News

Our interdisciplinary dialogue occurred online on Friday, 11 June, organised by our decolonial research group. We explored how coloniality influences knowledge production within academia and what alternatives exist to break the dynamics of reproducing social injustice within our research practices. Two key experts, Dr Noa K. Ha and Dr Antony Pattathu, highlighted examples of their…

The event saw the THESys community come together and open an explorative dialogue on the past, current and future role of women in transformation research. THESys Members Bettina König, Ina Säumel & Gretchen Bakke discussed   themes ranging from career trajectory, to the role of family to the challenges and opportunities for women within the emerging…

On April 22nd, a small group from IRI THESys was able to preview the inaugural exhibition of the Humboldt Labor within the newly renovated Humboldt Forum titled ‘Nach der Natur’ (After Nature). Adhering to all current COVID-19 regulations, THESys researchers and colleagues had the chance to see their own work featured in the exhibition which addresses climate change and biodiversity loss, as well as global challenges to democracy.

On July 1, 2021 the new transdisciplinary science communication project ‘AnthropoScenes’ will launch. Funded by the Berlin University Alliance, the so-called ‘Experimental Laboratory’ uses theatrical formats to engage diverse publics on the topic of water in Berlin-Brandenburg. The project is coordinated by the Theater of the Anthropocene and the Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys) and sees water researchers from the region, including geographers from Adlershof, providing content and developing stage performances together with artists from the Theater of the Anthropocene. Critically, AnthropoScenes will be an open process, whereby scientific content will be created together with different audiences to feed into the performances and research. The project team aims to compile its findings and incorporate them into a game show format that will be presented to an international audience at the Humboldt Laboratory in 2024.

As part of the World Health Summit, THESYs Director Jörg Niewöhner and Director of the Institute of Virology at Charité Christian Drosten recorded a live interview in the podcast ‘Talking Science’. The fourth episode of the series titled ‘Extremer als es uns gut tut – Was Klimawandel mit Pandemien zu tun hat und Umweltschutz mit…

On January 11th, 2021, the Centre Marc Bloch organised an online event with the environmental scientist Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker titled ‘Leider ist das Anthropozän nicht nachhaltig – Können wir das ändern?’ (Unfortunately, the Anthropocene is not sustainable – Can we change it?). Opening commentary was given by THESys Director Jörg Niewöhner and by Dr.…

The renowned Consolidator Grants from the European Research Council (ERC) are awarded to top researchers who are pursuing ground-breaking projects in basic research.  THESys Members Tobias Kuemmerle and Ignacio Farías are both receiving grants for projects which explore paradigm shifts in conservation science and urban anthropology. Tobias Kuemmerle received the Consolidator Grant for the project…

The Highly Cited Researchers list from Clarivate is a collection of scientists whose publications rank in the top 1% by citations for the field and year in the Web of Science. The list comprises of researchers from 21 broad fields from universities and institutions across the world. This year, eight of the Highly Cited Researchers™…

THESys Member and Leibniz- Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Professor Robert Arlinghaus won the highest national award for science communication. Every year, the prize is awarded from the German Science Foundation (DFG) and the Stifterverband to scientists who excel at communication and bridging the gap between science and society. In an official HU Press…