General information
Offer title : PhD student M/F to study imaginative narratives and scenarios to inspire restoration and innovation for European seas and aquatic systems (H/F)
Reference : UAR3278-NATTOL-029
Number of position : 1
Workplace : PERPIGNAN
Date of publication : 02 July 2025
Type of Contract : FTC PhD student / Offer for thesis
Contract Period : 36 months
Start date of the thesis : 1 September 2025
Proportion of work : Full Time
Remuneration : 2200 gross monthly
Section(s) CN : 01 – Interactions, particles, nuclei, from laboratory to cosmos
Description of the thesis topic
Objectives: Objective 1: Support the implementation of EU policies by co-designing ambitious and integrated visions and scenarios of sustainable and just futures for ocean and aquatic systems. Objective 2: Inform decision-making processes on the restoration of ocean and aquatic systems with the latest scientific advances by testing normative scenarios in different models. Objective 3: Stimulate action for the restoration of EU oceans and waters. Mission: The candidate will innovate by engaging with a wide range of stakeholders to imagine ambitious futures for EU waters, building on the Nature Futures Framework. Through case studies in the Mission’s four flagship regions, we will co-create with stakeholders visions of desirable futures for ocean and aquatic systems. Aligned with key EU strategic objectives, these visions will then become targets for retrospective analysis and regional scenario modeling. The results of these visualization and modeling exercises will serve as the basis for regional transformation labs that will bring together policymakers, experts and other stakeholders from flagship regions to define actions for implementing a sustainable future for EU waters. We’ll be developing innovative scientific and artistic visualizations for each case study, as well as on a pan-European scale, looking ahead to 2030 and 2050.
Work Context
A major obstacle to implementing transformative change is the lack of alternative visions imagining what the future could be like if action were taken. Imagination, creativity, collaboration and fascination are important levers for transformative change. They strengthen individual and collective capacities to support action in favor of sustainability, by activating emotional and cognitive dimensions, while guiding lines of action. In recent years, various forms of creative, reflective and collaborative activity have been explored as part of the co-design of alternative socio-ecological futures. Scientists and artists have actively sought to transcend their traditional fields to open up space for individual and societal engagement in research, sparking reflection on how to galvanize action for impact. While existing European policies and strategies represent an effort to counter negative trends affecting marine and freshwater systems, they suffer from a lack of a) long-term perspective, b) adaptation to regional and local conditions, and c) acceptance by stakeholders. Visions and pathways for achieving European objectives need to be co-designed and endorsed by regional and local stakeholders.
