The COAST Chair

The Communication and organizing for sustainability transformation (COAST) Chair studies and supports processes of societal change and transition to reach the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 17.

The Chair associates two important axis that are inseparable to succeed sustainable transformation: The “Communication” axis analyses and acts upon belief systems and meaning structures; and the “Organizing” axis studies and challenges socio-economic structures to promote ecological, inclusive and just forms of prosperity.

Based on its expertise in systems thinking and strategic communication, the Chair brings together businesses, public and civil society actors to transform their practices and collaborations in line with recent scientific advances on sustainable development.

Areas of intervention

Teach new management logics around sustainable transformation
Educate in systems thinking and complex project management
Assess organizational impacts on low-carbon economies and on stakeholders
Experiment with new narratives, new structures and strategic tools of environmental governance through action research
Bring together transdisciplinary players and inform the general public to transform the economy of tomorrow

Specificities of the COAST Chair

The Chair adopts a transdisciplinary approach: It aims to combine the expertise of the hard sciences, to establish a diagnosis of the challenges and objectives to be achieved, and of the social sciences, to accelerate sustainable transformation and the adherence of various actors.
The Chair embraces systems thinking: A systemic appreciation of the issues and actors is essential to address the complexity of sustainable transformation.
The Chair is prefigurative: It applies to itself what it teaches to others by transforming its own practices in connection with research, teaching, and consulting in leading by example.

Missions of the COAST Chair

The Chair’s philosophy:

“Say what you do and do what you say, on an everyday basis, about sustainable transformation”.

The Chair thus combines two strong and inseparable pillars to achieve sustainable transformation: “Communication” explores belief and meaning systems, and “Organizing” explores socio-economic practices and structures that can hinder or promote sustainable transformation.