson and Robbe Geysmans, the panel featured diverse presentations ranging from civil society engagement in radioactive waste programs to innovative socio-technical integration practices and consent-based siting processes in the U.S. Discussions highlighted institutional power imbalances, the complexity of achieving true inter/transdisciplinarity, and the role of trust and uncertainty in nuclear collaboration. A dynamic group discussion followed, critically examining the instrumentalization of transdisciplinarity and advocating for meaningful, sustainable, and context-sensitive collaborative approaches within the nuclear sector. The short report is available online.

 

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