Sustainable Development in Science Policy-Making: The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research's Policies for International Cooperation in Sustainability Research

Anna Schwachula

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Sustainable Development in Science Policy-Making

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research's Policies for International Cooperation in Sustainability Research

Anna Schwachula

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2023

Published by

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About this book

New knowledge, created in international cooperation, is essential for global sustainability. Set against this background, this study focuses on German science policy for research cooperation with developing countries and emerging economies in sustainability research. Based on interviews with policy makers and researchers, the book scrutinizes the actors, processes and contents of science policy in Germany. The author argues that science policy mainly aims at German economic benefits and technology development. This, however, negatively influences global sustainability. To counter existing path dependencies, the author provides recommendations for sustainability-oriented scientific practice and science policy.

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Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	1
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	5
Acknowledgements Open Access Download PDF	11
List of abbreviations Open Access Download PDF	13
List of boxes, figures and tables Open Access Download PDF	19
1 Introduction
1.1 Shedding light on German science policy for cooperation with developing countries and emerging economies Open Access Download PDF	21
1.2 Sustainable development as normative background Open Access Download PDF	25
1.3 Contributions to scientific literature Open Access Download PDF	27
1.4 Analytical structure and outline of the chapters Open Access Download PDF	29
2 Science in the context of sustainable development
2.1 Science for a cause? Between impact and autonomy Open Access Download PDF	33
2.2 Science policy and society Open Access Download PDF	35
2.3 Concepts of (sustainable) development Open Access Download PDF	40
2.4 Science, innovation and (sustainable) development Open Access Download PDF	46
3 Discourse analysis in a policy setting
3.1 The Sociology of Knowledge Approach to Discourse for policy analysis Open Access Download PDF	61
3.2 The Sociology of Knowledge Approach to Discourse in empirical research Open Access Download PDF	64
4 Research design and methodology
4.1 Scientific model and approach Open Access Download PDF	77
4.2 Research design Open Access Download PDF	78
4.3 Data collection and sampling Open Access Download PDF	79
4.4 Fieldwork Open Access Download PDF	82
4.5 Data analysis Open Access Download PDF	84
4.6 Reflections on my position as a researcher Open Access Download PDF	86
5 Public funding for international research cooperation in Germany
5.1 Research funders for cooperation with developing countries and emerging economies Open Access Download PDF	93
5.2 The BMBF as funder of international research cooperation Open Access Download PDF	100
5.3 International funding initiatives in FONA Open Access Download PDF	105
6 Practices of policy production between structural frames, strategies and spaces of agency
6.1 Structures and agency in the process of discourse actualisation in science policy Open Access Download PDF	109
6.2 Following a beaten track: Discourse reproduction Open Access Download PDF	118
6.3 Policy makers as change agents Open Access Download PDF	123
7 Friends and foes in science policy
7.1 Defending the turf: Ministries as political entities Open Access Download PDF	129
7.2 Cooperation countries: From objects of policy to partners in policy making Open Access Download PDF	139
7.3 Discourse coalitions Open Access Download PDF	143
7.4 Power in discourse production Open Access Download PDF	158
7.5 A self-reinforcing equilibrium in science policy Open Access Download PDF	161
8 The heart of German science policy – and its green lungs
8.1 The heart and soul of science policy Open Access Download PDF	165
8.2 The green lungs: Sustainability as a new discourse in science policy Open Access Download PDF	172
8.3 Translating the discursive leitmotif into discourses of international cooperation and sustainability Open Access Download PDF	180
8.4 Policy rationales as elements of political identity and symbols of difference Open Access Download PDF	192
8.5 Problematizing German interest Open Access Download PDF	196
9 Objectives and expectations of the IWRM and Megacities funding initiatives
9.1 Deviating expectations in different funding initiatives of the Sustainability Subdepartment Open Access Download PDF	199
9.2 Policy expectations and mode of science Open Access Download PDF	216
9.3 High expectations, low conceptualisation Open Access Download PDF	228
10 Policy effects – coining realities
10.1 Effects of policy on projects: Monitoring as a strategy for stabilizing discourse Open Access Download PDF	233
10.2 Projects between the influence of policy and rooms of adaptation Open Access Download PDF	239
10.3 Project practice: Subversion or compliance? Open Access Download PDF	250
11 Conclusions
11.1 Discourse stability and discourse change Open Access Download PDF	255
11.2 The BMBF’s sustainability concept vs. global sustainable development Open Access Download PDF	262
11.3 Global development as opportunity for German science policy Open Access Download PDF	267
11.4 Further research questions Open Access Download PDF	274
Appendices
Appendix A-1: Overview of data collected in interviews and from participant observation Open Access Download PDF	277
Appendix A-2: Overview of interview partners Open Access Download PDF	279
Appendix A-3: Example of guidelines used for a semistructured interview Open Access Download PDF	286
Appendix A-4: Example of coverpage and first page of transcription of a semi-structured interview Open Access Download PDF	288
Appendix A-5: Exemplary page of fieldnotes Open Access Download PDF	291
Appendix A-6: Extract from list of codes Open Access Download PDF	292
Appendix B-1: Developing countries and emerging economies with bilateral science, technology and innovation cooperation agreements with Germany Open Access Download PDF	293
Appendix B-2: Overview of main BMBF funding measures for cooperation with developing countries and emerging economies Open Access Download PDF	294
Appendix B-3a: Overview over types of applied project outcomes in the IWRM funding priority Open Access Download PDF	297
Appendix B-3b: Overview over types of applied project outcomes in the Megacities funding initiative Open Access Download PDF	300
Bibliography Open Access Download PDF	303

Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

October 21, 2019

eBook ISBN:

9783839448823

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

Main content:

346

Illustrations:

3

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783839448823

eBook ISBN: 9783839448823

Audience(s) for this book

For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research

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BY 4.0

Sustainable Development in Science Policy-Making

Overview

About this book

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Table of contents

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