You are cordially invited to the lecture series ‘Sustainability Research at the University of Passau’ in the winter semester 2024/2025. The lectures will take place on Wednesdays from 18:00 to 20:00 (c.t.) in the lecture hall PHIL HS 4. The aim of the lecture series is to provide an exemplary insight into the diverse sustainability research at the University of Passau and to present the interdisciplinary approaches of various faculties.
The event is open to the public and registration is not required. We look forward to welcoming you and to an exciting exchange on the challenges and opportunities of sustainability!
The event is open to the public. A certificate of attendance can be issued for participation in all sessions (registration via StudIP required).
![[Translate to Englisch:] Ringvorlesung: Nachhaltige Entwicklung und Migration - Fokus West-Afrika](/fileadmin/_processed_/2/8/csm_COLOURBOX42955790_ac5cb6e65d.jpg "[Translate to Englisch:] Ringvorlesung: Nachhaltige Entwicklung und Migration - Fokus West-Afrika")
This year's lecture series on sustainability focuses on West Africa, a region that is currently characterised by environmental changes, especially climate change, but also by intense political conflicts and upheavals.
Speakers from academia and practice will shed light on various aspects of migration and (sustainable) development in West Africa.
The events take place on Wednesdays from 6 to 8 pm. The kick-off is planned for 15 November.
‘The Anthropocene’ - the human era. The term goes back to the atmospheric engineer and Nobel Prize winner Paul Crutzen (1933-2021), who postulated that human activity is shaping a new era on Earth that could replace the Holocene. According to Crutzen, the Earth system and humanity can no longer be separated. Humans have become a ‘geological factor’, as their actions have a significant influence on various balances prevailing in nature, which can be seen, for example, in the sharp rise in greenhouse gas emissions due to anthropogenic activities and their direct impact on the climate.
Politicians and scientists have been discussing the concept of the Anthropocene for 20 years now. Building on Crutzen's comments, which he published in the renowned magazine ‘Nature’ in 2002, the - sometimes controversial - debate about the Anthropocene has spread to various scientific disciplines. For example, the effects of human activity on the planet are no longer only being discussed in geology and geosciences, but also in philosophy, political science, history and social sciences, as well as literature and cultural studies
Against the backdrop of a shared human future on Earth, different perspectives on the topic are particularly important.This is why we are also discussing this exciting topic with scientists from various disciplines as part of the puplic lecture series `Anthropocene´ in the summer semester 2023.
![[Translate to Englisch:] Ringveranstaltung „Nachhaltigkeit und Konsum“](/fileadmin/_processed_/c/e/csm_COLOURBOX32829346_7fb0f8fe20.jpg)
Everyone consumes. Every day. As purchasing decisions are influenced by personal habits and attitudes, it is not guaranteed that we will make conscious consumption decisions at all times. But this is exactly what sustainable consumption means: conscious, responsible consumption that ‘takes a closer look’ and scrutinises the costs of one's own individual consumption for people and the environment.
In Sustainable Development Goal 12 ‘Responsible consumption and production patterns’, the guiding principle of sustainable development is dedicated to the interplay between individual consumer, usage and disposal behaviour and international value chains and asks how the interaction between the two can be made more ecologically and socially compatible. As sustainable consumption affects the everyday life and lifestyle of every individual, we are dedicating this lecture series ‘Sustainability and Consumption’ in the winter semester 2022/23 to the discussion of this important sustainability topic.
In the winter semester 2021/2022, theRi lecture serie ´Changing Perspectives in Science and Society` entered its seventh round, this time with five events on the topic of ‘Sustainability in the Context of Digitalisation’. A particular focus was placed on the area of ecological sustainability and resource issues. Various dimensions of the digitalisation of society and the economy and the challenges and opportunities that digitalisation offers for sustainable development were to be critically examined.
