Collaborate
Curious how you can collaborate with us? We have outlined several modes of collaboration and are keen to explore the opportunities with you.
Explore
You are facing complex issues in your field of policy but you don’t know where to start.
Engage
You are facing a complex issue in your field of policy that you would like to tackle. However, there are many other stakeholders that face this issue on an equally urgent timescale.
Lead
You are facing a complex issue in your field of policy and your organization is the key problem holder.
Explore
Understanding how complexity science works takes time and you need ample space to explore. This way of collaborating can take form through a concrete question you hold or take off from a more open-ended starting point. We will enable you to explore the field of complexity theory and get known with the methods that are used.
Outputs
- Intermediate understanding of complexity in the context of your policy field or concrete policy question
- Conceptual modelling of your policy question
As part of the initiative, we are actively disseminating knowledge about complexity theory. This is done through events, webinars, articles and workshops. The events focus on sustainability and health and are interdisciplinary. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn to keep up to date with upcoming events.
Go to the events page to see what is happening right now.
At the UvA Institute of Advanced Study we save a couple of seats for fellows. In this position you will immerse yourself in the institute and learn about complexity from various academic fields that converge here. We will challenge you to start your fellowship with a concrete quest and you will engage with peers through lectures, seminars and joint initiatives. Find out more about the fellowship program here.
Engage
In recognizing complexity we are seldomly the only stakeholder that faces a complex challenge. An interdisciplinary approach across stakeholder interests is often needed. We facilitate these participatory processes and invite you to step into a collaborative complexity lab with us. These trajectories can spring from within POLDER or you can be the spark that ignites a new adventure.
Outputs
- Advanced understanding of complexity in the context of your policy field or concrete policy question
- Qualitative or quantitative complexity modelling
- Policy simulation interface
A easy point of entry, to unravel the first layers of complexity, can be taken through a project with master students. As a policymaker you can pose your question to a group of students whom will apply complexity theory to shed light on your policy challenge. For more information we encourage you to reach out to the POLDER program manager
A first step to solving your complex policy question is by an intricate understanding of the problem. We facilitate participatory modelling sessions to help you understand the problem by using system thinking. This method helps to facilitate a shared understanding of the problem across stakeholder disciplines.
In order to tackle a complex challenge we bring together scientists and stakeholders into a research lab. During a set period we collaborate and dive into dynamics that are at play in the system. Through the POLDER methodology we work towards a comprehensive understanding of the system and enable the stakeholders to simulate potential policy interventions for their complex issue.
Lead
Though the field of stakeholders for a policy question can be dispersed, leadership is often needed to kickstart a research trajectory. We encourage stakeholders to step into a position of leadership and collaborate with us in unravelling complexity.
Outputs
- Better understanding of complexity in the context of your policy field or concrete policy question
- Quantitative modelling of your policy question
- Policy simulation interface
We start the lab from your concrete problem and work together to form a broader consortium of stakeholders. The research lab will depend on your determination to unravel your complex policy question. However, we will closely collaborate and face this challenge as a team.
Case example UMC
Previous partners
A wide range of projects have been carried out to date. From exploring the dynamics of school segregation in the municipality of Amsterdam to EV charging behavior in four major Dutch cities.
We work with public and private organizations that have complex policy issues. Through close collaboration, we guide our partners in understanding the complexity of their policy challenges.
