IAFOR’s work in the social sciences and sustainability lies at the heart of its mission to encourage interdisciplinary activity, heighten intercultural awareness and promote the broadening of international exchange.
The varied (inter)disciplines that comprise the social sciences have long informed each other, and while the lines of communication between fields are not always as open as they might be, IAFOR provides venues and programmes that strongly encourage interdisciplinary synergy. The societal challenges that we and our communities face throughout the world require a central commitment to working across geographical, political and disciplinary borders, as well as the engagement of key decision makers and stakeholders, both from within academia and from external groups such as policymakers, government officials, NGOs and private enterprise.
Seeking sustainable solutions to some of the most pressing problems calls for greater awareness of the larger picture, whether this relates to issues of justice and political representation within a given small community, questions of access to healthcare in regions affected by drought, or issues of human security on a regional level. For example, the rise of nationalism within a particular country and threats from non-state actors in another cannot be viewed as separate and unconnected phenomena; instead study within a broader intercultural and international context is necessary.
We learn only through encounters with difference. In attempting to understand the innovations, disruptions and insights that are necessary for the development of this globalised world, we are actively contributing to the common goal of making our world sustainable.