WINS Mission
Sustainability of interlinked social, ecological and technical systems crucially depends on whether they are regularized by appropriate institutions and governance structures. It is, therefore, important to shed light on the complexity and diversity which characterize such interlinked systems. This is urgent in view of persistent global food problems, increasing scarcity of natural resources, growing degradation of the environment and the future challenges societies face due to climate change and energy insecurity. However, such a study of sustainable social-ecological systems will not gain momentum unless there is an intense exchange and mutual learning between scholars of different disciplines.
The mission of The Berlin Workshop in Institutional Analysis of Social-Ecological Systems (WINS) is to advance communication between academic communities (economists, political scientists, geographers, sociologists, anthropologists, psychologists, and others) that study the role of institutions and governance structures in social-ecological systems and their transformation. It is an open platform for both advanced and young scholars to work symbiotically. WINS is based at Humboldt University's Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys). The overarching scholarly aim is to facilitate the accumulation of knowledge and the development of new, interdisciplinary and problem-oriented analytical theories and methods, bridging the multiplicity of approaches that have been established over time. Integrative discourses, interdisciplinary research and an advanced studies program will serve as conduits towards this goal. The ultimate purpose is to strengthen policy making through enhanced dialogue with practitioners and stakeholders.
WINS Inception Workshop on the 16th of July, 2014:
Click here for Background Documents related to the foundation of WINS