Science & Friendship: The magic of CATER School 2026 in Madagascar

There are experiences that teach you. Then there are experiences that transform you. The CATER School 2026 in Madagascar was undoubtedly the latter. For nearly two weeks, participants from different corners of the world gathered on the breathtaking island of Madagascar, united by a common mission: understanding climate risks, adaptation, resilience, and the future of our planet. What we did not expect was that somewhere between the lectures, field visits, games, dances, and endless laughter, we would become a family.

Every morning began with thought-provoking plenary sessions that challenged our assumptions and expanded our perspectives. We debated climate governance, uncertainty and risk, adaptation pathways, co-production of knowledge, and measuring impact. The discussions were really intense, but in a good way (the coffee was essential).

But CATER was never just about lectures... There was the famous Serious Game, where teams negotiated, strategized, argued, and occasionally blamed each other for imaginary climate disasters 😇. We learned that solving climate challenges is much harder than it looks and that some people become surprisingly competitive when fictional budgets are involved 🙂‍.

The field excursions offered an opportunity to connect theory with reality. We witnessed firsthand how communities are adapting to environmental challenges and how local knowledge remains central to building resilience.

And then there were also the adventures! The national park visit felt like stepping into another world. We searched for lemurs like treasure hunters and took enough photos to fill several hard drives. At one point, someone confidently claimed they could communicate with a lemur. The jury is still out on whether the lemur responded.

Evenings brought a different kind of learning. There were movie nights, games, and lots of long conversations after dinner. There was some legendary Malagasy dancing too! Participants arrived with varying levels of dancing talent and left with exactly the same levels of dancing talent – but significantly more confidence at least… Perhaps nothing captured the spirit of CATER better than the final celebration. The music, the laughter, the dancing, the shared stories, and the realization that our time together was coming to an end created an atmosphere that was both joyful and emotional. People who had been strangers were now exchanging hugs, contacts, promises of collaboration, and plans for future reunions.

Yet CATER leaves us with much more than these happy memories. It leaves us with new knowledge, new friendships, and renewed determination to contribute to climate resilience and sustainable development in our respective countries and communities. The School demonstrated the true power of international and transdisciplinary collaboration. Scientists, practitioners, policymakers, and young professionals from diverse disciplines and cultures came together to discuss challenges, but also to imagine solutions.

As we departed Madagascar, one thing became clear: CATER 2026 is not the end of a journey. It is the beginning of many different ones.

To the organizers, facilitators, mentors, and participants – thank you for creating a space like this. You (and CATER) gave us more than a training school, it gave us a new community.

And for that, we say: Misaotra betsaka. Thank you!

The CATER Schools programme is coordinated by NORCE and funded by the Research Council of Norway and the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills