is a recent graduate of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana, where she earned a BSc in Settlement Planning. At KNUST, her undergraduate research focused on Sustainable Ecotourism in Ghana, using Lake Bosomtwe as a case study to examine investors’ and visitors’ experiences and assess sustainability practices and challenges at the lakeside. Through this research, she developed her current interest in urban sustainability management and tourism planning, and is currently preparing to pursue a master’s degree in environmental resource management. In the short term, Betty is currently serving as an Administrative Assistant with the Ghana Revenue Authority in Kumasi (Ghana) for her National Service.

Her long-term goal is to become a leading environmental management professional, contributing to sustainable development planning in Ghana and beyond. She is passionate about continuous learning and is actively seeking opportunities to expand her knowledge and impact in the field of environmental sustainability.

Mirna is a mother of three who is a native of the Aceh region, Indonesia. She has professional experiences of more than 10 years since 2014 in several INGOs with a focus on environmental and forest governance, mainly in the rural development. She has been in partnership with multi strategic actors from government, NGOs, and academia from national to the grassroots level to empower the local institutions and marginal communities. She is an alumni of DAAD and completed her master degree in Agricultural Sciences and Resource Management in the Tropics and Subtropics (ARTS), at Universität Bonn, Germany. She is the co-founder and currently serves as director of the Environmental Knowledge Development Institute of Aceh or BENTALA Aceh Institute, a local NGO based in Aceh concerning in environmental knowledge management. Apart from leading BENTALA, she also contributes as a lecturer at the Forestry College of Aceh.

About BENTALA Aceh Institute

The Environmental Knowledge Development Institute of Aceh or BENTALA Aceh Institute is a local NGO based in Aceh, Indonesia. It focuses on local knowledge management, as well as institutional and community empowerment related to SDGs.

is a climate resilience and disaster risk management researcher dedicated to fostering inclusive and sustainable communities across Africa. With over six years of experience in environmental management and climate policy, she is the visionary founder of the Young African Disaster Management Initiative (YADMI), a transformative platform focused on enhancing community-based disaster preparedness and climate adaptation, particularly among women and youth.

Currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of the Free State, Dr. Awah integrates systems thinking and participatory approaches to tackle pressing challenges related to flood risk, climate-induced displacement, and urban resilience. Her impactful research spans diverse contexts in Cameroon, South Africa, and various regional partnerships, ultimately informing policy frameworks that enhance disaster preparedness and sustainable development in vulnerable communities. Her unwavering dedication to creating resilient, equitable environments exemplifies her profound impact in the field of disaster risk management and climate resilience in Africa.

I am a PhD candidate at the Animal Health Research Institute in Egypt, where I focus on developing innovative diagnostic tools for zoonotic diseases. My recent work led to the development of a rapid test for detecting all Brucella spp. strains, addressing a major challenge in both animal and public health. I was recognized as an “Emerging Talent” at the Falling Walls Summit 2024 for this achievement. I am also involved in science entrepreneurship through several incubators such as Wempower and Tomooh incubators.

Passionate about linking scientific research to real-world solutions, I’m committed to advancing One Health approaches that integrate human, animal, and environmental health. I believe strongly in the power of interdisciplinary collaboration to build resilient health systems and sustainable food security in the Global South. Through the Potsdam Summer School, i hope to deepen my understanding of science-policy interfaces and contribute meaningfully to global sustainability efforts.

holds a degree in Political Science and International Relations, having completed a joint master’s program offered by the University of Potsdam, Freie Universität Berlin, and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. He brings a diverse professional background in sustainable development, with experience spanning international cooperation, policy dialogue, and academic exchange.

At the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Benjamin worked in China, where he focused on triangular cooperation projects, promoted political dialogue, and supported academic collaboration. Currently, he is involved in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with a particular emphasis on UN-related processes. He also advises the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) on the development of a potential Post-2030 Agenda.

In addition, Benjamin has experience in public relations and stakeholder engagement.

is a sociologist who studies community engagement, knowledge production, and sense of place in environmental decision-making. Following several years of work with various nonprofits and community organizations, she received her Ph.D. in 2023 from the University of New Hampshire in the United States, specializing in community and environment. Her research addresses a wide range of socio-environmental issues, including wildfire resilience and forest management in California, where she was born and raised. She is currently a Community Engagement Postdoctoral Scholar with the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy at the University of Arizona. Here she focuses on water governance, PFAS contamination, and other environmental justice issues in the American Southwest. Through her research, she examines the roles of diverse community members in efforts toward climate resilience, justice, and sustainability.