![[Translate to Englisch:] Ringvorlesung „Perspektivwechsel in Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft“](/fileadmin/_processed_/b/2/csm_Colourbox-41837372_786c99edee.jpg "[Translate to Englisch:] Ringvorlesung „Perspektivwechsel in Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft“")
Prof. Dr Martina Fromhold-Eisebith, holder of the Chair of Economic Geography at RWTH Aachen University and member of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) until 2020, kicked off the event on 9 November 2021 and spoke about the opportunities and risks of digitalisation. In particular, she referred to the WGBU's demands: digitalisation must be designed in such a way that it can serve as a lever and support for the major transformation towards sustainability and be synchronised with it.
| Datum | Vorträge |
|---|---|
| 09.11.2021 | Prof Dr Martina Fromhold-Eisebith (RWTH Aachen University): ‘Our digital future’ |
| 08.12.2021 | Dr Ulrike Kugler (Ministry for the Environment, Climate and Energy Energy Industry Baden Württemberg): ‘Data centres and sustainable digitalisation’ |
| 15.12.2021 | Prof Dr Hermann de Meer (University of Passau): ‘The energy transition thrives on participation’ |
| 02.02.2022 | Prof Dr Katharina Spraul (TU Kaiserslautern): ‘Digital innovations for the circular economy’ |
| 09.02.2022 | Mascha Brost, Jürgen Weimer (German Aerospace Centre) and Jochen Benz (ZF Mobility Solutions): ‘Automated driving and the mobility transition’ |
For the 5th time in a row, the lecture series was dedicated to major topics and issues of a more sustainable future.
Here is the programme for the 2019/20 winter semester:
| Datum | Veranstaltung |
|---|---|
| 21.10.2019 | Prof Dr Stötter, University of Innsbruck: The role of universities for a sustainable future |
| 04.11.2019 | Prof. Dr. Schmid-Petri, Univ. Passau: Complex, invisible, abstract: Key challenges in communicating climate change |
| 18.11.2019 | Prof Dr Christine Bauhardt, HU Berlin: Does climate change have a gender? The perspective of feminist political ecology |
| 02.12.2019 | Dr Ortrud Leßmann, University of Hamburg: Sustainable development from the perspective of the capability approach. The role of consumption |
| 16.12.2019 | Prof. Dr Sigrid Stagl, University of Vienna: Climate protection from efficiency to opportunities for realisation |
| 13.01.2020 | Dr Kristina Kurze, University of Göttingen, Lecture title: Climate protection after the European elections - The EU's pioneering role put to the test |
| 27.01.2020 | Prof. Dr. Stahl, Uni Passau: Drive by sight - on the unsustainability of international politics |
The lecture series on sustainability continued in the 2018/19 winter semester - this time under the title ‘Business & Responsibility’. Scientists from German and Austrian research institutions as well as practitioners presented their approaches every (almost) 14 days from 23 October, focusing in particular on innovative approaches to sustainable forms of business. Eine An overview of the contents of the individual events can be downloaded here.
| Datum | Titel |
|---|---|
23.10.2018 | Social entrepreneurship: social, sustainable, profit-orientated - is it possible? |
06.11.2018 | Regional corporate responsibility - opportunities and challenges |
20.11.2018 | CSR - more appearance than reality? |
04.12.2018 | The common good region of south-east Bavaria - practical realisation of the common good for citizens, companies and local authorities. |
18.12.2018 | CSR in theory & practice - application using the example of the Heilbronn Declaration |
15.01.2019 | The responsibility of companies for human rights |
29.01.2019 | BMW in responsibility - CSR in the automotive industry (working title) |
The lecture series ‘Changing Perspectives in Science and Society’ also took place in the 2017/18 winter semester. Here you can find the completeProgramm.
Due to its density, the city as a living space promises close networking and exchange, easy access to services and participation in cultural and political events. The quality of public space is shaped by aspects as diverse as mobility concepts, affordable housing and its characteristics for newcomers, children and the poor. The joint lecture series ‘Urban living spaces between participation and value creation’ in the 2016/17 winter semester explored this area of tension between democratic and commercial interests. The aim was not only to take a critical look at various urban dimensions, but also to explore the question of urban development that meets the challenges of a global world. What can an urban environment contribute to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals?
