Inaugural Lectures

Wednesdays from 2.15-3.00 pm in lecture hall 5 as well as via

Zoom: Meeting ID: 932 0673 2182, Password: 031305

Inaugural Lectures:

The lecture content of past dates can be found as a PDF file after the short descriptions.

Dr. Tina Heger 
23.04.2025,  2.15-3.00 pm, Lecture Hall 5

Dr. Tina Heger is an honorary professor at the Department of Biology at the Technical University of Munich and project leader at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB). Her research focuses on biological invasions, ecological novelty, theory and methods of ecology as well as biodiversity conservation and future natural conditions.

Title: Interdisciplinary Approaches for a Nature-Positive Future: Synthesizing Knowledge for Restoration and Reimagining Human-Nature Connections

Prof. Dr. Daniela Jacob 
07.05.2025, 3.30-4.15 pm, Lecture Hall 5

Prof. Dr. Daniela Jacob is an honorary professor at Leuphana University Lüneburg and heads the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS) at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon. She is also head of the Climate Advisory Board of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, the German Committee for Sustainability Research in Future Earth (DKN) and co-head of WPN2030.
Her research focuses on regional climate modeling, climate services, adaptation to climate change and climate-resilient development. As coordinating lead author, she played a key role in the IPCC special report on global warming of 1.5 °C.

Dr. Maraja Riechers 
04.06.2025,  2.15-3.00 pm, Lecture Hall  5

Dr. Maraja Riechers is an honorary professor and heads the working group "Fisheries and Society". She is active in committees of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and contributes her expertise as a contributing author to the IPBES Assessment Report on Transformative Change. Among other things, she heads the working group "Ocean Equity for Sustainable Futures" and is involved in the "Pacific Ocean Pathways" project. Her research focuses on sustainability transformation, social justice, human-environment interactions, human-wildlife coexistence, and the co-production of knowledge.

Title: Making Waves: how can marine social science impact policy making?

Abstract:What is marine social science, and how can we even aim to impact policymaking with our research? In my talk, I will give examples from our current research in the South Pacific and at the Baltic Sea in which we analyse human-nature relations in the context of sustainability transformations. I will highlight some of the difficulties of working in marine and coastal social-ecological systems, and give some hopeful examples, of how our research may have more impact than we think. 

Prof. Dr. Ulf Hahnel (Chair of Psychology, in particular Collective Action for Sustainability)
25.06.2025, 2.15-3.00 pm, Lecture Hall 4

Title: „A changing climate: Individual and collective sustainable action in an era of rapid transformation“

Prof. Dr. Ulf Hahnel has been Professor of Psychology with a focus on collective action for sustainability at Leuphana University Lüneburg since 2025. He investigates individual and collective decision-making processes in the context of climate change and the energy transition as well as the underlying psychological mechanisms.
One focus of his work is the development of evidence-based behavioral interventions and interdisciplinary methods for integrating psychological insights into energy and climate models. Previously, he worked at the Universities of Freiburg, Geneva and Basel as well as at Fraunhofer ISE, among others.

Title: „A changing climate: Individual and collective sustainable action in an era of rapid transformation“

Abstract: In this lecture, I will present a series of studies illustrating how psychological processes shape both individual and collective sustainable behavior. These processes include the motivated search and processing of (dis)information, the perception of one’s own and others’ climate impact, and judgments about the effectiveness of clean technologies. Using experimental data from various regions around the world, this research further highlights how human behavior is influenced by contextual factors, such as crisis-induced price peaks, national backgrounds, and regional policy conditions. I will moreover present how theory-informed interventions can promote more sustainable behavior, both in isolation and in combination with traditional economic interventions. By integrating psychological decision-making data into (energy/climate) system level models, this research finally shows how individual behavior and evidence-based interventions can lead to changes on the system level and ultimately contribute to a transformation towards sustainability.

Die Vorlesungsinhalte vergangener Termine sind als PDF-Datei nach den Kurzbeschreibungen zu finden.

Prof. Dr. Ines Dombrowsky
05.06.2024, 14:15-15:00, Lecture Hall 5

Prof. Dr. Ines Dombrowsky is an honorary professor at the Institute for Sustainability Management at the Faculty of Sustainability. She heads the Governance-Environment department at the German Institute for Development and Sustainability, specializing in institutional economics. She works on various topics, including the use of natural resources, integrated water resource management and the transformation of water governance.

