After a one-year break due to the pandemic, general studies will be back in Lübeck in the 2021/2022 winter semester. The series of events begins on October 20th and deals with one of the most urgent topics of our time: under the title “Climate – Change – Thinking” Renowned scientists shed light on the challenges and opportunities of the transformation required by climate change.
“Climate change is a complex ethical issue. That’s why we didn’t have to think long about which topic to deal with – the topic was obvious and we took it up. Climate change is an act of violence against the earth. We would like to investigate how society can react to this problem,” says Prof. Dr. Christoph Rehmann-Sutter. He is one of the initiators of the current general studies and deputy director of the Institute for the History of Medicine and Science Research University of Luebeck.
The lecture series was created in cooperation between the University of Lübeck, the Technical University of Lübeck (THL), the Fridays for Future and the Scientists for Future Lübeck. “As a lecturer in engineering courses, I initially deal with the challenges of climate change from a scientific perspective. The reports of the scientists show very clearly that it is about nothing less than the preservation of the elementary basis of human life. The fact that society is only beginning to respond to the warning calls after decades of climate science shows that, in addition to the scientific level, it is essential to include the societal level,” says Prof. Dr. Norbert Reintjes. He is a member of the Scientists for Future Lübeck and Professor of Industrial Ecology at the Technical University of Lübeck.
Every 14 days, starting this week, interested parties have the opportunity to deal with different aspects and ideas of climate change. The lecture series was also planned by the medical student and representative of Fridays for Future Selina Vogt. She got involved out of conviction: “It is extremely important that this series of events exists. You should think about the climate crisis wherever possible. The Studium generale fills a gap that existed before.” The lecture series takes place on Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m. in the Audimax on the campus of the University / TH Lübeck. Update: from 17.11. the events will take place as 2G events. Prior registration is not required.
What is the lecture series about?
The climate crisis is present, threatening, destructive. The climate crisis threatens the livelihoods of all human beings, thereby forcing a reordering of how we position ourselves as humans in our natural environment. To what extent and in what way societies and their members are specifically affected depends not only on the temperature, but also on regional conditions, on economic, social and personal circumstances and political conditions. A technical approach alone will not master the climate crisis, Prof. Dr. Christina Schües from the University of Lübeck, who brought a social-philosophical perspective to the joint project: “We have to think about an environment for people, for animals, for nature and that for all coming generations. Because we are dealing with a global crisis: people are dying from droughts, from diseases, from man-made change. You now have to think through what becomes tradable.”
The initiators of the lecture series are certain that we are challenged to think and act. “It’s about much more than just a series of lectures. We all already know a great deal about climate change – we have no problem finding it. But there is not only one solution. The general studies give us the opportunity to think about new aspects in order to then take action, but also to better understand climate change,” says Dr. Birgit Stammberger sure that on Center for Cultural Studies Research (ZKFL) at the University of Lübeck and has brought the perspective of cultural studies into the planning.
A diverse program has been created to conduct the necessary, intensive debate at all levels of society, to understand the mechanisms that led to the crisis and to develop solution strategies:
General studies at a glance
- October 20, 2021 (AM1): By design or by disaster? On the change in climate and society in the 21st century, Bernd Sommer, Europa-Universität Flensburg
- November 3, 2021 (AM1): The Challenge of Climate Change, Mojib Latif, GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel / University of Kiel
- November 17, 2021 (AM4): Which images for which world? Visions of the future between collapse, techno fix and transformation, Birgit Schneider, University of Potsdam; Attention: from 17.11. applies to all events in this lecture series 2G
- December 1, 2021 (AM1): Climate – Gender – Justice, Gotelind Alber, GenderCC – Women for Climate Justice eV (2G event)
- December 15, 2021 (AM1): The other end of the story, Frank Uekötter, University of Birmingham (2G event)
- January 12, 2022 (AM1): Climate crisis hits town. Local potentials and problems, Sybille Bauriedl, European University Flensburg (2G event)
- January 26, 2022 (AM1): Does climate protection need a postcolonial perspective? Aram Ziai, University of Kassel / Imeh Ituen, University of Hamburg / Black Earth collective (2G event)
- February 9, 2022 (AM1): Panel discussion with Christian Berg, Club of Rome; Jan Philipp Albrecht, Environment Minister of the State of SH; Tina Andres, Chairwoman of the Association of Organic Food Industry (BÖLW) (2G event)
Additional Information
In addition to the lectures in the Audimax on the Hanse Innovation Campus Luebeck you can also join the discussion online: The web platform “Climate Change Thinking” offers a forum for exchange within the universities in Lübeck and with the Lübeck public. In this way, the opportunity for a lively debate on social transformation with regard to climate and sustainability problems should be initiated. The platform would like to promote possible solutions and at the same time offer (selected) current background information. You are invited to comment on the contributions or to submit your own guest contributions and to enrich the discussion with examples from practice and the Lübeck environment.