Corelia Baibarac-Duignan

Corelia Baibarac-Duignan is Assistant Professor in Regional Knowledge and Innovation Ecosystems at the University of Twente, within the Knowledge, Transformation, and Society (KiTeS) section. She is co-initiator of the RUrban Futures Collective, a research platform at the university that brings together researchers from different social sciences and humanities to study rural-urban relations and (dis)connections (i.e., in terms of imaginaries, practices, and spaces) in the context of critical sustainability transformations. Originally trained as an architect, Corelia’s research focuses on how bottom-up initiatives, art-science collaborations, and artistic approaches can support transformations toward sustainable and just futures. Examples of transdisciplinary projects in which she has been involved include: BioTraCes, a Horizon Europe project addressing transformative change for biodiversity justice; Planting Seeds, an NWA project addressing the role of cultural organizations and artistic practices in supporting local biodiversity commons and just futures; Exquisite Frictions, and a KIEM-MV project addressing waste and circular transitions through situated creative approaches and art-policy interactions. In her teaching, Corelia is developing formats that engage students with sustainability and justice issues through situated, transdisciplinary collaborations with societal and cultural partners in the Twente region. Within the JUST ART project, Corelia leads research under the “Just Futures” theme.