I am a Tunisian sustainability professional with a multidisciplinary academic background in environmental sciences and public policy. Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Procurement Governance at the Faculty of Law, Political and Social Sciences of Tunis, I am conducting research on Green Public Procurement as a strategic lever to embed environmental considerations into public procurement. I hold a first Master’s degree in Environmental Risk Management and a second Master’s degree in Environmental Management-Waste and Energy from the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne in France. Professionally, I work as a Junior Sustainability Analyst at Impacti Solutions, where I explore the intersection between sustainability and technology. My role involves analyzing how digital innovations can enhance the efficiency, transparency, and impact of organizational sustainability strategies.

Waste management is a core area of interest for me, not only from an environmental perspective, but also because of its broader geopolitical dimensions, including resource dependency, international regulatory frameworks, and environmental justice.

My active engagement with global networks such as the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) and the Solid Waste Institute for Sustainability (SWIS) has enriched my global perspective and reinforced my commitment to promoting sustainability at both local and international levels.

is a Water, Environmental Sanitation and Sustainable Land Management Specialist. She has contributed to impactful projects in Ghana, including land reclamation studies, composting, and co-consulting on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) assignments. Priscilla holds a Master’s degree in Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation from KNUST and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health and Sanitation Education from the University of Education, Winneba (now AAMUSTED). She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Sustainable Land Management at the University of Energy and Natural Resources, where her research focuses on innovative land reclamation strategies. Outside her professional work, she enjoys singing, playing football, and spending time with her family. Priscilla is passionate about contributing to sustainable development and community resilience.

holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Economics from Goethe University Frankfurt. He currently works at Climeworks, a leading carbon removal company, and will start a new Master’s programme in autumn 2025. His academic and professional work focuses on aligning technological innovation with economic and policy frameworks that drive climate action. For his Bachelor’s thesis, Luca analysed capital flows and the performance of renewable versus fossil energy funds, which deepened his interest in carbon pricing, sustainable finance, innovation, and systemic transformation. Driven by a passion to contribute to a just and climate-resilient economy, he brings hands-on experience in cleantech supply chains, strategic projects, and interdisciplinary collaboration. At the Potsdam Summer School, Luca is looking forward to exchanging ideas with a global community of emerging changemakers and strengthening his science-policy communication skills.

is a sustainability aficionado who envisages truly interdisciplinary strands entangled in both academic and management contexts. His study record comprises economics, intercultural communication, international relations and sustainability management. Experienced in higher education in Germany and Latin America, he co-creates and promotes hands-on opportunities for initiating transformational change through simulation games, service learning or coaching. Besides his action-bound passion for trees, Martin Gerner follows his artistic inclination as practicing church musician.

is an award-winning Indian journalist with an eye on science and the environment. She currently serves as the Associate Editor at Nature India, where she contributes to editorial strategy and function. Sahana was the 2023 Journalist in Residence at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin, examining the history of ocean science across the Indian Ocean. She is a co-founder and secretary of the Science Journalists Association of India. She co-leads Bay Bridges, a science communication project on the Bay of Bengal delta, on disentangling climate facts from misconceptions. She is a member of the inaugural Oxford Climate Journalism Network, and in 2021, was named one of 16 Women Restoring the Earth by the Global Landscapes Forum.

I am a young agricultural scientist in the early stages of my career, dedicated to advancing climate action through agricultural research and climate policy. With a Bachelor’s degree in Crop Sciences from the University of Ghana, I began my professional journey as a Junior Advisor in Agricultural Policy with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) under the Market-Oriented Agriculture Programme (MOAP). In this role, I worked closely with key stakeholders and government institutions on agricultural policy interventions. More importantly, I engaged directly with rural farmers, gaining firsthand insight into the challenges they face and how development projects can be better designed to meet their needs. Recognized for academic excellence, I was awarded a DAAD scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree in Agricultural Sciences and Resource Management in the Tropics and Subtropics at the University of Bonn, Germany. During this time, I worked as a research assistant at the Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES). I received a second DAAD scholarship to serve as a visiting research agronomist with a start-up agricultural company, focusing on nutrient management and early disease detection through a grower-support app. Currently, I serve as a Foreign Climate Policy Officer at the German Embassy in Accra. My work supports the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and climate action initiatives. I develop exploratory proposals in areas with high potential for climate impact. Notable proposals include assessing Ghana’s potential for green hydrogen production.

is an early-career researcher specializing in health and environmental psychology. Her work has focused on restorative spaces and the relationship between human well-being and coastal zones, with contributions to interdisciplinary projects at the University of Vienna and NTNU Trondheim. Current projects explore pro-environmental behavior at the individual level, including consumption patterns with a specific focus on microplastics and the improvement of circular households.

