A laboratory for practice-oriented and societally relevant research
What is the PROFRES ThinkTank?
The PROFRES ThinkTank is a freestanding entity within the national research school PROFRES 2.0 – The Interdisciplinary, Interprofessional and Practice-Near Research School – Shaping Future Welfare. The ThinkTank was established to strengthen the relevance of research for the professional and practice fields and to contribute to addressing major societal challenges in the welfare state.
As human and economic resources are increasingly stretched, innovation is required in both research and practice. The ThinkTank responds to this need by offering a space for knowledge exchange and collaboration between academia and the world of practice.
Purpose and Function
The main objective of the ThinkTank is to develop new perspectives, methods, and approaches for collaboration between academia and other societal sectors. The goal is to enhance the relevance of practice-near and profession-oriented research in ways that matter for the labour market and the public sector.
The ThinkTank also plays a key role in encouraging PhD candidates to reflect on:
- The societal relevance and implications of their research questions and findings
- How their research can shape future careers within and beyond academia
- The role of research in driving social innovation and welfare development
Core Activities
The ThinkTank's work unfolds in two phases:
- Co-creation phase (2022–2026):
Biannual workshops integrated with the PROFRES 2.0 programme – one physical and one digital each year. These are paired with Knowledge Transfer Events, where PhD candidates meet with practitioners and stakeholders to exchange ideas and reflect on the relevance and impact of their research. - Social innovation phase (from 2026):
Developing a research proposal, aiming to consolidate and deepen emerging knowledges from the ThinkTank.
A Dynamic Initiative
The ThinkTank is not a static body – it is intended to evolve and define new aims as it develops. Grounded in the needs of the professional fields and the challenges of society, the ThinkTank seeks to shape the future of welfare and educate researchers who are both engaged with and transformative of practice.
Would you like to learn more or get involved in the ThinkTank’s work?
Please contact Camilla M. Line
ThinkTank Project Leader
Charlotte Wegener is associate professor at Department of Communication and Psychology, Aalborg University, Denmark.
Charlotte has experience in teaching, consulting, managing, and researching how learning and innovation emerges in educational and workplace settings. She works in transdisciplinary projects collaborating with practitioners and researchers in elderly care and vocational education. Her expertise pertains to social innovation, learning and collaboration across various professional and organizational boundaries. Innovation and learning are also key in her dedication to academic writing. Inspired by her professional background in music science and Nordic literature, Charlotte’s teaches and practices academic writing as a genuinely analytic-creative endeavor.
Charlotte is co-founder and research manager of FoCUS – Research Center for Learning and Education in Elderly Care https://sosuforskning.dk/ She serves as a writing mentor and think tank leader at PROFRES 2.0 Research School funded by the Research Counsil of Norway. Charlotte is also associated with the research group ALOVE at Nord University, a transdisciplinary center for research in care, welfare and innovation.
Contact: cw@ikp.aau.dk