Title: The water-energy-food-ecosystems nexus as governance challenge – insights from research in low- and middle-income countries

Prof. Dr. Daniel Fischer
08.05.2024, 14:15-15:00, Lecture Hall 5

Prof.Dr. Daniel Fischer  is Professor of Education for Sustainable Development and Sachunterricht at the Institute for Sustainability Education and Psychology in the Faculty of Sustainability. He researches how consumption patterns develop over time and in different cultural contexts and how more sustainable ways of living and consuming can be promoted through communication and learning.

Title: A New Hope: Learning to Live Well within Limits

Prof.in Dr.in Dörte Fouquet
06.12.2023, 14:15-15:00 Uhr, Hörsaal 5

Prof.in Dr.in Dörte Fouquet ist Honorarprofessorin am Institute of Sustainability Governance der Fakultät Nachhaltigkeit. Sie beschäftigt sich mit den rechtlichen Herausforderungen der Energiewende und mit Fragestellungen im Bereich des Atomrechts. Sie ist Rechtsanwältin und Mitglied des Wissenschaftlichen und Strategischen Beirates des Instituts für Klimaschutz, Energie und Mobilität IKEM.
Titel: Nuklearenergie, Transparenz und Nachhaltigkeit – der Versuch einer kritischen rechtlich- historischen Bewertung

Hier finden Sie die Vorlesungsinhalte (PDF).

Prof. Dr. Jelena Bäumler
24.06.2020, 14:00

Prof.in Dr. Jelena Bäumler is Professor of Public and International Law with a Focus on Sustainability. She will give her inaugural lecture on 24.06.2020.

Prof. Dr. Thorsten Müller
03.05.2023, 14:15-15:00 Uhr, HS 5

Prof. Dr. Thorsten Müller is an honorary professor at the Faculty of Sustainability. Thorsten Müller is the initiator and co-founder of the Environmental Energy Law Foundation and is its scientific director and chairman. His research focuses on the European and national law of renewable energies, the requirements for instrument networks, and the law of climate protection governance.

Title of his inaugural lecture:
Reform of the Federal Climate Protection Act: More or less climate protection?

Prof.in Dr. Tanja Mölders
25.06.2019, 17:30, HS 2

After a successful habilitation process at the Faculty of Sustainability, the Venia Legendi is awarded to Prof. Dr. Tanja Mölders. In her teaching and research she deals with topics of environmental planning, specifically with a focus on sustainable spatial development and spatial gender studies. Her habilitation thesis is entitled "The Nature of the Rural. On the conception of social nature relations in rural areas" .

Concluding her habilitation process, she will give a lecture on the topic.
"Space Matters! On the Importance of the Category Space for Sustainability Transformation".

Prof.in Dr. Maja Göpel
06.03.2019, 15:45, C40.704

Honorary Professor Dr. Maja Göpel will give her inaugural lecture on 06.03.2019.

Title of her inaugural lecture:
Education and the Great Transformation - challenges and opportunities

Prof. Dr. Felix May
07.11.2018, 14:00, HS 5

Felix May has been an assistant professor for Quantitative Methods in the Natural Sciences at Leuphana since March 2018. His research focuses on biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics using experimental data collection and simulation model building.

Title of his inaugural lecture:
Integrating models and data for predictive biodiversity and sustainability science.

Prof.in Dr. Jacqueline Loos
23.01.2019, 14:00, HS 5

Jaqueline Loos holds the junior professorship for "Sustainable Use of Natural Resources" at the Institute of Ecology since April 2018. Her research focuses on social-ecological research including land use conflicts in countries of the global south (e.g. South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia). Data collection is done in parts of the projects via drone technology. Prof.in Loos is funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation. Prof.in Loos is supported by the Robert-Bosch Foundation.

Title of inaugural lecture:
Sustainability in protected areas: Integrating conservation and development through a justice lens.

Dr. Matthias Bergmann
02.05.2018, 14:00, HS 5
(Appointment as Honorary Professor)

Matthias Bergmann will be ceremoniously presented with the certificate of appointment as Honorary Professor on this day. This will be followed by a 30-minute lecture.
From 2011 to 2016, he was already a visiting scholar at Leuphana University at IETSR in the field of transdisciplinary university teaching.

Title of the inaugural lecture:
In Search of Impact - Promoting transdisciplinary research for society and science.

Prof. Dr. David Abson
24.01.2018, 14:00, HS 5

David Abson is a professor of sustainability economics and valuation at the Center for Sustainability Management. His research focuses on the economics of ecosystem services, socio-ecological systems, and sustainability valuation.

His inaugural lecture is titled:
Sustainability economics: A puzzling piece in the sustainability science jigsaw.