Having studied Cognitive Science in Germany and the United States, she is particularly interested in how to drive behavior change and support sustainable decision-making. Her broader interests include integrative frameworks such as the One Health approach, with a strong emphasis on the often-overlooked human psychological dimension in sustainability transitions. When she’s not researching the human brain, you’ll likely find her sailing, surfing, swimming, or running educational programs in the Black Forest National Park.

is the Account Manager (Forest) for the Innocity Joensuu 2 projects at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF), School of Forest Sciences, Joensuu Finland. She holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Economics (2015) from UEF, where she is currently pursuing her PhD. Her doctoral research explores how collaborative innovation networks can address the polycrisis and drive sustainability transformations in the forest-based bioeconomy, focusing on the interplay of knowledge, innovation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. Her past work examines socio-economic dimensions of forest management, sustainable business models, and forest owners’ objectives, with a consistent emphasis on innovation and sustainability. From 2023 to 2024, she coordinated UEF’s forest-based bioeconomy activities in the Finnish- American Research and Innovation Acceleration (FARIA) Network. She has also worked at the Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla) and the European Forest Institute (EFI).

I am a Senior Research Fellow at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS). More than 18 years, I am learning through the extensive research works under the broad umbrella of environmental security. I am interested in examining the geopolitical and cultural dynamics of natural resources management under changing climatic condition. I am particularly interested on security perceived by the different marginalised groups under environmentally stressed conditions in their everyday spaces and the hydro politics of trans-boundary water resources in South Asia and beyond. My research fieldworks prefer creative methods and methodologies that bring out alternative narratives which may remain hidden through conventional methods. I did my BSc in Environmental Science from Khulna University and MSS in Women and Gender Studies from Dhaka University, Bangladesh. I completed my second MSc in Gender and Development Studies from Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand and PhD in Geography and Planning from Macquarie University, Australia. I have been involved in research collaborations between the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the Asian Institute of Technology, the Concordia Forum, the Australian Embassy, Bangladesh, Manusher Jonnyo Foundation and CSO Alliance on Climate Justice in South Asia.

I am currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Pécs in Hungary. I earned my BSc in Architectural Engineering from Salahaddin University in Iraq in 2007, followed by an MSc in Urban Regeneration from Sheffield Hallam University in the UK in 2014. My research centers on sustainable architecture and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in educational buildings. I aim to promote a holistic approach to design that minimizes energy consumption while enhancing occupant comfort, health, and productivity. My work investigates strategies that combine building design, material selection, natural ventilation, and user behavior to develop resilient learning environments.

From 2015 to 2022, I served as an assistant lecturer at Koya University in Iraq. Additionally, I collaborated with the Kurdistan Regional Government and UNESCO’s High Commission for the Revitalization of Erbil Citadel from 2008 to 2014, where I conducted research on historic houses to support cultural heritage preservation and sustainable urban development.

is a PhD Candidate at the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, University of Melbourne with a background in environmental economics. Her research interests include spatial mapping and valuation of ecosystem goods and services, statistical meta-analysis and modelling of agricultural losses and damages from climate change, mitigation and adaptation measures. Her applied work in the biosecurity sector includes valuing assets at risk from pests and diseases, cost-benefit analysis and supporting the development of decision support tools.

is a Sociologist (M.A.) In his studies, Marcel was primarily concerned with issues of inequality, specifically gender inequality. For many years, he worked at Femtec, an organization dedicated to preparing female students from male-dominated STEM fields for leadership positions. In view of the increasingly threatening environmental challenges, he decided he wanted to expand his knowledge and expertise and therefore pursued another Master’s Degree in Leadership for Sustainability at Malmö University, Sweden. During this study he intensively focused on the topic of electrical waste (e-waste), which has become a major sustainability concern leading to severe contamination of water, air, and soil. He believes it is essential to value environmental and social sustainability equally and his goal is to build a bridge between those two aspects. From the Potsdam Summer School he hopes to broaden his perspective with new insights, to discover what role he can play in science communication, and to gain a multitude of new insights from the wonderful experts among both the lecturers and the participants.

By seeing the challenges of human-nature relations as being part of the wicked problems realm, I could frame my research to focus on the bridge between natural and social sciences. That’s why my main interest topic is the study of social-ecological systems (SES), focusing on applying and testing theories and adapting methods. Particular interest is on resilience, due to its converging position from ecology, sociology, and other disciplines. Currently as a postdoc at AZTI Foundation in Spain, I work with interdisciplinary approaches applied to social-ecological systems in two EU-funded projects (i.e., Marine SABRES and RESONATE). My previous affiliations were with the International Institute for Applied System Analysis (IIASA-Austria) as a postdoc working with the resilience of cities. The master’s and PhD were developed at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, working with modeling of SES. I was a lead author in the IPBES NEXUS Assessment and the OTCA Rapid Assessment of the Ecosystem Services for the Amazon Region. Interests in modeling, governance and SES

has been working at the Institute for evolutionary ecology NAS Ukraine, Kyiv since 2015, where she is engaged in research on forest and park ecosystems, urbanization, air pollution in cities. Currently, Nataliia is the head of the project at the Institute for evolutionary ecology NAS Ukraine: “Bioindicative assessment of the state of park ecosystems in the conditions of urbanization” (state number 0122U000570) and is the Fellow et The Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS), Potsdam, Germany since September 2022. Nataliia received her PhD in Ecology from the Institute of Agroecology and Nature Management of the National Academy of Sciences, Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2011. During her PhD and post-doctoral work at the Institute of Agroecology and Nature Management Nataliia established a strong scientific background in the field of methods for assessing forest, park ecosystems and data analysis, focusing on assessment of resources and the state of forest ecosystems, management of agricultural landscapes. In the last 5 years of working at the Institute for evolutionary ecology, NAS Ukraine paid special attention to assessing the role of megacities in air pollution and climate change as factors influencing the state of green infrastructure for sustainable management. Currently interested in modelling and machine learning to investigate the spread and prediction of invasive plant species with climate change.

The field of research – Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution Ecosystem, Invasive Species, Modelling, Plant Ecology, Landscape Ecology, Environmental Conservation, Sustanability, management, urban green infrastrucnure, urban forests, sustainable development, Forest Protection, air pollution and climate change interactions.

is a Senior Scientific Officer with the Ministry of Environment, Abia State, Nigeria, currently seconded to Abia CSDA under the NG-CARES program as Project Officer, Environmental Safeguards. He holds a B.Sc. in Environmental Resource Management and OSHA UK certification, with expertise in environmental management, occupational safety, and climate resilience. Kalu ensures project compliance with environmental standards and promotes sustainable development through policy implementation and impact mitigation. He is an advocate for climate action, has presented at workshops, and is active in community development and environmental justice. A member of the Nigerian Environmental Society, Kalu seeks to expand his impact through international collaboration. The Potsdam Summer School aligns with his goals in sustainability, resilience, and global best practices.

I am a young professional bridging built environments and climate resilience through my interdisciplinary sustainability approach. Pursuing a master’s in Environmental Change and Global Sustainability at the University of Milan, I combine rigorous academic training with hands-on real estate experience in land valuation, construction supervision, and property management across Kenya (Africa) and Europe. My unique background provides rare insight into implementing sustainable development at ground level.

Working across public and private sectors, I advance the SDGs with a focus on climate resilience, sustainable land use, and environmental justice. I translate complex environmental challenges into actionable, community-centered strategies. I am a passionate advocate for practical solutions that merge science communication with community engagement, ensuring sustainability initiatives honour local knowledge and global imperatives.

I have an undergraduate degree in economics, after which I pursued an MSc in accounting. I worked for two years as an auditor at BDO before going back to school for an MSc in environmental impact assessment and management. Following this, I went to work for the State of Washington in their Ecology department where I worked on the cap and invest programme as an environmental economist/planner. This peaked my interests in climate policy leading me to my current role as a PhD candidate. I now research climate adaptation for coastal erosion and flooding in England. I’m particularly interested in how we can sustainably manage coastal erosion and flooding in the long term for vulnerable communities.

Outside of work, I enjoy playing football, tennis, and running. I also love to travel and enjoy a good cup of coffee.

is a PostDoc at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Science in Bremerhaven, Germany. Her work is motivated by the urgent need to co-produce actionable knowledge at the science-society interface for tackling today’s sustainability challenges. She holds a PhD in Economic, Social and Political Sciences from the Faculty of Sustainability at Leuphana University Lüneburg. During her PhD, Lena was employed by the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS), Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon in Hamburg, where her research focused on generating actionable and transformative knowledge in coastal social-ecological systems facing climate change. Following her PhD, Lena deepened her interdisciplinary research skills through a six-month research and networking stay at the Stockholm Resilience Center in Sweden. Lena is interested in the application of various methods, including fuzzy cognitive mapping, stakeholder analysis, social network analysis and leverage points analysis. In her current project PrimePrevention, Lena further develops these methods to contribute to better-informed decision-making with regards to biological hazards in the Baltic Sea.

I am currently in my fourth semester of the M.Sc. program in Sustainability Science at Leuphana University Lueneburg. Before starting this program, I completed a Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Studies at the University of Hildesheim. My current studies offer an array of courses related to the field of sustainability, allowing me to explore sustainability from both social and natural science perspectives and to learn a lot about social-ecological systems. Furthermore, inter- and transdisciplinarity are highly appreciated within my study program. I appreciate these efforts to break down monodisciplinary perspectives on questions of sustainability, as this approach seems to be well suited to acknowledge and address the interwovenness and complexity of many of the pressing issues of sustainability and nature conservation today. Currently, I am also gaining practical experience in applied nature conservation and education for sustainable development through an internship at the Wadden Sea National Park in Schleswig- Holstein. There, I support bird monitoring efforts and supervise a small interactive exhibition on salt marshes and its flora and fauna.

is a personal assistant at the DGAP’s Centre for Climate and Foreign Policy. In this role, she supports the management of projects and publications. Her work focuses on climate finance, environmental peacebuilding and the intersection of climate and human security. In this context, she is particularly interested in questions of climate justice and the impact of the climate crisis on marginalized groups. Previously, Anna Sperber worked as a research assistant at the Advisory Board to the Federal Government for Civilian Crisis Prevention and Peacebuilding during her Master’s degree in Peace Research and International Relations. In her Bachelor’s degree in Law and Politics at the European University Viadrina, she focused on the foreign policy of the EU and international law.

I am a sustainable entrepreneur working on biochar-based fertilizers and soil regeneration in Bali, Indonesia. After several years of hands-on farming and research into natural soil systems,

I founded with my partner Pranab Prakesh a fertilizer startup to develop innovative biochar-based solutions that restore soil health, reduce chemical dependency, and sequester carbon.

Our micro-factory in Bali produces biofertilizers that combine local agricultural by-products with scientific approaches, bridging traditional knowledge and modern sustainability.

Alongside production, I collaborate directly with farmers to test and refine blends for crops ranging from coffee to vegetables. My goal is to scale practical, accessible tools that empower communities while contributing to global sustainability goals.

Currently, I am in Europe to expand networks, exchange ideas, and connect with other professionals. The Potsdam Summer School offers the perfect platform to learn, share experiences, and explore synergies with like-minded people.

is an early-career researcher with the AI for Environmental Risk CDT at the University of Cambridge. Using CMIP6 data and machine learning methods to model the distributions of shallow-water tropical reef species with an emphasis on their potential responses to climate change. Keen to create interpretable, robust, and ultimately useful research outputs to guide policy and conservation interventions.

works as a Species at Risk Community Liaison on contract with the Species at Risk Act – Cooperation, Consultation and Accommodation Project, a partnership between Environment and Climate Change Canada – Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) and the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources. The Project’s goals are to support Indigenous organizations’ and communities’ participation in listing and recovery planning processes for species at risk under the Canadian Species at Risk Act. She has worked as a policy analyst with CWS and the Meteorological Service of Canada since 2019. She holds a BA in Geography and International Relations from the University of British Columbia and a MSc. in Environmental Sciences from Bogazici University, Istanbul. In addition to Indigenous-led stewardship, she is interested in water security and environmental justice. In her free time she enjoys exploring Istanbul’s many historic neighbourhoods, and swimming, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding.