From 23 June to 6 July 2025, the University of Passau will once again host the Sustainable Weeks - a series of events dedicated entirely to the topic of sustainability.
In previous years, there has been a varied programme with lectures, workshops, discussion rounds and hands-on activities on topics such as climate protection, social justice, sustainable consumption and biodiversity. In 2025, you can once again expect exciting formats that will inspire you to think and provide practical tips for a sustainable everyday life.
Whether it's upcycling projects, sustainable city tours, vegan cooking workshops or expert talks - the Sustainable Weeks offer all interested parties the opportunity to find out more, try things out and exchange ideas.
The exact programme will be announced in the coming weeks. We are looking forward to two weeks full of inspiration, commitment and shared learning!
Save the date: 23 June - 6 July 2025.
Further information on the exact programme will follow shortly on the University of Passau website.
![[Translate to Englisch:] Stand 17.6.2025](/fileadmin/_processed_/3/0/csm_NW_Programm_2025_06_17_6dda8b0e3e.jpg)
3 July 2025, from 16:30, lecture hall 10 (Audimax) and foyer of the Audimax of the University of Passau
On 3 July 2025, the University of Passau and the Association of German Scientists (VDW) invite you to the “Overcoming Borders” day of action. The event will begin at 13:30 with an internal university kick-off event in the Kulturtransport, where students will present their projects from interdisciplinary seminars. Highlights of the afternoon include a keynote speech by Prof. Dr Hubert Weiger on the topic of sustainable border management and lively discussions with participating scientists.
The public evening event will take place in the Audimax from 16:30, and Bavarian Environment Minister Thorsten Glauber is also expected to attend. After a speech by the Minister, the University of Passau's sustainability awards will be presented and student work will be honoured.
| 16:30 | Welcome Prof Dr Ulrich Bartosch (President of the University of Passau) |
| 16:35 | Greeting from Thorsten Glauber (Bavarian State Minister for the Environment and Consumer Protection) |
| 16:50 | Award ceremony Prize for sustainability-related research and prize for sustainability activities at the university - Presentation of the prizes by Thorsten Glauber and Prof Dr Ulrich Bartosch |
| 17:00 | Overcoming boundaries: Students in conversation with Prof. Dr Hubert Weiger (Honorary President of BUND Nature Conservation and VDW Board Member) |
| 17:20 | Keynote: Subdue the earth - the rise and fall of an idea Dr Philipp Blom (writer, historian, journalist and translator) |
| 18:20 | Farewell by Prof. Dr Werner Gamerith and Prof. Dr Ulrich Bartosch |
| 18:30 | Stand-up snack and poster tour |
Journalist Dr Philipp Blom will round off the programme with a keynote speech on the relationship between man and nature. As a writer and historian, he has inspired readers with bestsellers such as Der taumelnde Kontinent and Böse Philosophen, which combine historical research with philosophical depth. His works have been translated into 16 languages and have received numerous awards, including the NDR Kultur non-fiction prize and the Gleim Prize, testifying to his masterful storytelling skills. As a charismatic speaker, presenter and documentary filmmaker, Dr Blom also shapes the intellectual debate. His award-winning series The Reeling Continent and his talent for making complex topics accessible make him a pioneering voice of our time.
The event will conclude with a poster exhibition and standing reception, where students can discuss their projects in more detail and exchange ideas with guests. The event ends at around 22:30.
The Sustainability Day offers a unique opportunity to discuss current sustainability issues from a scientific, political and social perspective. All interested parties are cordially invited to take part in this special programme.
To mark Sustainability Day 2025, an interdisciplinary course collaboration between the University of Passau and the Association of German Scientists (VDW) is taking place in the summer semester. Under the title “Overcoming Borders”, geographical, linguistic, historical and ecological perspectives on the topic of borders in Europe will be combined with the guiding principle of sustainability.
The co-operation includes four courses dealing with border areas, reflexive cartography, the ‘Green Belt’ and digital environmental history. A particular highlight is the two-day excursion to the ‘Green Belt’ on 30 and 31 May 2025, led by Prof. Dr Hubert Weiger, Honorary President of BUND Naturschutz and VDW Board Member. The excursion will include a visit to the St. Oswald Forest History Museum and an exploration of the Bavarian-Czech border region.
The results of the courses will be presented on Sustainability Day, 3 July 2025. Students will have the opportunity to present their projects in the form of posters, podcasts, films or other creative formats. The best and most original contributions will be honoured.
Two joint dates are planned for preparation: a preliminary discussion of the project topics on 5 May 2025 and an internal presentation of the projects developed on 23 June 2025. The lecturers involved, including Prof. Dr Werner Gamerith, Prof. Dr Alexander Werth, Prof. Dr Andreas Eberth, Prof. Dr Britta Kägler, Prof. Dr Malte Rehbein and Prof. Dr Stephanie Zehnle, will support the students in this process.
The course cooperation is aimed at all students who are interested in cross-border topics and sustainability. Further information is available from the respective lecturers or the organisation team.
This cooperation offers a unique opportunity to deal intensively with current and historical border issues and to develop innovative solutions for a sustainable future.
| 13:30 | Welcome Dr Maria Reinisch (Managing Director of the Association of German Scientists (VDW)) and Prof. Dr Werner Gamerith (Vice President and Professor of Regional Geography at the University of Passau) |
| 13:45 | Impulse: Why overcome borders and how can a sustainable bond be created across all borders? Prof Dr Hubert Weiger (Honorary President of BUND Nature Conservation and VDW Board Member) |
| 14:00 | Brief presentation of the study projects |
| 15:30 | Poster presentation and discussion with Dr Philipp Blom (writer, historian, journalist and translator) |
| 16:00 – 16:30 | Conclusion, coffee break and change of location |
The results of the courses will be presented on Sustainability Day, 3 July 2025. Students will have the opportunity to present their projects in the form of posters, podcasts, films or other creative formats. The best and most original contributions will be honoured.
The participating professors at the University of Passau, including Prof Dr Werner Gamerith, Prof Dr Alexander Werth, Prof Dr Andreas Eberth, Prof Dr Britta Kägler, Prof Dr Malte Rehbein and Prof Dr Stephanie Zehnle, will support the students in this process.
The course cooperation is aimed at all students who are interested in cross-border topics and sustainability. Further information is available from the respective lecturers or the organisation team.
This cooperation offers a unique opportunity to deal intensively with current and historical border issues and to develop innovative solutions for a sustainable future.
In July 2025, Professor Urs Kramer is offering a lecture on railway law (Stud.IP number 21275) for those interested in sustainability, which is open to the public. This not only offers a sound overview of this multifaceted area of law, but also has practical elements: on one of the four dates, railway operations will be experienced directly from the driver's cab of a locomotive, while at another session, practitioners will present various professions related to the railway. The lecture language is German. Further information.
The lecture will take place on the following dates at Nikolastraße 12 in seminar room 008:
On 20 May 2025, the 3rd Québec-Bavaria Forum on ‘Sustainability and Social Responsibility - Culture-specific and Intercultural Perspectives’ took place at the University of Passau. Organised by the University of Passau, the event provided a platform for exchange between Québec and Bavaria. Lectures, practical examples and discussion panels highlighted innovative approaches to sustainability from a scientific, economic and social perspective. The focus was on the realisation that sustainable development can only succeed through the interplay of ecological, economic and social responsibility as well as international cooperation. The forum inspired new perspectives and concrete action in line with the motto: ‘A world of crisis is a world of opportunities.’. Further information.
You can find past events in the Event archive.
