Professor Shin Koseki and Roxane Kasprzyk, graduate researcher and collaborator of the UNESCO Chair in Urban Landscape, took part in the workshop Repenser les bassins versants de demain, held on April 22, 2026, at the Faculté de l’aménagement of the Université de Montréal. Organized by the GRIL and the Vice-Rectorate for Research and Innovation, the event brought together researchers and partners from different fields to reflect on the future of watersheds and the kinds of knowledge, collaboration, and training needed to address their growing environmental and social challenges.
During the discussions, Shin Koseki and Roxane Kasprzyk contributed in particular to the question of how to strengthen the transdisciplinary training of young researchers working on large watersheds. Their interventions emphasized the importance of preparing emerging scholars not only to work across scientific fields, but also to engage with communities, institutions, and diverse forms of knowledge. They highlighted the need for training models that connect research, knowledge transfer, and real-world impact in complex territorial contexts.
Their participation also underscored the relevance of the Fleuves en communs initiative, which seeks to develop expertise on knowledge transfer and impact in relation to continental rivers. By focusing on the links between research, collaboration, and societal application, the initiative speaks directly to the kinds of challenges raised during the workshop. The event therefore provided a timely occasion to affirm the value of Fleuves en communs as a platform for advancing new approaches to research, training, and action around major watershed systems.