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Futures of Sustainability
Humanities Centre for
Advanced Studies
Futures of Sustainability

Photo: Macario Lacbawan

All events and conferences

The Centre organises a wide range of events – from public lectures, seminars and workshops to more interactive artistic formats with our fellows, writers and artists-in-residence, the Centre's postdoctoral and doctoral researchers, and our colleagues at University of Hamburg.

The Kolleg-Forum is our regular discussion format during the semester, usually taking place on Wednesdays at 10.30 at Gorch Fock Wall 3, door bell sign "Nachhaltigkeit", room 1021. No registration needed. 

  • Kolleg-Forum: 28 January 2026, 10:30 – 12:00

    Cara Daggett (Fellow at Futures of Sustainability):- title tbd -

  • Kolleg-Forum: 21 January 2026, 10:30 – 12:00

    Macario Lacbawan (Futures of Sustainability): - title tbd -

  • Kolleg-Forum: 14 January 2026, 10:30 – 12:00

    Maxim Khomyakov (Fellow at Futures of Sustainability): "Rational mastery over the world in constellations of Russian modernity"

  • Kolleg-Forum: 07 January 2026, 10:30 – 12:00

    Noah Walker-Crawford (London School of Economics): "Climate science on trial: evidentiary strategy in climate litigation"
    Sandrine Maljean-Dubois (CNRS, Aix-Marseille University): "Use of science in the ICJ Advisory Opinion on obligations of states in respect of climate change"

  • Kolleg-Forum: 17 December 2025, 13:00-14:00 (!)

    Eray Çayli (University of Hamburg): "Faultlining: The Racial and Gendered Politics of Earthquake Risk and Resilience"

  • Book Launch: 10 December 2025, 16:00-18:00, (in German)

    Frank Adloff (Futures of Sustainability): "Wirkliches und Mögliches in der Klimakrise. Die Sozialwissenschaften im ökologischen Wandel"
    Comment: Cassiopea Staudacher (Futures of Sustainability), Peter Niesen (University of Hamburg)
    Moderation: Christine Hentschel (Futures of Sustainability)

  • Kolleg-Forum: 10 December 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Cassiopea Staudacher (Futures of Sustainability): "Tragedy of Time: A Sociology of Asynchronicites in the Nuclear Anthropocene"

  • Kolleg-Forum: 03 December 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Alejandro Esguerra (University of Bielefeld): "The Politics of Beginning: The Origin of Private Authority in the Process of Translation"

  • Lecture: 01 December 2025, early evening at the MARKK Museum, (in German)

    Please note: This event is in German and will take place in the lecture hall of the MARKK Museum located at Rothenbaumchaussee 64, 20148 Hamburg. 
    Lecture by Hans Joas (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) about his book on universalism: "Universalismus: Weltherrschaft und Menschheitsethos"
    Comments by Jan Weyand (University of Hamburg) and Elisabeth Bronfen (University of Zurich/New York University) 
    In cooperation with The Hamburg Institute for Advanced Study (HIAS)

  • Kolleg-Forum: 26 November 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Kerstin Lopatta (University of Hamburg): "Simplified European Sustainability Reporting Standards - Drivers of Transformation?"

  • Kolleg-Forum: 19 November 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Cancelled! No Kolleg-Forum due to UHH Academic Week

  • Kolleg-Forum: 12 November 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Leon Wansleben (Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies): "For a Sociology of Advanced Energy Transitions"

  • Kolleg-Forum: 05 November 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Cornelius Heimstädt (Fellow at Futures of Sustainability): "The Climatization of Venture Capital"

  • Kolleg-Forum: 29 October 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Lucile Maertens (Geneva Graduate Institute): "'Let's not forget about the environment!' International organizations and agenda-keeping in a world of crises"

  • Kolleg-Forum: 22 October 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Antje Daniel (University of Vienna): "How inclusive should the climate justice movement be? Claims and disputes surrounding intersectionality"

  • Kolleg-Forum: 15 October 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Maarten A. Hajer (Utrecht University):
    "The Making of Captured Futures: a Discussion of Research Priorities and Methods"
    With Comments by Delf Rothe (ISFH) on Chapter 2, Lea Kammler (Futures of Sustainability) on Chapter 3, Philipp Jacobi (Futures of Sustainability) on Chapter 5, Lucile Maertens (Geneva Graduate Institute) and Stefan C. Aykut (Futures of Sustainability) on Chapter 7. These Comments refer to the book "Captured Futures. Rethinking the Drama of Environmental Politics" by Maarten A. Hajer and Jeroen Oomen. 

  • Kolleg-Lecture: 14 October 2025, 18:00 – 20:00

    Maarten A. Hajer (Utrecht University): "Beyond Captured Futures - Re-imagining Environmental Politics"
    Moderation: Stefan C. Aykut (Futures of Sustainability)
    Please register here.

  • Special Public Event: Keynote and Panel Discussion, 09 October 2025, 18:00-20:00

    "Climate Turbulence, Justice, and Democratic Experimentation"
    Keynote by David Schlosberg (The University of Sydney)
    Panel Discussion with Fatim Selina Diaby (Berlin), Kübra Gümüşay (Hamburg), Christine Winter (University of Otago), Christine Hentschel (Moderation, Futures of Sustainability)
    Please register here. 

