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In this article we explore the role of universities in the context of the Anthropocene and of emerging transitions to sus-tainability and how they can contribute to transformative, sustainable change through knowledge and learning. [Extracted from the article]

The higher education sector is working to prepare its graduates for the difficult transitions to sustainability that are now upon us. The purpose of this theme issue is to examine what might be the future roles of universities and higher education generally in promoting both the flexibilities of cross disciplinarity and the excitement of cooperative action with governments, businesses, and society in creating meaningful and progressive transitions to sustainability. On Leadership Leadership in higher education has traditionally been measured in terms such as international rankings, Nobel laureates on the faculty, outplacement of students, achievements of alumni, tuition levels, faculty salaries, published articles, patents and other research achievements, and endowments. [Extracted from the article]

• Contribute with empirical data revealing the profile of inter- and transdisciplinary researchers in the scientific community. • Explain how thinking outside the disciplinary box can challenge identity and contribute to the future of scientific inquiry. • Question inter- and transdisciplinary academic training. • Expose the challenges associated with the academic progression based on Inter- and transdisciplinary research. We witness a persistent tension between established ways of knowledge production through disciplines, and the urgent need to widen and change, both the production of knowledge and its organization, not least, in order to be able to understand and address the future and its challenges. Witnessing a growing call for inter- and transdisciplinarity (ITD), we set our goal to learn more about scholars who engage in this kind of research by asking these questions: What characterizes inter- and transdisciplinary researchers (ITDRs)? To what extent do these characteristics help ITDRs deal with the challenges of an academic career path? We address both questions by comparing the findings from the relevant literature and semi-structured interviews with ITDRs at different stages in their careers. Our results bring the ITDR personality a step further in taking a form. ITDR personalities can be characterized by a particular mix of motivations, attitudes, skills, and behaviors. However, the academic environment and its career paths do not seem prepared and adapted for such ITDR personalities. Furthermore and in contrast to the literature, the T-shaped training (first, disciplinary depth and then, ITDR) is considered one possible career path, with the other one being a specialization in facilitating knowledge integration and in developing theories, methods, and tools for ITD. Our analysis concludes by exploring the future of ITD if formal training and learning would be available and if the contextual conditions would be more conducive to undertaking this type of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]