Participants will deal with global challenges and address urgent questions on how to shape sustainable futures in the Arctic and beyond from a scientific and socioeconomic point of view.
In partnership with the City of Potsdam, the 2014 Potsdam Summer School will be jointly conducted by the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam - GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), and the University of Potsdam. Experts, stakeholders, and guest lecturers from national and international institutes and organizations will contribute high level knowledge to the Summer School programme.
The focus of this first Potsdam Summer School will be "Arctic in the Anthropocene", concentrating on the rapid environmental changes in the Arctic region over the last decades. An intense two-week programme will explore the options, pathways, risks and challenges towards sustainable futures for the Arctic, and in essence for the whole planet given the Arctic's crucial role for the globe's climate and weather system. Issues addressed will include:
Learning about the Arctic and Arctic/non-Arctic Feedback Loops...
- Sea-ice Developments
- Land-atmosphere Interactions
- Climate Dynamics
- Ecological and Environmental Risks
- The Marine Arctic and Ocean Governance
- The Political Arctic: Ownership, Cooperation and Conflict Potential
- The Role of Resources (oil and gas, minerals, shipping, tourism, fishing)
- The Changing Cryosphere: Sea Ice, Glaciers, Ice Sheets, and Permafrost
...and Putting Knowledge to Action
- Planning for Sustainable Arctic Futures
- Building the Science-Policy-Bridge
- Raising Awareness for the Arctic and communicating Arctic Transformations and their Relevance for all of us.
- Learning together and co-developing Action Plans to address Arctic Challenges with Experts and Stakeholders.
The summer school will be conducted in English. The organizers are looking forward to applications from young professionals who have a wide range of backgrounds to discuss the future of the Arctic region in the age of the Anthropocene.
All information is accessible on the summer school homepage.
Deadline for applications: April 30th, 2014