Publication New framework published for linking research and teaching to strengthen societal impact
How can universities systematically integrate transformative competencies into existing degree programmes? Dr Nicole Aeschbach addresses this question in a Perspective article published in the Nature Portfolio journal npj Climate Action. The paper presents a framework that connects research, teaching, and learning in ways that further strengthen the role of higher education as a space for science-based reflection and empowerment in the context of societal transformation.
“I developed the framework through an iterative process in which theory-building and practical implementation continuously informed one another,” the author explains. In research and teaching projects at the Institute of Geography and at the Heidelberg School of Education (HSE), Nicole Aeschbach worked step by step with colleagues to design learning settings centred on climate change and sustainability, in which disciplinary content and methods are closely interwoven with the concept of transformative literacy. “We understand transformative literacy as a set of competencies that enables people to play an active role in shaping the present and the future,” the author says.
At the heart of the framework are integrative learning elements that link three approaches: transdisciplinary research, research-oriented teaching, and transformative learning. The model offers inspiration for researchers, teaching staff, and those involved in curriculum and educational development who seek to design learning formats that empower students to relate scientific knowledge to current transformation processes and to reflect on their future responsibilities in professional and societal contexts. In the publication, Nicole Aeschbach illustrates her conceptual considerations through concrete examples, including the project Transformative Environmental Research (TrafU), which she leads at the Institute of Geography.
Nicole Aeschbach is Senior Scientist in the 3DGeo Research Group at Heidelberg University’s Institute of Geography and research associate at the Heidelberg School of Education. She has received the university’s award for digital teaching, a fellowship from the Stifterverband and the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg, as well as a heiSKILLS fellowship for Open Educational Resources.
Publication:
Aeschbach, N. Fostering transformative climate action through the integration of transdisciplinary research and university teaching. npj Clim. Action 5, 32 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44168-026-00360-8