LOST Workshop "Organizing for Social Transformation"

16.03.2026 From March 11 to 13, 2026, LOST hosted an engaging workshop on "Organizing for Social Transformation."

It's a wrap! Thank you to everyone who participated in our two-dayhashtagLOSTworkshop "Organizing for social transformation" at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, for which we brought together a group of international researchers and local practitioners.

Across two days of discussions, we explored questions such as how visions of the future translate into action, how polarization challenges future-making processes, and how, through design, we can co-create alternative worlds. The workshop also included inspiring exchanges with practitioners working on transformation in practice.

A big thank you to everyone who contributed to making this workshop such a stimulating and collaborative space — particularly our guest speakers Paula Wuth (Pontifica Universidad Católica de Chile, Red Latinoamericana de Futuros), Sunny Mosangzi Xu (Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University), Peter Winkler (University of Salzburg), Corinna Krome (Mosaique & Utopia Lüneburg), and David Lampe (Platzprojekt Hannover).

Many thanks as well to all session chairs, Matthias Wenzel, Elke Schuessler, Hannah Trittin-Ulbrich, Britt Smulders (University of Twente), Annemarie Dedden (University of Twente), Boukje Cnossen, Lena Kostuj, and to all participants who joined the discussions and shared their ideas. Special thanks to our organizers, Leonie Eising-Mertsch, Ursula Weisenfeld, and Lena Kostuj.

We are grateful for the thought-provoking conversations and new connections & look forward to continuing the work on researching and organizing for social transformation together.

Impressions from the workshop

Leonie Eising-Mertsch and Ursula Weisenfeld, as our LOST program coordinators for the winter term 2025/26, introduce the workshop program.

Introduction to the workshop

©Lena Kostuj

Drawing from a design perspective, Paula Wuth allowed us to think about how we can move from envisioning futures to making them actionable through design.

Paula Wuth, March 12, 2026

©Lena Kostuj

Sunny Mosangzi Xu presents her work on "Organizing with nature", providing a perspective that challenges approaches of organizing for and against it.

Sunny Mosangzi Xu, March 12, 2026

©Lena Kostuj

The program

Topics	Date	Time
Pre-Program: Writing Retreat Leonie Eising	March 11	10.00 – 17.00
Introduction Ursula Weisenfeld & Leonie Eising Welcome of new members Elke Schüßler & Matthias Wenzel	March 12	09.00 – 09.30
Session 1: Future-making: From Vision to Action? Guests: Paula Wuth (Pontifica Universidad Católica de Chile, Red Latinoamericana de Futuros), Sunny Mosangzi Xu (Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University) Session Chair: Matthias Wenzel		09.30 – 11.00
Coffee Break		11.00 – 11.30
Session 2: Future-making & Polarization Guest: Peter Winkler (University of Salzburg) Session Chair: Hannah Trittin-Ulbrich		11.30 – 13.00
Lunch Break		13.00 – 14.00
Session 3: Co-Designing alternative worlds: Imagining, speculating, and shaping transformation Session Chair: Britt Smulders & Annemarie Dedden		14.00 – 15.30
Coffee Break		15.30 – 16.00
Session 4: The Future of LOST Session Chair: Boukje Cnossen, Lena Kostuj, Elke Schüßler, Matthias Wenzel		16.00 – 17.00
Joint Workshop Dinner		18.30
Session 5: Transformation in Practice Guests: Corinna Krome (Mosaique, Utopia), David Lampe (PLATZprojekt) Session Chair: Ursula Weisenfeld & Leonie Eising	March 13	09.30 – 11.00
Coffee Break		11.00 – 11.30
Session 6: Project Development Roundtables – Researching Social Transformation Session Chair: Leonie Eising & Ursula Weisenfeld		11.30 – 13.00
Lunch		13.00 – 14.00
Farewell

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