Dialogue sessions on collaboration with the fossil fuel industry

The open dialogue sessions were one of the three initiatives conducted on behalf of the Executive Board regarding collaboration with the fossil fuel industry. During three sessions, this complex topic was discussed.

Purpose

The purpose of the open dialogues was to give people the opportunity to actively participate in the exchange of ideas on this topic and to facilitate the meeting between people with different perspectives. During the dialogues, smaller groups delved deeper into the issue by sharing their viewpoints or practical experiences. The goal was not to debate the topic or develop a concrete action plan for the future. The report of the sessions can be found here. 

Format

The sessions were organised according to the World Cafe format, a proven model for organising a conversation where many ideas and knowledge can be shared. Dialogue and collaboration are central, creating a constructive conversation without the oppositions of a debate. Participants sat at tables in varying compositions. During three 20-minute rounds, they engaged in conversation.

The sessions themselves

During the three sessions, active and constructive conversations developed at the various tables where participants were open to each other’s stories. Facilitators experienced that many people were curious, and some were clearly concerned (both about the impact of collaborating with the fossil fuel industry and stopping the collaboration). Throughout the session, many people warmed up to the conversation; they appreciated having their voice heard.
    
Most people shared the feeling that TU Delft has an important role to play in the energy transition, which constitutes a great responsibility. Many participants had a clear idea of the (societal) role of the university. For most people, it was therefore clear that something needs to be done to further assume that responsibility, but it was difficult to pinpoint what exactly. For example: conditions must be set, but which conditions are not clear.
    
There appeared to be a lack of information regarding collaboration with the fossil fuel industry. People do not really know what collaborations exist and why they were chosen. This underscored the importance of transparency; it is needed to conduct the dialogue properly.

Paper airplanes

At the end of each session, participants wrote down their answers to the question "What needs our attention first? What are the main challenges?" and sent their answers in the form of paper airplanes to Tim van der Hagen, who was present at the sessions. The texts of the airplanes can be found here.