She knows she has a special role as a researcher, given that she’s “so close” to the subject: As far as she is concerned, objective observation alone does not lead to the necessary changes towards greater sustainability; it must always be combined with a normative approach. If you work in this area, she says, you can’t help but be an engaged researcher. For, as a researcher, she sees herself under an obligation not only to the taxpayer, but “to humanity in general”: in other words, “to do research that is socially relevant and really contributes to the changes that we so urgently need”.
Flexible minds needed
She considers it wrong to rely only on objectifiable observations (and correspondingly simplified solutions), even though the myth of the independent, neutral analyst can of course also open doors, with local governments being one example. You sense that a lot is happening in this “area”, not only in terms of content but also methodologically, and that Zähringer has therefore probably landed in exactly the right place: In order to tackle the social and ecological challenges of the 21st century, science needs to reorient itself, somewhere between the generation of hard facts and political engagement. This requires flexible minds like Zähringer, who are visibly opposed to thinking along conventional lines.
* Roland Fischer is a research journalist and has written this contribution on behalf of SCNAT.