 A wicked problem. What is a wicked problem? So a wicked problem has two words, wicked and problem. You may use the microphone. Even though we use problem probably a thousand times a day, we think about what it actually means. Probably we have to think hard. But it's not that difficult. It is the discrepancy between an ideal or desired state and a factual state. And wicked in English evil or bad is a problem that is actually very tricky and highly resistant to resolution. The term was actually coined by colleagues in 1973 that were in planning and design and was a reaction to a lot of social programs that failed in the 1960s due to a very technocratic approach. And they came up with this term, wicked problems, the opposite-tame problems to characterize problems that are highly contested. And if you go back to what a problem is, sort of a desired state is in social and political terms always contested. It's dependent on values. So social problems and the solution of is dependent on the values of different actors that are taking part in the solution or creating the problem. And could you mention some examples of wicked problems which we have seen in the past? Well, currently also in science, the most debated and also researched problem is global climate change. It's also called the super wicked problem because here we have basically at least two factors that make it even more difficult. And that is that there's enormous time pressure, so time is running out. Usually social problems, if we have poverty and equality, are difficult to cope with to solve, but there are at least for mankind or a species or the world, not irreversible damage for the people themselves. It's highly problematic. But climate change, if the science is right, and we have a lot of evidence that it is right, that... We experienced it today, ladies and gentlemen. We are about to inflict a major change on the world's climate that is not reversible. So that is one example. Other examples are defence and security, so international terrorism, peacekeeping, civil wars, these kind of really big issues. Wicked problems, yes. And if you focus on your bachelor, how do you use wicked problems in your bachelor? We have spoken to some students, of course, but how do you use them in your lectures? Well, we have basically the approach to wicked problems is that they are not solvable in the sense that we can eradicate them and then they are gone. Another example, for example, is drugs, also quite garland here in Brabant. And we have tried a lot of things to try to solve it, but it turns out whenever we do something there is something else that sort of happens. If you look at Mexico, basically a failing state also due to the war on drugs. So the approach we have in that program is first to familiarize students with the complexity of the problems and also with the approach that coping, so controlling the consequences, is sometimes better than actually trying to massively intervene, creating all sorts of consequences or unintended consequences or even worse than the problem. So they are not learning how to solve the wicked problem, but they learn how to cope with the wicked problems? Yes, and especially also in the first step I said the desired state. And this is also something why, because wicked problems become more and more prominent, societies become more diverse. So the value divergence that already plays a role when we define what the problem is increasing. So what the students, not only in year two, but in year three, will get to that, is the question, so how do you do, how do you deal with multi-actor constellations with the different interests, the different values, how do you coordinate them, how can you come to a sort of, at least temporarily joint definition of the problem and then move on to solution or coping. So for instance the drug issue, the free distribution of heroin for drug addicts is one solution for this wicked problem, well not a solution, but coping with... That's a very good example because also different societies have tried different things and most of the time what you see is that the drug use doesn't go down but you have all sorts of follow-up problems with needle exchange, HIV, homelessness and with methadone or heroin people can function, can earn their livelihood and you don't do away with the problem but you control or cope with the most extreme consequences. Okay, and today we will talk about the Volkswagen situation as the wicked problem. If you should just pose one definition of the wicked problem in one sentence, what should we keep in mind for the rest of the program? How does the sentence go? Wicked problems are problems that are highly resistant to the solution, tend to become chronic and have to be solved jointly. Jointly, thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, your grab. Thank you.