In response to the growing complexity of contemporary global challenges – climate change, social inequality, biodiversity loss, pandemics and others – the higher education and research sector (ESR) is undergoing significant transformation. The emergence of sustainability sciences over the past twenty five years reflects this evolution. In France, the Réseau des Zones Ateliers (RZA), a distinctive initiative of the CNRS–Écologie & Environnement, exemplifies this dynamic. As a socio-ecological research infrastructure, the RZA mobilizes interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to investigate the complexity of social-ecological systems and support pathways toward sustainability transformations.
Aimed at students, local stakeholders, and researchers, Zones Ateliers (French LTSER Platforms) adopts a historical perspective to trace the origins and evolution of the network through the lens of its institutional and scientific plasticity. The book then examines the successive stages in the development of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches, highlighting the diversity of issues and contexts specific to each Zone Atelier. Finally, the book opens broader perspectives by situating the RZA within the field of transformative sciences and advocating for a profound transformation of higher education and research itself.