The EULiST Symposium on Climate Resilience and Climate Neutrality, held 2–3 December 2024, brought together over 80 participants, including professors, researchers, and students from across Europe as well as representatives from city government. Special guests included esteemed organisations such as the Deutscher Wetterdienst, Urban Innovation Vienna, and the deputy mayor of Athens for environment and climate matters. The two-day event was hosted by Leibniz University Hannover (LUH) and co-organised with the City of Hannover, the National Technical University of Athens and the Technical University of Vienna. The event was made possible by a grant funded by the DAAD and BMBF.
The symposium was opened by LUH president Volker Epping together with Belit Onay, the mayor of Hannover. They underscored the critical importance of collaborative efforts in addressing climate resilience. Onay stated: “Hannover's universities and the city administration are already intensively involved in sustainability and climate protection issues, as we have taken many steps to become climate-neutral by 2035. We need the expertise of researchers to make our cities more climate-resilient and, of course, to meet our climate targets.”
The keynotes set the stage for an engaging exploration of climate resilience issues. Prof Jörg Schröder and Anna Pape from LUH's Institute of Urban Design and Planning highlighted innovative approaches in these two areas. Anja Ritschel, head of economic and environmental affairs for the City of Hannover, emphasised the city's commitment to climate protection and climate-resilient measures, while Nikos Chrysogelos shared insights from Athens' environmental strategies. Dr. Johannes Lutter from Urban Innovation Vienna shed light on strategic urban resilience initiatives.
Afternoon sessions and workshops included scholars and experts from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), the Technical University of Vienna (TU Wien), LUH, and the University of L’Aquila. Topics ranged from climate-resilient urban planning and sustainable mobility to citizen science and digitalisation in fostering sustainability. Advanced methods such as multispectral imaging for climate adaptation strategies and the modelling of climate-induced turbulence with the PALM model were also shared, reflecting the comprehensive scope of the symposium.
The second day of the symposium featured workshops on EU funding opportunities for climate resilience projects, co-presented by the EU Funding Office at LUH and the Office of International Affairs of the City of Hannover, and a roundtable discussion on higher education's role in advancing climate resilience and neutrality. This session underlined the synergy between academia and the practical implementation of sustainable practices.
Such interactions were echoed in the participants' feedback. Mohammad Tawhid of the University of L’Aquila remarked, “The event was an inspiring opportunity to engage with fellow students and professionals from across EULiST partner universities and the city of Hannover. The symposium has not only broadened my perspective but also strengthened my interest in collaborating on initiatives focused on sustainability and climate resilience.” Professor Eleni Alexandrou of NTUA observed, “The blend of academia, researchers, and public and municipal representatives was very fruitful, giving us the chance to contemplate issues of climate adaptivity and resilience in a broadened context.” This sentiment was shared by Professor Jörg Schröder of LUH, who highlighted how EULiST’s efforts have led to new partnership opportunities between the network’s universities and cities, particularly with and between Hannover, Vienna and Athens. At the same time, the focus on cities, climate neutrality, and climate resilience provides an outstanding opportunity for additional activities – for example, a summer school as well as research and teaching cooperation.
The symposium enriched participants' perspectives and initiated a network of collaboration essential for future endeavours in climate resilience. Theda Minthe, head of Science City Hannover, worked with Stephen Sechrist of LUH’s International Office to design the symposium. She summarised the outcomes as follows: “We received a great deal of interesting input and ideas from our colleagues in Vienna and Athens. The EULiST Alliance of Universities in Europe is therefore also very interesting for scientific networks at the municipal level.”
Building on the discussions from this event, a global EULiST conference titled "Co-Creating Climate Resilient Societies" is scheduled for 21–22 November 2025 at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid, Spain. This forthcoming conference is anticipated to further the momentum generated in Hannover and will focus on global strategies for creating resilient societies in the face of climate change.
Additional information about EULiST: https://eulist.university/
