What will green cities of the future look like? How can steel production be made sustainable? What are the ethical and religious challenges of climate change? The series will address these and other questions in a total of six events in the 2026 summer semester. "With this lecture series, we not only want to show the challenges posed by climate change, but also highlight the possibilities for adaptation. The fact that the series is entering its fourteenth round shows how important the topic is not only in research, but also in society," says Prof. Dr. Chadi Touma from the School of Biology/Chemistry at Osnabrück University.
Prof. Dr. Kathrin Kiehl from Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences will kick off the event on Wednesday, 22 April 2026, with the topic "Green cities for the future: promoting biodiversity and climate resilience". In addition to the lectures, forestry graduate Michael Wallusch and Dr. Matthias Schmidt will be offering an excursion to the Bischofswald forest on Haster Berg, Osnabrück, on Saturday, June 6, 2026 (registration required).
The free events are aimed at interested members of the public and will take place as usual in lecture hall 01/E01, Kolpingstr. 7, at 7 pm at Osnabrück University. Admission is from 6.30 pm.
The lectures will be accessible via live stream and later also via video recording. This can be done via the homepage of the S4F regional group.
The events at a glance
April 22, 2026: "Green cities for the future: promoting biodiversity and climate resilience", Prof. Dr. Kathrin Kiehl, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Landscape Architecture
May 6, 2026: "Implementing the municipal heating transition - heating network or heat pump?", Dr. Peter Moser, Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena), Competence Centre for the Heating Transition, Halle
May 20, 2026: "GMH Gruppe - The path to climate-neutral steel production", Dipl-Ing. Henning Dickert, GMH Gruppe SE & Co. KG, Director Innovation
June 3, 2026: "Microplastics - Facts, Myths and Open Questions", Dr. Jörg Klasmeier, Osnabrück University, Institute of Environmental Systems Research
6 June 2026, 10 am - 1 pm: Excursion to the Bishop's Forest on Haster Berg, Osnabrück, on the topic of "Forest and forestry in times of climate change", Dipl.-Forstwirt Michael Wallusch, Forest Supervisor for the Episcopal See of Osnabrück and Dr. Matthias Schmidt, Northwest German Forest Research Institute Göttingen, Head of Growth and Risk Modelling in the Forest Growth Department.
Limited number of participants, further information and registration from May at the Scientists for Future website.
July1 , 2026: "Between Climate Anxiety and Climate Denial: Ethical and Religious Challenges of Climate Change Considering Christian Nationalism (USA and Germany)", Prof. Dr. Andreas Kubik-Boltres, Osnabrück University, School of Educational and Cultural Studies
Further information for the media:
Prof. Dr. Chadi Touma, Osnabrück University
School of Biology/Chemistry
E-mail: ctouma@uni-osnabrueck.de
