RDI Lecture Series in 2014: Resilience Encompasses Multi-Discipline Approach
RDI organized its final two invited lecture series in 2014, featuring Dr. Arnim Wiek and Ms. Katja Brundiers in December. In total, RDI hosted 17 invited lecture series in 2014, featuring inspirational researchers and practitioners from both Indonesia and abroad, including countries such as the Netherlands, UK, France, Malaysia, USA, Germany, and Switzerland.
For the last invited lecture series of 2014, held on December 15th, Dr. Arnim Wiek shared his extensive research experience. Dr. Wiek, an Associate Professor in the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University, USA, leads the Sustainability Transition and Intervention Research Lab. His research spans resource governance, urban development, climate change, and public health in various countries, including the USA, Canada, several European countries, and Costa Rica.
During this lecture, he conveyed his expertise in conducting solution-oriented research to Indonesian academicians, researchers, and students. He emphasized that research should extend beyond problem analysis and encompass the development of solutions. In his interactive lecture titled "How Research Can Help Develop Sustainable Solutions for Water Problems," Dr. Wiek engaged the audience, illustrating the research paradigm of finding practical solutions to challenges.
He stressed that water management problems in Indonesia should be examined comprehensively, from upstream to downstream causality, to address root causes effectively. He provided examples of how conventional solutions often create more problems or offer short-term fixes. Overall, this lecture provided valuable insights into how solution-oriented research can address complex water-related issues, combining systemic analysis, vision building, and strategy development for sustainable water governance.
Katja Brundiers, a PhD student from Arizona State University, US, presented her fieldwork research conducted in Aceh during another RDI invited lecture series on December 17th, 2014. This marked her second appearance as a guest lecturer for RDI. She shared her research background in post-disaster recovery, inspired by experiences in Honduras and Greenburgh, where opportunities were harnessed to recover from devastating disasters.
Katja's research focused on how Acehnese and New Zealanders seized opportunities to rebound from disasters. She conducted interviews with various stakeholders engaged in post-disaster recovery in Aceh, including government entities, INGOs, local NGOs, the private sector, and community organizations across Bandung, Jakarta, Aceh, Banda Aceh, and Yogyakarta.
Her research uncovered the importance of building trust with local stakeholders, identifying available resources for recovery activities, and investing time in collaborative project planning and processes. She observed that many post-disaster recovery evaluations were conducted by external organizations rather than involving the affected community or local governments. Katja also noted that Acehnese people lacked a clear vision of sustainable goals following the 2004 earthquake and tsunami disaster.
In summary, RDI's Invited Lecture series highlighted the need for interdisciplinary approaches to enhance resilience for sustainable development. Long-term thinking and planning were identified as crucial elements in promoting and ensuring sustainability.
