The Potsdam Summer School 2024 is calling for applications!
Modern pluralistic societies face many challenges.
With its overarching theme – “ECOSYSTEMS CHANGE & RESILIENCE IN THE ANTHROPOCENE” – the 10th Potsdam Summer School will continue the transdisciplinary and interactive series of events that has been held annually in Potsdam, Germany since 2014.
Humankind is facing a huge challenge: Climate change threatens the foundations of life on our planet. To preserve these foundations, the era of fossil fuel use must come to an end. This will lead to profound changes in our ways of producing goods, our means of transportation, and ultimately the way in which we live. We are at the beginning of a great transformation, which can bring benefits as well as new inequalities. It is important to shape this in a just and sustainable manner, while protecting the environment and thereby securing future life for people in all regions around the globe.
Our evolution is deeply intertwined with the state of our ecosystems. In the age of the anthropocene, it is human influence that has a massive geophysical impact.
As humankind, we have a strong influence on the Earth system and from this is derived its responsibility for the future of the planet and its ecosystems. We have the capacity to change them irreversibly. Collectively we can take this responsibility and start shaping the planet for the better and increase resilience to the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.
For instance, accelerating rates of environmental change and the continued loss of global biodiversity threaten functions and services delivered by ecosystems. On the other hand, new technological developments such as advanced genetic sequencing and the digitalisation of agriculture can offer promising prospects to realise the potential of a sustainable bioeconomy. But what are the trade-offs and drawbacks? Do these developments underpin the wellbeing of all people in all places?
Against the backdrop of these findings and questions, the Potsdam Summer School 2024 aims to delve deeper into the interactions between biodiversity, bioeconomy, digitalisation and sustainable development. The goal is to get a holistic view of selected topics, on their interactions and interdependencies.
We will deal with:
- The Role of Nature in the Anthropocene
- Biodiversity and Resilience of Ecosystem Functions
- Interactions of Biodiversity and Bioeconomy
- Landscape Ecology
- Sustainable Land Use
- Digitalisation of Agriculture
Participants of the Potsdam Summer School will be engaged in discussions and group works and will be provided with tools to develop effective strategies to solve the challenges they face in their daily work.
The aim of the Potsdam Summer School is to bring together talented early-career scientists and young professionals operating in the private sector, governmental agencies, and non-governmental organisations from many different parts of the world to discuss frontier (research) questions on future sustainable development.
We also intend to enable participants to engage with various sectors of the public in their home countries. Our goal is to improve science awareness and help to develop informed opinions and enhance the transferable skills of researchers and practitioners. Experts, stakeholders, and guest lecturers from high level national and international institutes and organisations will contribute knowledge and insights to the Summer School programme which will comprise lectures, various discussion formats, and interactive group work activities.
Thus, the Potsdam Summer School provides a unique opportunity for all participants to foster international cooperation and an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas.
In partnership with the City of Potsdam, the 2024 Potsdam Summer School will be jointly organised by the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy ; the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), the Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS), and the University of Potsdam.
The call for applications will start on January 01, 2024. The deadline for submitting applications will be on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at 23:59 UTC.
The organisers intend to conduct the one-week programme in a format whereby all participants and speakers will be present in Potsdam. The entire programme will be conducted in English.
For further information visit our website and click here.
Or contact angela.borowski(at)rifs-potsdam.de
We are looking forward to receiving applications from early-career professionals from various backgrounds.
WELCOME TO POTSDAM!
