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The symposium will address the current situation and future prospects of sustainability in science and society through panel discussions, keynotes, workshops and artistic interventions. 

Please find here the overview of the agenda:


10 February 2026

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Arrival and lunch snack

Location

1:00 p.m.

Opening and panel on the focus topic: “Sustainability/Science: Yesterday – today – tomorrow”

Opening speech by Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Stefan Schaltegger, Professor of Sustainability Management at the Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM), Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Panellists:

Prof. Dr. Dr. Nils Ole Oermann | Professor of Ethics in Business and Sustainability, Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Prof. Dr. Gerd Michelsen | Senior Professor of Sustainability Research, Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Prof. Dr. Daniela Jacob | Meteorologist and Head of the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS)

Prof. Dr. Maraja Riechers | Research Associate at the Institute for Baltic Sea Fisheries

Host: Sven Prien-Ribcke

Forum and online

(in German, will be translated to English)

3:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Workshop by Prof. Dr. Jörn Fischer: “Shaping sustainability research in an era of change”

The workshop „Shaping sustainability research in an era of change“ will be highly interactive – in 2.5 hours, we will work with participants to distil key priorities for sustainability science over the next 15 years.

Forum

(in English)

6:00 p.m.

Keynote: “Beyond “Development” – Cooperation Policy for Times of Global (Dis-)Order”

by Prof. Dr. Anna-Katharina Hornidge | Head of the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) and dialogue

Host: Prof. Dr. Jelena Bäumler, Vice President of the Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Lecture Hall 3 (public)

(in English)

7:30 p.m.

Reception

Opening by Prof Dr. Sascha Spoun, President of the Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Klippo


11 February 2026

9:00 – 11:30 a.m.

Workshop A and workshop B will take place simultaneously.


Workshop A: “15 Years Sustainability in Higher Education” – A participatory expert panel and workshops 

Panellists:

Prof. Dr. Matthias Barth | President of the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE), Chairman of the Board of the Society for Transdisciplinary and Participatory Research (GTPF)

Prof. Dr. Daniel Fischer | Professorship of Sustainability Education and Communication, holder of the UNESCO Chair in Higher Education for Sustainable Development and Head of the Sustainability Education and Tansdisciplinary Research Institute at Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Linda v. Heydebreck | Master's student in Sustainability Science, Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Prof. Dr. Nicolas Jager | Professorship for Environmental-Governance at the Institute of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at the Technical University of Berlin

Prof. Dr. Astrid Kause | Junior Professorship for Sustainability Science and Psychology, Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Dr. David Lam | Group Leader Environmental Protection, EDEKA Headquarters

Host: Prof. Dr. Jacob Hörisch | Dean of Studies, Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University of Lüneburg

The discussion will be followed by two in-depth workshops which will be held simultaneously:

C 40.704

(in English)

  


















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“Constructive Alignment for Educating Sustainability Professionals – Reimagine Curriculum Development” | Prof. Dr. Matthias Barth

C 40.704
(in English)

“Students and Alumni as Change Agents for Sustainability – Supporting Change Agency in Different Roles and Positions” | Maike Buhr, Centre for Sustainability Management, Leuphana University of Lüneburg

C 40.254
(in English)

9:00 – 11:30 a.m.

Workshop A and workshop B will take place simultaneously.

Workshop B: “Knowledge, action and cooperation for sustainability transformation in times of polycrisis”

The workshop provides a shared space for researchers, societal and political actors and practitioners to critically reflect on their roles, responsibilities and possibilities for cooperation in the science-policy-society interface. Possibilities to catalyse actions for sustainability are increasingly shaped by the context of democratic backsliding, societal and political polarization and growing anti-intellectualism. These dynamics shape assumptions about knowledge co-production, transfer and impact and call for new forms of engagement for sustainability.

The central goal of this workshop is to identify and discuss the challenges and opportunities arising from ongoing crises. Can we leverage these opportunities to build better ways of cooperating? What key questions should we, as the community of sustainability researchers and practitioners, ask ourselves to navigate turbulent times and continue working towards sustainability transformations?

Workshop structure:
Keynote: Prof. Dr. Uwe Schneidewind | German politician and economist; former Lord Mayor of the city of Wuppertal and president of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy
Interactive small group sessions
Plenary: Summary of group discussion outcomes and next steps

Hosts:
Prof. Dr. Sylvia Haider | Vice-Dean for Internationalisation and practice-based projects
Prof. Dr. Viola Hakkarainen | Professor for Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research

Facilitator: Dr. Stefanie Meyer | Case study office – Inter- and transdisciplinary teaching projects

C 40.601
(in English)

12:00 – 1:30 p.m.

Closing panel discussion on the focus topic “Sustainability Transformation in Lower Saxony and the Lüneburg Region”

Panellists:

Claudia Kalisch | Mayoress of the Hanseatic City of Lüneburg

Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Lang | Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS)

Andreas Kirschenmann | President of the Lüneburg-Wolfsburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce

Dr. Anna-Katharina von Stauffenberg | Co-founder of comuneo

Prof. Dr. Claudia Kemfert | German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Professorship for Energy Economics and Energy Police, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, German Institute for Economic Research

Host: Sven Prien-Ribcke

 

Closing: Prof. Dr. Harald Heinrichs, Dean School of Sustainability, Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Forum and online

(in German, will be translated to English)


The program will be accompanied by artistic interventions by Hoernemann&Walbrodt on both days.

Zoom Link for both panel discussions:

https://leuphana.zoom.us/j/95606802908?pwd=GkveUx7vbMW16zuOL6zOHVt0PAKs6x.1
Meeting-ID: 956 0680 2908
Kenncode: 738777

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