Transdisciplinary and International Collaboration in Disaster Research: A Procedural Model Approach

Abstract

Transdisciplinary and international collaboration has become increasingly central to disaster research, yet its organizational and institutional dynamics remain insufficiently understood. Based on insights from a four-year international research project on integrated disaster risk management, this paper examines the cultural and institutional dimensions of such collaboration. Drawing on empirically grounded evidence from documentation, workshops, and reflective exchanges, the study introduces a procedural model tailored to disaster research that captures how collaborative processes evolve through phases of exploration, negotiation, and construction. Findings highlight the role of cultural and contextual factors in shaping research dynamics—particularly the influence of work cultures, communication norms, and funding asymmetries between partners. The paper also underscores the challenge of integrating local and practical knowledge into research processes, noting that current funding schemes rarely enable the participation of non-scientific or community partners in early project phases. Adaptability, reflexivity, and continuous learning emerged as key mechanisms for sustaining collaboration under conditions of uncertainty, including political instability and global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting procedural model contributes to a better understanding of how transdisciplinary and intercultural cooperation can be organized and managed by explicitly addressing uncertainty and cyclicality as inherent and productive features of international disaster research.