Prof. Dr. Jacob Hörisch
29.11.2017, 14:00, HS 5

Jacob Hörisch is Professor of Sustainability Economics and Management at the Center for Sustainability Management. His research focuses on sustainability management, stakeholder theory, and sustainable entrepreneurship. His research focuses on sustainability management, sustainable entrepreneurship, and stakeholder theory.

His inaugural lecture is titled:
Why economic actors act unsustainably - and how to fix it.

apl-Prof. Dr. Maik Adomßent
June 28, 2017, 2:30 pm, HS5

Maik Adomßent is part of the Institute for Environmental Communication and further coordinates the UNESCO Chair Higher Education for Sustainable Development and the College Complementary Studies. He completed his habilitation at Leuphana University Lüneburg in sustainability science.

His inaugural lecture is entitled: 
Research and Teaching for Sustainability: from the Global to the Local and Back.

Prof.in Dr. Simone Abels
07 June 2017, 14:30, HS5

Simone Abels has been Professor for the Didactics of Science at the Institute for Sustainable Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry since February 2017.

Her inaugural lecture is titled:
Learning Workshop as an Inclusive Space for Science Learning.

Prof.in Dr. Julia Leventon
April 26, 2017, 2:30 pm, HS5

Julia Leventon has been working at Leuphana University since 2015 in the field of Sustainability and Governance in several projects including Leverage Points for Sustainability Transformation. Since 2016 she holds the junior professorship Sustainability Science.

Her inaugural lecture is titled:
Why do we need to think about governance of place for sustainability?

Prof. Dr. Steffen Farny
09. November 2022, 12:15 Uhr, Raum C40.501

Prof. Dr. Steffen Farny ist Juniorprofessor für International Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship am Centre for Sustainability Management der Leuphana Universität Lüneburg. Seine Forschungsschwerpunkte sind nachhaltiges Unternehmertum, die Rolle von Emotionen in Organisationsprozessen sowie unternehmerisches Handeln in extremen Kontexten.

Seine Antrittsvorlesung trägt den Titel:

Weathering the Storm: The Role of Entrepreneurship in Community Recovery after a Disaster

Prof.in Dr.in Berta Martín-López
16. November 2022, 12:15 Uhr, Raum C40.501

Prof.in Dr.in Berta Martín-López ist Professin für Internationale nachhaltige Entwicklung und Planung am Social-Ecological-Systems Institute an der Fakultät Nachhaltigkeit. In ihrer Forschung widmet sie sich der Rolle von Werten, Wissen und Institutionen bei der Unterstützung von Übergangswegen zur Nachhaltigkeit und untersucht Auswirkungen von Forschung innerhalb und außerhalb der akademischen Welt.

Ihre Antrittsvorlesung trägt den Titel:

Relational paradigms in place-based social-ecological research: insights for the global sustainability agenda

Prof. Dr. Jacob Hörisch
23. November 2022, 12:15 Uhr, Raum C40.501

Prof. Dr. Jacob Hörisch ist Professor für Nachhaltigkeitsökonomie und -management am Centre for Sustainability Management an der Fakultät Nachhaltigkeit. Sein Forschungsschwerpunkte sind Nachhaltigkeitsmanagement, Sustainable Entrepreneurship, Stakeholder Theory und Nachhaltigkeitsökonomie.

Seine Antrittsvorlesung trägt den Titel:

How to stimulate sustainable decisions? Insights on consumers and crowdfunding investors

Prof.in Dr.in Astrid Kause
30. November 2022, 12:15 Uhr, Raum C40.501

Prof.in Dr.in Astrid Kause ist Juniorprofessorin für Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaft und Psychologie am Institute for Sustainability Education and Psychology an der Fakultät Nachhaltigkeit. In ihrer Forschung widmet sie sich Risiken und Entscheidungen im Kontext des Klimawandels sowie dem Verständnis und der Kommunikation von Klimapolitik.

Ihre Antrittsvorlesung trägt den Titel:

Too hot to handle? Changing perceptions of a changing climate using behavioral science

Prof.in Dr.in Claudia Kemfert
07. Dezember 2022, 12:15 Uhr, Raum C40.501

Prof.in Dr.in Claudia Kemfert ist Professorin für Energiewirtschaft und Energiepolitik am Institut für Nachhaltigkeitssteuerung der Fakultät Nachhaltigkeit. Sie leitet die Abteilung Energie, Verkehr, Umwelt am Deutschen Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung und berät Forschungsinstitutionen, Bundes- und Landesministerien sowie die EU-Kommission.

Ihre Antrittsvorlesung trägt den Titel:

Energiewende in Zeiten multipler Krisen: Herausforderungen und Chancen