With its overarching theme – “Towards a Sustainable Transformation – Climate, Energy and Nature in a Changing World” – the 8th Potsdam Summer School will in 2022 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 fossil era 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.
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, while also gaining a comprehensive perspective and overview surrounding the three aspects of a sustainable transformation:
- Climate
- Energy
- Nature
Action on climate change needs a joint and strong collaboration of the entire international community. The burdens and causes of climate change are unevenly distributed over the world, and future generations will suffer much more.
The transformation of energy systems is obviously one of the key factors of climate mitigation. Fossil fuel-free means of producing energy must be developed and implemented. But this transformation also involves a societal change.
The loss of biodiversity and climate change threaten human living conditions on our planet. The examples of polar and marine regions or the amazon region illustrate the importance of nature conservation.
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 Geo.X and the City of Potsdam, the 2022 Potsdam Summer School will be jointly organised by the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), the Helmholtz-Centre Potsdam – GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), and the University of Potsdam.
The organisers intend to conduct the 10-day programme in a format whereby all participants and speakers will be present in Potsdam. Should it be the case that the overall situation regarding the current pandemic precludes in-person attendance the organisers will revert to a virtual format. For further information visit our website and click here.
