Transfer and Research
A central field of action for the partners of the Bonn Alliance is the transfer of knowledge, innovation and technology from research to practice. The practice of knowledge transfer from academia to other contexts is often anchored in a range of research approaches, concepts and programs. Cooperation with the private sector, industry, policy-makers and the general public is central to such transfer activities. This collaborative approach also serves to strengthen the awareness of those involved in practical development of their need for the findings of research and helps researchers to incorporate feedback from practitioners. Transfer projects also provide the opportunity to involve researchers and those from the practical sectors to collaborate in the generation of knowledge.
The process of Citizen Science enables direct collaboration between researchers and interested members of the general public. The partners involved in this approach work together through exchange platforms and various interaction formats to develop questions of shared interest into which they conduct research.
The Hochschule Bonn-Rhein Sieg, University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS) has developed transfer-oriented teaching and research as a hallmark of its activities. H-BRS takes a range of approaches to the realization of transfer in its teaching activities, including cooperation with several partners outside academia, thereby maximizing the benefits for all involved. External partners profit from their involvement with H-BRS through access to resources for the solution of various problems and generation of innovations. In turn, the teaching program at H-BRS benefits from interaction with major stakeholders of civil society, which provides a context in which students can apply their theoretical knowledge and hone their problem-solving skills.
Citizen Science seeks to enable two-way knowledge transfer between academia and local citizens. The latter are accorded the opportunity to work together with researchers in the development of questions, the collection of data and even its analysis and application. CitizenLabs have been established as platforms of exchange focusing on various topics and interactive formats. They combine scientific, technical and socially-relevant questions relating to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The Sustainable Cycles program run by the United Nations University in Bonn focuses on the development of sustainable products, the disposal of equipment of every-day use (such as electronic devices) and the promotion of sustainable consumption and resource allocation. The program develops and disseminates practical, science-based recommendations to the United Nations and its organizations, governments, researchers, industries and the general public. It also provides a range of teaching, continued professional development and skills-development services.