  • Kolleg-Forum: 16 July 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Jan Wilkens (University of Hamburg): "The Dark Sides of Climate Justice: Contesting Just Transitions in a Warming World"

  • Kolleg-Forum: 09 July 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Laura Affolter (Futures of Sustainability): "Justice Struggles at Ecuador’s Mining Frontier: Transformative Constitutionalism, Democratic Politics, and the Rights of Nature in Action“

  • Kolleg-Forum: 02 July 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Anita Engels (University of Hamburg): "What to do about climate change: From realistic assessments to non-dystopian suggestions?”

  • Kolleg-Forum: 25 June 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Philipp Jacobi (Futures of Sustainability): "Degrowth in the backpack of a more-than-human ethnographer – Some theoretical reflections"

  • Kolleg-Forum: 18 June 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Svjetlana Nedimović (Organizer and Activist, Sarajevo):
    "Green Future, Grey Present? United Balkans Resistance and Work against Energy Transition"

  • Closed Workshop: 16/17 June 2025

    "Activism, Academia, and Alliances in Shrinking Democratic and Ecological Spaces" 

  • KlimaCampus Colloquium: 12 June 2025, 15:15 – 16:15 (welcome coffee at 14:45)

    Prof. Dr. Dana R. Fisher (American University, Washington DC): "Saving Ourselves in Times of Crisis"
    Chairs: Prof. Dr. Simone Rödder (University of Hamburg) and Prof. Dr. Stefan C. Aykut (Futures of Sustainability)
    In cooperation with KlimaCampus Hamburg
    Venue: The KlimaCampus Colloquium takes place in room 022/023 at Bundesstr. 53

  • Kolleg-Forum: 11 June 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Carl Cassegard (University of Gothenburg): "Critical Theory in Catastrophic Times"

  • Kolleg-Forum: 04 June 2025, 16:00 – 18:00 (in German)

    Ulrich Brand (University of Vienna): Book Presentation (in German) “Kapitalismus am Limit”, more here
    Comments: Sarah Lenz (Paderborn University), Kohei Saito (University of Tokyo)
    Chair: Frank Adloff (Futures of Sustainability)

  • Kolleg-Forum: 21 May 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Frank Adloff (Futures of Sustainability) and Frédéric Vandenberghe (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (IFCS-UFRJ)): "Prospects of Convivialism and Commensalism"

  • Kolleg-Forum: 14 May 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Juneseo Hwang (Futures of Sustainability): “Uneasy Questions in the Politics of Rights of Nature”

  • Kolleg-Forum: 07 May 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Benno Fladvad (University of Hamburg): "Unraveling the colonialities of climate change and action"

  • Kolleg-Forum: 30 April 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Michael Schnegg and Julian Jasper Sommerschuh (University of Hamburg): "How to be hopeful about climate change"
    Comment by Macario Lacbawan (Futures of Sustainability) 

  • Kolleg-Forum: 23 April 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Ulrich Brand (University of Vienna): "International competitiveness as major obstacle for social-ecological transformations"

  • Kolleg-Forum: 16 April 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Peter Niesen (University of Hamburg and Collegium Lyon): "Political Sufficiency for Animals"

  • Kolleg-Forum: 09 April 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Eva von Redecker (Philosopher, Brandenburg countryside): "Isolated Liberty. On the ecological indifference of liberal freedom"

  • Closed Workshop: 17 -18 March 2025

    "Degrowth, Planung, Transformation"
    Workshop in cooperation with The New Institute, Hamburg
    Organizers: Alex Demirović, Kohei Saito, and Ulich Brand
    More information here

  • Book presentation: 29 January, 18:00 - 20:00 (in German)

    With Apéro at 17:30h
    Book presentation “Triggerpunkte. Konsens und Konflikt in der Gegenwartsgesellschaft” 
    With author Linus Westheuser (Humboldt-Universität Berlin)
    Comments: Katharina Zimmermann (University of Hamburg), Anna Fünfgeld (University of Hamburg)
    Chair: Stefan C. Aykut (“Futures of Sustainability”, University of Hamburg)
    Registration at zukuenfte.der.nachhaltigkeit"AT"uni-hamburg.de  is desired (if possible with details of the institution), but spontaneous participation without prior registration is also possible.
    Venue: Humanities Centre for Advanced Studies "Futures of Sustainability"/ DFG Kolleg-Forschungsgruppe "Zukünfte der Nachhaltigkeit", Gorch-Fock-Wall 3 (door bell sign "Nachhaltigkeit"), 20354 Hamburg, room 1021

  • CANCELED: Kolleg-Forum: 22 January 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Eva von Redecker (Philosopher, Brandenburg countryside): "Isolated Liberty. On the ecological indifference of liberal freedom"

  • Kolleg-Forum: 15 January 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Chris Müller (Macquarie University, Sydney): "Anaesthetic Violence: Technology, Affect and the Politics of Ease"

  • Kolleg-Forum: 8 January 2025, 10:30 – 12:00

    Caglar Yigitogullari (actor/performance artist/dancer, Hamburg):"Critical Zone": Performance, Work-in-Progress & Conversation [Performancewerkstatt & Gespräch]
    With a comment by Sophie Witt (University of Hamburg)