Springe direkt zu Inhalt

Program

Conference Program

Conference Program
Image Credit: Sustainability & Energy Management Unit

The conference, "Sustainability in Higher Education: Between Transformation and Vibe Shifts," will open with remarks from the President of Freie Universität Berlin, Prof. Dr. Günter M. Ziegler.

On opening day, September 21, there will be keynote speeches from renowned experts, as well as presentations from Una Europa partner university representatives. These talks will be followed by an discussion about the overarching topic. 

Participants will learn about the latest sustainability developments through keynote speeches by Prof. Dr. Mandy Singer-Brodowski (Professor of Education for Sustainable Development at the University of Regensburg), Dr. Julie Newman (Director of Sustainability at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dr. Felix Chr. Matthes (Research Coordinator of Energy & Climate Policy at Öko-Institut Consult GmbH – Institute for Applied Ecology), Dr. Jeannette Behringer (Head of the Sufficiency Programme at the Zurich Knowledge Centre for Sustainable Development, UZH), Riina Koivuranta (Head of Responsibility and Wellbeing at University of Helsinki), Thimo von Stuckrad (Head of Department at German Rectors Conference), Prof. Dr. Holger Dau (Chair of the Una Europa Self-Steering Committee in Sustainability), and Prof. Dr. Lena Partzsch (Professor of Comparative Politics with a focus on Environmental and Climate Politics at Freie Universität Berlin).

The program offers a self-reflective engagement with the role of science communication, and higher education institutions in advancing climate action, biodiversity conservation, and social responsibility.

The conference will focus on 6 workshops, which will present ongoing research and institutional activities, providing a platform for dialogue on how universities can embed sustainability more deeply within their structures. They will take place in parallel on the second and third days of the event and will address different areas of sustainability.

Additional program information regarding Day 1 is available below and here [PDF].

On Tuesday and Wednesday, September 22 and 23, we will continue with a program of parallel workshops. Programs and details for Days 2 and 3 are linked in the respective sections below:

Guided tours will allow participants to explore exciting places on our campus.

The conference will result in an edited volume exploring how universities are redefining their roles as spaces of scientific, political, and societal transformation in the context of sustainability, multiple crises, and contemporary “vibe shifts.” This publication is intended for authors from academia and university administration, as well as transfer partners working on sustainability projects within or in collaboration with higher education institutions.

We look forward to three days of plenary talks, discussions, and networking events.

Please find below the program for each day of the conference: