Logistics

The Potsdam Summer School 2025 will be conducted at the Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ (RIFS), the University of Potsdam, the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), and the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI),

Please note:

Photographs and film footage may be taken during this event, which may or may not include your recognisable image or a video. By registering and participating in this event, you consent to being photographed or filmed and authorise the organisers to use the photographs or film in print, digital, video or web-based format for its promotional and archival purposes.

Check-In Hotel

During the Potsdam Summer School 2025 participants coming from outside Berlin/Potsdam will stay at the MERCURE HOTEL POTSDAM CITY

Address:

Lange Bruecke
14467 Potsdam
Germany

Contact Front Desk: +49 331-272-2
E-Mail:  info@mercure-hotel-potsdam.de

SUNDAY, September 14, 2025

Check-In

Check-in will be available from 3:00 p.m. If you arrive earlier, please, check prior to your arrival if your room is ready. If not, you may leave your luggage at the front desk and go for a little stroll to explore charming Potsdam.

Registration Desk 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

We will have a registration desk set up near the reception area from 4:00 to 06:00 p.m.

Welcome Reception & Dinner from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

We will have a reception and welcome dinner starting at 06:30 p.m. at the Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ (RIFS) which is about a 20-minute walk or 5-minute tram ride (tram 93) from the hotel. Instructions about how to get there will be given upon arrival.

SATURDAY, September 20, 2025

Check-Out

Check-out will be on Saturday by 10 am and all rooms are paid for until then. The public transport tickets will be only valid in Potsdam, so you would have to buy a Berlin ABC ticket to travel to Berlin central station or a Berlin BC ticket to Berlin airport (BER International)

For ground transportation you will need a single fare ticket for the zones BC
(€ 4.30). You can obtain it either from a ticket machine outside the airport or from the counter inside the airport. When you buy it from a ticket machine, please make sure to validate it by stamping (red box, next to the ticket machine).

https://www.bvg.de/en/connections Take the regional train RB 22 in the direction of “Griebnitzsee”. Get off at “Pirschheide” (3 stops) and transfer onto tram 9. Get off at “Alter Markt/Landtag” (11 stops). The hotel is then just in front of you The duration of the journey is 42 minutes)

You will need a single fare ticket Berlin ABC (€ 4,70). Take regional train RE1 in the direction of “Brandenburg” from platform 13. Ride 3 stops (24 minutes) to “Potsdam Hauptbahnhof”. The train operates twice an hour.

Alternatively take suburban train S 7 in the direction of “Potsdam Hauptbahnhof” from platform 16 and ride 12 stops (35 minutes) to “Potsdam Hauptbahnhof”. The S 7 operates every 10 minutes.

Take exit “Babelsberger Strasse/Lange Brücke) and walk 500m (7 minutes) to the hotel.

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINBILITY at GFZ (RIFS)
Berliner Straße 130
14467 Potsdam
www.rifs-potsdam.de

Directions: Take tram 93 from stop Alter Markt/Landtag (direction Glienicker Brücke) and get off at stop Schiffbauergasse/Berlinerstrasse (4 stops/8 minutes) The institute is on the opposite side of the road (100 m walk). You can also walk in 25 minutes.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ju8c3t4MNBFoPy8v9


LEIBNIZ INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING AND BIOECONOMY(ATB)
Max-Eyth-Allee 100
14469 Potsdam
https://www.atb-potsdam.de

Directions: Walk 500m to Platz der Einheit/Bildungsform. Take bus 692 in direction of Campus Jungfernsee. Ride 27 minutes (19 stops) to "Institut für Agrartechnik"

https://maps.app.goo.gl/nUAsQpr2y8egpxKD6

UNIVERSITY OF POTSDAM/Campus Griebnitzsee
August-Bebel-Str. 89
14482 Potsdam
https://www.uni-potsdam.de

Directions: Take the suburban train S7 from Potsdam Central Station (track 6) and ride 2 stops to "Griebnitzsee"

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ojxRKzRqwws6QQV76

ALFRED WEGENER INSTITUTE, HELMHOLTZ CENTRE FOR POLAR AND MARINE RESEARCH(AWI)
Telegrafenberg
14473 Potsdam
https://www.awi.de/en

Directions: You can either walk (approx. 20 minutes) but it is up a hill or take the bus from Alter Markt/Landtag

https://maps.app.goo.gl/1UPf5N3z4vt85knG8

Additional Logistics
Programme Format

The Summer School consists mainly of lectures/talks and small group meetings/project work.  Most of the lectures are scheduled in the mornings or early afternoons. Please note that group projects are an integral part of the programme. For details, please look up under section “Programme”.

Programme Expectations

We expect that participants will attend all lectures for the full duration of the programme, participate fully in a group project, and fulfill all related assignments and deadlines.

Dress is casual.

Pre-Readings

Some lecturers might provide pre-readings. You will find the links with each individual speaker (where applicable)

Accomodation/Meals

During the Potsdam Summer School 2025 participants coming from outside Berlin/Potsdam will stay at the MERCURE HOTEL POTSDAM CITY.

All rooms will have free Highspeed WIFI access. During the Potsdam Summer School the organisers will cover for all lunches and dinners except for dinner on Sep 18 where the evening will be at own leisure.

Please, make sure that you are at the summer school venue by 08:45 in the morning since we shall start our programme at 09:00! Lunch and dinner times will vary according to the programme. 

Please let us know if you have any food intolerances or dietary requirements prior to your arrival.

Health Insurance

All participants will have to organise for their own health insurance during the Potsdam Summer School.

Ex Curriculum

Apart from our summer school programme we will organise some other activities. More details on this will follow subsequently.

Potsdam is a charming place and has lots of attractive sites and your hotel is near a lake.      A bike and boat rental will also available next to the hotel. So be sure to bring your sports gear with you to have a swim or a nice run along the lake shore!

Internet Access

Free WIFI will be available in the hotel, and all venues.

Local Transportation

We will provide free tickets for all public transport in Potsdam during your entire stay. But please note that these tickets are only valid for Potsdam and not for travelling to and in Berlin.

Costs

A tuition fee of € 350 will be charged from participant staying at the hotel in a double room with single occupancy. There is also the possibility to share the double room with a fellow participant. In this case we will reduce the tuition fee to € 175,00 for each of the person sharing a room.

Participants who will not need accommodation (coming from Berlin/Potsdam) will also be charged the reduced tuition fee of € 175,00.