Dr Truzaar Dordi is a lecturer in Sustainability Management at the University of York – working in the fields of climate finance, energy policy, and sustainability transitions. He has been taking part in the White Rose Crucible programme – a tailored programme bringing together future research leaders to explore career enhancement through interdisciplinary and cross-institutional research leadership and collaboration.

We asked Truzaar about how they are finding the programme and the opportunity to collaborate with others from partner unis, how it has enriched their research, and why they would recommend the programme to others.

Why did you want to take part in the programme?

Working in the field of sustainability transitions, I’m acutely aware that our biggest challenges can’t be solved in interdisciplinary silos.  My research maps the networks of influence between finance, policy, and industry to find leverage points for change.  I saw the Crucible programme as a unique accelerator to forge meaningful interdisciplinary connections here in the UK.  I wasn’t just looking to meet other researchers in my field; I wanted to engage meaningfully with scholars from entirely different fields across the White Rose universities. 

Have you experienced any “aha!” moments during the programme regarding your research or personal development?

I’ve had many “aha!” moments over the Crucible – but collectively, the overarching “aha!” has been experiencing how organically innovative ideas emerge when you bring diverse experts together. We often feel the need to force collaboration in academia, but Crucible creates an environment where collaboration sparks naturally. A casual conversation with a computer scientist, for instance, opened the possibility of using geospatial analysis to map the social and economic data I work with. A discussion with a robotics expert on human-machine trust revealed a new lens for analysing the public trust in institutions. A discussion on the philosophy of power opened a new theoretical lens on why transitions remain an uphill battle. The “aha!” was realising that these tools could add powerful new empirical layers to my work, transforming the scope of the questions I can ask and answer. 

Participants from the Crucible programme

How has the Crucible Programme provided you with dedicated time and space to reflect on your research?

In the day-to-day life of an academic, it’s rare to have protected time to simply think and connect ideas outside of your immediate to-do list. The Crucible labs provide exactly that. They are immersive, taking you away from emails and admin, and creating a unique space for high-level, creative, and critical thinking.

“It has allowed me to step back from the specifics of my own projects and see the bigger picture, questioning core assumptions and spotting patterns that I would have otherwise missed.”

Have you identified new ways to integrate different disciplines into your current or future projects as a result of the programme?

Yes, absolutely. A primary focus for me now is integrating qualitative methods from the humanities and social sciences with the quantitative systems-level analysis typical of sustainability transitions research. My current ESRC-funded work is pushing me further into the study of financial markets and sustainable food systems, a space where this kind of methodological integration is critical. 

While systems analysis is powerful for mapping the structures of a food network, it often misses the human-centred dynamics – the values, identities, and lived experiences of the producers and consumers who make the system work. Through Crucible, I’ve connected with researchers in public health and supply chain management, to weave in a narrative inquiry around how the stories food system actors shape their strategic decisions, ability to navigate external pressures, and ultimately the speed and directionality of transformation, 

“Envisioning my research this way—as a multi-layered approach that is both narratively rich and data-informed—adds a new level of robustness and ensures the insights are not just theoretically sound but deeply grounded in lived experience.”

How has the Crucible Programme helped you expand your professional networks? Have you formed any concrete collaborations with other participants as a result of the programme?

The programme has been invaluable for expanding my network beyond my discipline. While formal, funded collaborations are still developing, the seeds have been sown. The focus is on quality of connection, not just quantity of contacts. This has already translated into tangible outcomes, with interdisciplinary research proposals now actively in development with fellow members of the cohort. Crucible doesn’t just hand you a list of contacts; it provides the fertile ground for these organic and genuinely collaborative partnerships to emerge. 

How do you see these new collaborations enhancing your career and increasing the impact of your research?

These collaborations are poised to be transformative for both my career and my research impact. 

From a career perspective, they position me as an interdisciplinary bridge—someone who can speak the languages of different fields and translate between them to build effective teams. This not only opens up new avenues for funding beyond my traditional domain but also builds essential leadership skills for tackling complex, multi-stakeholder challenges. 

In terms of research impact, the effect is twofold. First, academic impact is heightened. Integrating novel methods leads to more innovative research that is attractive to a wider range of top-tier journals. Second, and more importantly, the societal impact is significantly increased. By producing research that is not only theoretically rigorous but also deeply informed by human experience, the findings become more relevant and actionable for policymakers, practitioners, and communities. It allows us to move beyond writing academic papers to co-creating practical frameworks and toolkits that can empower genuine transformation. 

Looking ahead, how do you envision the Crucible Programme impacting your career?  

I see Crucible as a career accelerator. It is sharpening my capacity for leadership in collaborative settings, equipping me with a more robust, interdisciplinary toolkit to tackle complex funding calls and, most importantly, it is building the collaborative foundation for future research programmes. It has affirmed that my most impactful work will be done at the intersection of different disciplines, and it has given me the network and confidence to lead from that space. 

What advice would you give to someone considering applying for the White Rose Crucible Programme? 

My advice is to apply with a spirit of curiosity, not with a fixed agenda. The greatest value of Crucible comes from the unexpected connections and the ways your own research will be stretched and transformed by others.

“Be prepared to have your assumptions challenged and be open to seeing your work through a dozen different lenses—that’s where the real breakthroughs happen. It’s an investment in your thinking and your future as a more connected and impactful researcher.”

Visit the Crucible page for more information about the programme.