Going for big solutions, but with both feet on the ground. This is what professor Darren McCauley (41) exemplifies. In his research at Erasmus University Rotterdam, he focuses on climate and energy issues in a just world. “Only by working together can we address major societal challenges such as climate change, migration, and poverty.”
McCauley refers in particular to collaboration between different disciplines. ‘Looking beyond your own perspective’: it is something that’s in his genes. It possibly has something to do with his roots in Northern Ireland. “As a Northern Irishman, you are neither English nor Irish. You live between two worlds, as it were. Maybe that explains my urge to bring different interests together.” In any case, it’s an attitude he likes to present to his students. “First you have to agree on the problem. Then you look at the problem from all possible angles. If you succeed — if you learn to look through different glasses — you will come up with new solutions”.
Interactions
McCauley sees that these new kinds of solutions are desperately needed. “We are facing major challenges that we cannot solve with existing models and ways of thinking. I think that’s why I like the combination of research and teaching so much. Teaching inspires research, and research inspires teaching. In my interactions with students, I can test my ideas, and at the same time I get new ideas through this interaction! I think that is a fantastic interaction.” The current COVID-19 pandemic proves, according to McCauley, how much we need to learn to look at this type of problem again. “Simply because there is no ready-made solution for this kind of problem yet. That requires out-of-the-box thinking. You can’t solve today’s problems with yesterday’s answers.”
Open-minded
Erasmus University Rotterdam is leading the way in stimulating this way of thinking, according to McCauley. It is one of the reasons why, after his Senior Lectureship at the University of St. Andrews (Scotland), he chose a chair in Rotterdam, at Management of International Social Challenges (MISoC). “Rotterdam is a big city that has to deal with various social challenges. I think it’s great that Rotterdam looks further afield in the search for solutions: regionally, nationally and internationally. Rotterdammers are nice. They are easy to get to work with, enjoy working together and are openminded.” McCauley also praises that attitude among his students. “I don’t tell my students what the solution is. I want them to find out how to approach a problem.” That attitude, according to McCauley, creates freedom to come to your own, sometimes very original, solution. As a result, ESSB students are already used to working with other professionals. They are used to approaching a problem from different angles. Professionals who can do that may be able to offer new solutions to current problems, McCauley predicts.
Norway and Russia
McCauley himself searches for solutions in the climate and energy transition. How can we make a global and equitable transition from fossil fuels to sustainable solutions? The research focuses on the interaction between security, justice, and sustainability. How do these themes relate to policy and society? “I prefer to work in different parts of the world,” says McCauley. “I have done research projects from Malawi and Uganda to Southeast Asia. Since 2015, I have been working on research in the Arctic. I am researching policy development in the field of climate and energy transition in Norway and Russia. A unique opportunity, because 70% of the Arctic is Russian, and that’s just less accessible for researchers.” McCauley’s success is due to the links between St. Andrews University in Scotland and the Moscow State Institute in Russia. Both universities are involved in the Arctic Research Centre, a five-year research project to assess the environmental impact of energy infrastructure development in the Arctic. Here too, it’s no longer a surprise: under McCauley’s leadership, different perspectives come together.
Darren McCauley is part of the strategic pillar Global Social Challenges.
- Professor