Virtual Capacity Building for International Research Collaborations in Times of COVID-19 and #Flygskam

In the wake of the current global pandemic, international travel is restricted. This poses substantial challenges for research relationships aiming to build capacity and foster co-creation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, where global collaboration and communication is paramount. This is especially challenging when it comes to interactive dialogues that go beyond the typical one-way structure of online learning. Considerations on structural, technical and behavioral levels are needed to not only deal with these challenges but rather to take advantage of the new situation. This commentary outlines the lessons learned from an internationally operating project, co-developed to cope with travel restrictions. We discuss implications for future reduction of international travel to reduce carbon in the context of climate change.

Automated summary

Amid the current global pandemic, international travel restrictions create challenges for research relationships aiming at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through capacity-building and co-creation. Global collaboration and communication are crucial, and considerations on structural, technical, and behavioral levels are essential to address and seize the opportunities presented by the new situation. Lessons learned from an internationally operating project, developed to navigate travel restrictions, highlight implications for reducing international travel in the future to combat climate change.