General Invitation

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Have you ever asked yourself what young generations should learn in higher education, what preparation is needed for future careers, and whether we need a transformation of our education systems?

Young generations' criticisms of current educational concepts and higher education structures are abundantly clear and more than justified given the challenges and existing threats.

We want to not only test our understanding of learning and teaching, but to incorporate new concepts. Higher education, or to use the German term “Bildung” should equip generations to deal with and change the present in order to shape a sustainable future for the Earth.

That is what we want to talk about and discuss at the conference "Facing the Future: Human Ecology and Higher Education" in Potsdam from August 31 to September 3, 2022.

We invite you to be part of this conference and transformation: Register Now! Become a member of this community facing the future.

More than 60 contributions from a wide range of countries and perspectives from our global societies in 16 different thematic areas come together live and virtually in this hybrid organized conference in Potsdam. Notable key speakers include:

• Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, Co-Chair, International Resource Panel, former Co-President of the Club of Rome;
• Richard Borden, COA’s Academic Dean for twenty years, past-President/Executive Director of the Society for Human Ecology, and founding member of the Ecological Society of America human ecology section;
• Lene Rachel Andersen, economist, author, futurist, Bildung activist, and a full member of the Club of Rome;
• Jennifer Amparo, Associate Professor at the College of Human Ecology, Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor for Administration at the University of the Philippines Los Banos;
• Thomas Schmaus, Professor of Philosophy at Alanus University in Bonn, past Dean of the department Philosophy and Social Innovation;
• Johan Rockström, Professor at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, chair of the advisory board for the EAT Foundation and the Earth League, appointed as chair of the Earth Commission.
  
  

Find out more about our Keynote Speakers

We thank all who contribute to our conference program. Thanks to you, we have a broad range of different and exciting topics. Do you want to know more?

Have a look at our Conference Program.

Simply participate

You are curious and simply want to participate in this event without your own paper or presentation as part of a diverse community and learn new concepts about education, approaches to future higher education and new ways of Bildung at our colleges and universities. You are most welcome.Join us virtual or live in Potsdam at the IASS.

Registration for the conference is still open.

However, don’t forget to reserve your ticket for the conference dinner if you join us in Potsdam, the number of seats is limited and do not forget to subscribe the accompanying program.

You are welcome to forward this general invitation for the conference to your networks and universities.

With warm regards

Co-Presidents of the Conference:

Ortwin Renn, Potsdam, Germany (IASS) (DGH)
Wolfgang H. Serbser, Berlin, Germany (COHE) (DGH, SHE)
Dieter Steiner, Zürich, Switzerland (COHE) (DGH, em. ETH-Zurich)

Jointly organized by

European College of Human Ecology (COHE), Berlin, Germany
Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), Potsdam, Germany

in cooperation with

For any questions, please contact us by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..