Prof. Dr. Dirk T.G. Rübbelke, Universität Bergakademie Freiberg

Prof. Dr. Dirk T.G. Rübbelke is Professor of Economics at Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg. Before he joined Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, he was IKERBASQUE Research Professor at the Basque Centre for Climate Change (2010-2014), Senior Research Fellow at the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research – Oslo (2008-2010) and Juniorprofessor at Chemnitz University of Technology (2002-2008). He is also Research Associate at the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), Mannheim and Fellow Member in the CESifo Research Network, Munich. Prof. Rübbelke did research and taught at internationally renowned universities and research centres. These are, inter alia, Australian National University in Canberra, Hebrew University Jerusalem, Jadavpur University in Kolkata, Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance in Munich and University of Nottingham.

Prof. Dr. Michael Bittner, German Aerospace Center 

Michael Bittner was involved in the US Space Shuttle experiment CRISTA on board of STS-66 in 1994 for the global detection of atmospheric trace gases before he moved to the German Aerospace Center in Oberpfaffenhofen where he is heading the department “Atmosphere” in the Earth Observation Center (EOC-DFD) since 2000. In 2002 he was appointed Associate Professor in experimental physics at the University of Wuppertal and in 2012 full Professor of Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere at the Institute of Physics at the University of Augsburg. He is engaged as coordinator of the international program for the detection of changes in the higher middle atmosphere (NDMC) which contributes to the UN World climate research program. He is the scientific coordinator of the Bavarian Environmental Research Station Schneefernerhaus (UFS) on the mountain Zugspitze and he coordinates the international Virtual Alpine Observatory, VAO. He leads the Alpine Environmental Data and Analysis Centre (AlpEnDAC) where the Bioclimatic Information System (BIOCLIS) is implemented. Professor Bittner completed several stays abroad, including at NASA and NCAR in Boulder, USA. He received various prizes and awards from NASA, the World Meteorological Organization WMO and the German Space Agency. Recently, he worked on the influence of the corona-lockdown on air quality.

RNDr. Josef Fuksa CSc., T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute

Josef K. Fuksa, RNDr., CSc.,  graduated in Hydrobiology at the Charles University Prague in 1968. His main discipline is studying the role of microbial communities in biodegradation processes in ground and surface waters. Since the year 1989 he is with the T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute Prague. Last years he is involved mainly in long-term development of water quality in rivers and in relevant controlling factors, e.g. the discharge of pollutants, land use and intensive modification of rivers. He served as the Chairman of the Czech Ramsar Committee and Chairman of the Czech Limnological Society. He lectures the courses on Aquatic Microbial Ecology and Ecology of Running Waters at the Faculty of Sciences, Charles Univ.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Marion Merklein, Head of the Institute of Manufacturing Technology, Friedrich-Alexander- Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Marion Merklein graduated in Materials Science at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). After completing her doctoral degree in 2001, she achieved her habilitation in 2006. Since April 2008 she has held a professorship at the Chair of Manufacturing Technology at the FAU. Professor Merklein’s expertise is welcomed by many committees and scientific associations. She is a member e.g. of the German Academic Society for Production Engineering, the International Academy for Production Engineering, the German National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Science and Engineering acatech. Professor Merklein also takes part in several committees, e.g. of the German Research Foundation and the German Council of Science and Humanities. She co-coordinates several research networks and is a member of scientific committees at international conferences. As an outstanding researcher, she won numerous awards including the Heinz Maier Leibnitz Prize and the DFG Leibniz Prize.In addition, she regularly contributes to scientific journals as an expert editor and reviewer.

Excursions

Excursion 1: National Library of Technology as an example of green building – (conference venue; no need to travel)

The National Library of Technology (NTK) is the largest and oldest library of science and technology literature in the Czech Republic, with a collection of over 1.5 million volumes.Construction of the current building began in 2006, and it opened to the public on September 9, 2009. Housed in a modern ecological building and situated in the heart of the Dejvice engineering and technology campus, the building is also home to the Czech Technical University Central Library. NTK provides an ideal environment for studying to students and scholars, with 1,322 places to study and 562 places to relax. In addition, the library serves as a social and cultural center with frequent lectures, educational tours, events, and exhibitions.

Excursion 2: University Center of Energy Efficient Buildings CTU Prague (UCEEB) - (travel to BuštÄ›hrad by bus, 25 minutes)

UCEEB was founded in 2012 as an independent institute of the Czech Technical University in Prague under the auspices of four departments: civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and biomedical Engineering. The Centre's goal is to leverage synergy effects of research activities of individual departments which are related to energy efficient buildings. UCEEB is a reaction to one of the European Union's top priorities aimed at optimizing the energy efficiency of buildings. The new center shall also offer better opportunities to participate in European scientific projects such as the Joint Technology Initiative on Energy Efficient Buildings, which is based on the EU's targets for carbon dioxide emissions.

Excursion 3: T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute - (by tram, on foot, 20 minutes)

The T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute was founded under the name State Hydrological Institute in 1919. After 1989, the Institute became part of the Czech Ministry of the Environment. Since 2006 it has gained the status of  a public research institution. The Institute is located in three cities – with headquarters in Prague and regional offices in Brno and Ostrava.The research focuses on status, use and changes of aquatic ecosystems and their linkages to landscape and related environmental risks, waste and packaging waste management. It also provides professional support to water protection, flood prevention and management of waste and packaging waste.

Accommodation

In close proximity to the conference venue you will find a number of hotels. The hotel Vienna House Diplomat Prague holds a pre-reserved and limited contingent of rooms for conference participants.  The hotel offer of EUR 85 / night in single room and EUR 95 / night (double room, including breakfast, wi-fi and 10% VAT, city tax excluded) applies to the period from September 2 to September 3, 2021 (nights right before and after are also possible for the same booking price); free cancellation up to 6PM three days before arrival. Reservation link available here.