Based on a vivid conference in 2015, I delved together with Tobias Haller, University of Bern, into a long process for an edited book. It was published in March 2020 as Tobias Haller and Claudia Zingerli (eds.). 2020. Towards Shared Research: Participatory and Integrative Approaches in Researching African Environments. It provides two framework papers and a collection of four original articles addressing African environmental and policy contexts and researchers’ approaches to deal with and overcome challenges in intercultural, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research. Towards Shared Research portrays how scholars from different disciplinary and geographical origins and at various academic career stages strive for a more inclusive and better understanding of knowledge about African environments. The book is addressed to researchers, facilitators and policy-makers to make a case for participatory and integrative approaches resulting in systemic and co-created analyses.

In 2018 and 2019, I supported the Section Innovation of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) in the elaboration of the new Research Concept Environment 2021-2024, which is an annex of the Dispatch on the promotion of Education, Research and Innovation. I prepared and facilitated the retreat of the Consultative Group for Environmental Research of FOEN and provided editing advice for the Research Concept Environment. A special focus of the facilitation was on identifying and formulating cross-sectoral research topics to address key challenges of sustainable development of Switzerland.

A lot of my learning for knowledge management happened in the exchange and deep reflection and collaboration with my colleagues of the saguf-Working Group Knowledge Sharing between Science and Practice (2003–2015), led by Dr. Patricia Fry. The principles that shape(d) our approach include communication competence, constructive working relations, openness towards outcome and output, time and mindful facilitation.

As coordinator, lecturer and facilitator of the CCES Winter School «Science Meets Practice» (2010–2014) at the Competence Center of Environment and Sustainability of the ETH domain I had the chance to combine and enlarge my specialised knowledge in environmental policy, inter- and transdisciplinary research and knowledge production with methods of knowledge management. Doctoral and post-doc participants of the CCES Winter School (today td-Lab Winter School) are being introduced to interfaces of science and practice and can design and experience processes of knowledge sharing themselves.