For the first time, the Chair of Comparative Development and Cultural Research and the Passau Architecture Forum organised this public lecture series together with the University of Passau's ‘Workshop on Sustainability’ to present and debate ideas from science and planning practice for innovative urban futures.
| Datum | Veranstaltung |
|---|---|
| 03.11.2016 | Destroy in order to preserve? Flood protection in the area of conflict between property protection, cityscape preservation and public participation. Panel discussion with: Christa Gottinger (Höllgasse businesswoman), Peter Haimerl (architect, visiting professor for urban intervention in public space, University of Kassel), Manfred Sturm (city councillor), Karl Synek (city councillor), Anette Wolf (resident & restaurateur in Unterer Sand). |
| 17.11.2016 | Urban sustainability transformation in the context of climate change and participation. Dr Kerstin Krellenberg| Department of Urban and Environmental Sociology | Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ-Leipzig |
| 08.12.2015 | In search of resonant ways of life between urban utopia and rural pragmatism. Prof. Dr Eberhard Rothfuß | Chair of Social and Population Geography | University of Bayreuth |
| 12.01.2017 | Share the city fairly. Ass. Prof. Dr Doris Damyanovic | Institute of Landscape Planning | University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna |
| 19.01.2017 | Vietnam's metropolises - challenges and solutions for sustainable urban development. Dr Michael Waibel, Institute of Geography | University of Hamburg |
| 26.01.2017 | Home not Shelter. Prof. Dr Ralf Pasel | Institute of Architecture |TU Berlin |
| 02.02.2017 | Turning points in residential construction. Prof. Dr Thomas Jocher| Institute of Housing and Design (IWE) | University of Stuttgart |
If you look at the earth from a great distance, you could come to the conclusion: The world continues to turn while humanity goes round in circles. Every era and every society has experienced objective and subjectively perceived crises and threats. Today, too, we are faced with a multitude of challenges that seem to be closely interwoven. Around the world, many of the old social and economic orders are in the process of disintegration, accompanied by and/or caused by the various effects of globalisation. Science is also finding it increasingly difficult to provide explanations or even answers to the social and political problems and challenges of the Anthropocene. However, there are pioneering thinkers who have adopted new and unconventional ways of thinking and have already changed their perspective. Scientists from German, Austrian and Swiss universities presented their ideas and approaches every two weeks from 22 October.
| Zeit und Ort | Veranstaltung |
|---|---|
22.10.2015 18-20 Uhr WIWI HS6 | On the road to sustainable development - challenges and potentials for research and teaching |
| 05.11.2015 18-20 Uhr WIWI HS6 | ‘As if the earth had long since stopped talking to us’ - On resonance with nature and its loss Prof Dr Angelika Krebs, Chair of Practical Philosophy, University of Basel |
19.11.2015 17-18 Uhr (s.t) | Ecologically sustainable data centres for smart cities - the All4Green and DC4Cities projects Prof. Dr Herrmann de Meer, Chair of Computer Science with a focus on Computer Networks and Computer Communication, University of Passau |
| 03.12.201518-20 Uhr WIWI HS6 | No time for sustainability - The limits of sustainability using the example of the Simpsons Prof Dr Michael Suda, Chair of Forest and Environmental Policy, Technical University of Munich |
| 17.12.2015 18-20 Uhr WIWI HS6 | Sustainability as a corporate challenge and opportunity: here to stay! Prof Dr Markus Beckmann, Chair of Corporate Sustainability Management, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg |
| 14.01.2016 18-20 Uhr WIWI HS6 | ‘Global climate policy in the Anthropocene - how successful were the Paris climate negotiations?’ Prof. Dr Markus Lederer, Chair of Political Science with a focus on International Governance, University of Münster |
| 28.01.2016 18-20 Uhr WIWI HS6 | Global Care Gaps, Care and Care Work: On Capitalism, Inequality and Perspectives of Sociology in the Face of Care Crises. Prof. Dr Birgit Aulenbacher, Head of the Department of Theoretical Sociology and Social Analyses, University of Linz |
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Do you have sustainability-related questions or suggestions? Send us an email at nachhaltigkeit@uni-passau.de.
