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Realising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require transformative changes at micro, meso and macro levels and across diverse geographies. Collaborative, transdisciplinary research has a role to play in documenting, understanding and contributing to such transformations. Previous work has investigated the role of this research in Europe and North America, however the dynamics of transdisciplinary research on ‘transformations to sustainability’ in other parts of the world are less well-understood. This paper reports on an international project that involved transdisciplinary research in six different hubs across the globe and was strategically designed to enable mutual learning and exchange. It draws on surveys, reports and research outputs to analyse the processes of transdisciplinary collaboration for sustainability that took place between 2015–2019. The paper illustrates how the project was structured in order to enable learning across disciplines, cultures and contexts and describes how it also provided for the negotiation of epistemological frameworks and different normative commitments between members across the network. To this end, it discusses lessons regarding the use of theoretical and methodological anchors, multi-loop learning and evaluating emergent change (including the difficulties encountered). It offers insights for the design and implementation of future international transdisciplinary collaborations that address locally-specific sustainability challenges within the universal framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Fil: Pochettino, María Lelia. Laboratorio de Etnobotánica y Botánica Aplicada (LEBA). Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina Fil: Fernández, Valentina. Cátedra de Agroecología. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina Fil: Gargoloff, Agustina. Cátedra de Agroecología. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina Fil: Muscio, Luciana. Institutos de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Pequeña Agricultura Familiar (IPAF) Región Pampeana. INTA; Argentina Fil: Pérez, María Laura. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina Fil: González Espinoza, Lucía. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina Fil: Bonicatto, María Margarita. Cátedra de Agroecología. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina Fil: Pérez, Maximiliano. Institutos de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Pequeña Agricultura Familiar (IPAF) Región Pampeana. INTA; Argentina Fil: Cremaschi, Almendra. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina Fil: Barreto, Eliana. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina Fil: May, María Paula. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina Fil: Cababié, Javier. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina Fil: Marasas, Mariana Edith. Cátedra de Agroecología. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina

Formalised knowledge systems, including universities and research institutes, are important for contemporary societies. They are, however, also arguably failing humanity when their impact is measured against the level of progress being made in stimulating the societal changes needed to address challenges like climate change. In this research we used a novel futures-oriented and participatory approach that asked what future envisioned knowledge systems might need to look like and how we might get there. Findings suggest that envisioned future systems will need to be much more collaborative, open, diverse, egalitarian, and able to work with values and systemic issues. They will also need to go beyond producing knowledge about our world to generating wisdom about how to act within it. To get to envisioned systems we will need to rapidly scale methodological innova-tions, connect innovators, and creatively accelerate learning about working with intractable challenges. We will also need to create new funding schemes, a global knowledge commons, and challenge deeply held assumptions. To genuinely be a creative force in supporting longevity of human and non-human life on our planet, the shift in knowledge systems will probably need to be at the scale of the enlightenment and speed of the scientific and technological revolution accompanying the second World War. This will require bold and strategic action from governments, scientists, civic society and sustained transformational intent.