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VISION AND MISSION
Centre launches new vison and mission
Kräftriket and the offices of Stockholm Resilience Centre. Photo: C. Helander/Azote
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Updated statements to reflect a new era for the centre and its research
UPDATING OUR WHY, WHAT AND HOW: The centre has adopted new vision and mission statements to provide updated clarity about the aspirations, purpose and focus of the organization’s research, education and engagement efforts.
The statements are the result of months of discussions among the centre leadership, staff and the communications team.
We have had a really strong and good vision and mission for many years, but we wanted to develop it a bit further to reflect how the centre and the field of sustainability science have developed during the last decade.
Line Gordon, centre director
Aspirations, purpose and focus
In short, the mission is the “what” and the “how” and the vision is the “why.”
The centre’s new vision reads:
Our vision is a thriving and resilient Biosphere that enables well-being for all.
It focuses on our long-term aspirations and the wider impact which the centre ultimately wants to contribute to.
The mission statement, on the other hand, focuses on the centre’s core purpose, focus, and key objectives:
Our mission is to
• advance the scientific understanding of the complex, dynamic interactions of people and nature in the Biosphere,
• train the next generation of sustainability researchers and leaders
• engage in collaborations with change agents
Work principles
The new vision and mission statements are accompanied by a set of underlying principles, as well as a collection of values and practices that guide the work culture:
Our work is based upon the principles:
• people and nature are deeply intertwined, co-evolve, and behave as complex adaptive systems
• many patterns, processes and dynamics of the Anthropocene are novel and must be better understood
• Biosphere stewardship can enable transformation towards resilient, sustainable, and just futures
Organizational values and practices that define our working culture:
• scientific rigor and integrity underpin all our work
• a collaborative, trust-based and creative working culture enables us to achieve impact
• learning, experimentation and reflection are promoted in all our activities
• diversity, inclusion, and care are principles championed across the organization
Lisen Schultz, deputy director of transdisciplinarity and responsible for the organisational development of the centre, explains why these principles, values and practices are important:
“Over the years we have experimented with how to create the best conditions for collaboration across disciplines, and we have come to realize that it is about trust, mutual understanding, respect, diversity and inclusion – that is the key to our success,”, she says.
A generational shift
The centre values are also aligned with the Magna Charta Universitatum agreement: autonomy, academic freedom, equity and integrity; as well as the core values of Stockholm University: openness, innovation and a willingness to cross boundaries.
While updating the vision and mission, adjustments are also made to the research themes at the centre. A shift in focus along with changes in the management of the themes reflects a generational shift currently taking place at the centre.
The new themes will be launched more in detail during the autumn of 2020.
