Lecture Series 'Changing Cities, Changing Societies'
How can European cities become climate-neutral, resilient and socially just? "Changing Cities, Changing Societies" brings together researchers and practitioners to exchange experiences, challenges and solutions for urban sustainability transformations.
Overview | Programme | FAQs | Organisers
Changing Together
As nearly three quarters of Europeans live in cities, urban areas are both major drivers of resource consumption and environmental pressures, and key arenas for shaping climate-neutral, resilient and liveable futures. The lecture series"Changing Cities, Changing Societies" explores how collaboration between research and practice can support urban sustainability transformations.
Organised within the Circle U. Alliance, the series connects international perspectives with local experiences in Vienna. Researchers from partner universities across Europe present projects and experiences from their respective cities and regions. Their contributions provide starting points for discussions with researchers from the University of Vienna, representatives of the City of Vienna and students.
Rather than presenting ready-made solutions, the lecture series creates a space for dialogue and mutual learning. By bringing together actors from different disciplines, sectors and countries, it explores how knowledge can be shared, translated into practice and used to address complex societal challenges. Cities provide the setting for these discussions, offering concrete examples of how collaboration can support more sustainable, resilient and equitable futures.
Programme
Our lecture series consists of an opening event, nine thematic sessions, and a closing event. Each session features input from an expert of one of the participating universities, followed by a discussion with local researchers and/or practitioners from the City of Vienna.
Rather than providing basic information on environmental, climate and sustainability concepts, which is already widely available, this lecture series focuses on current challenges and experiences of collaboration between academia, public administration and professional practice. The series is intended as a platform for exchange, discussion and collaborative learning across institutional, disciplinary and national boundaries.
The weekly sessions take place on Tuesdays from 18:30 to 20:00 at the University of Vienna. The opening event will be held on 13 October 2026 at Vienna City Hall, and the closing event will take place on 21 January 2027 at the UNiversity of Vienna.
Please note that all thematic sessions and the closing event will be held in English. The opening event will be held in German.
Units
When: 6.10.2026, 18:30-20:00
Where: Lecture Hall 2, University of Vienna, Neues Institutsgebäude (NIG)
Online participation: link will follow
Speakers:
- Timo Bühler, Environment and Climate Research Hub, University of Vienna (Organiser)
- Katharina Meißner-Schöller, City of Vienna
When: 13.10.2026, 18:00-20:00 (Entrance from 17:15 with a ticket)
Where: Ballroom, Vienna City Hall (Entry via Lichtenfelsgasse 2, 1010 Vienna)
Event Language: German
Registration for the event (in-person & livestream)
Schedule
Welcome
- Manuela Baccarini – Vice-Rector of the University of Vienna
- Thilo Hofmann - Co-Director of the Environment and Climate Research Hub of the University of Vienna
Keynote speech
- Kerstin Krellenberg – Professor of Urban Studies at the University of Vienna
Panel discussion with audience participation
- Kerstin Krellenberg – Professor of Urban Studies at the University of Vienna
- Thomas Madreiter – Director of Planning for the City of Vienna
- Matti Bunzl – Artistic and Scientific Director of the Wien Museum
- Sabrina Halkic – Managing Director of the Lokale Agenda 21
Closing
- Timo Bühler – Organizer of the lecture series and coordinator at the Environment and Climate Research Hub of the University of Vienna
When: 20.10.2026, 18:30-20:00
Where: Lecture Hall 2, University of Vienna, Neues Institutsgebäude (NIG)
Online participation: link will follow
Speakers:
- Marco Raugi, University of Pisa
- Moderation: Timo Bühler, ECH
When: 27.10.2026, 18:30-20:00
Where: Lecture Hall 2, University of Vienna, Neues Institutsgebäude (NIG)
Online participation: link will follow
Speakers:
- Boris Radić, University of Belgrade
- Moderation: Timo Bühler, ECH
When: 3.11.2026, 18:30-20:00
Where: Lecture Hall 2, University of Vienna, Neues Institutsgebäude (NIG)
Online participation: link will follow
Speakers:
- Tom Dedeurwaerdere, UCLouvain
- Moderation: Timo Bühler, ECH
When: 10.11.2026, 18:30-20:00
Where: Lecture Hall 2, University of Vienna, Neues Institutsgebäude (NIG)
Online participation: link will follow
Speakers:
- Kirstie Hewlett, King's College London
- Moderation: Timo Bühler, ECH
When: 17.11.2026, 18:30-20:00
Where: Lecture Hall 2, University of Vienna, Neues Institutsgebäude (NIG)
Online participation: link will follow
Speakers:
- Arve Hansen, University of Oslo
- Moderation: Timo Bühler, ECH
When: 24.11.2026, 18:30-20:00
Where: Lecture Hall 2, University of Vienna, Neues Institutsgebäude (NIG)
Online participation: link will follow
Speakers:
- Steffen Petersen, Aarhus University
- Moderation: Timo Bühler, ECH
Why isn’t more happening? – In search of levers for transformation
When: 01.12.2026, doors open at 5:30 p.m., start: 6:00 p.m.
Where: Upper Dome Hall, Natural History Museum Vienna, main entrance – Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Vienna
Event Language: German
Registration for the event (in-person & livestream)
Schedule:
Welcome
- Katrin Vohland – Director General of the Natural History Museum Vienna
- Nikolaus Hautsch – Vice Rector for Infrastructure at the University of Vienna
- Thilo Hofmann – Co-Director of the Environment and Climate Research Hub at the University of Vienna
Keynote
- Sigrid Stagl – Professor of Environmental Economics & Policy at the Vienna University of Economics and Business
Panel discussion with audience participation
- Sigrid Stagl – Professor of Environmental Economics & Policy at the Vienna University of Economics and Business
- Kerstin Krellenberg – Professor for Urban Studies at the University of Vienna
- Leonhard Dobusch – Professor of Business Administration with a focus on organization at the University of Innsbruck
- More speakers to be announced!
- Moderation: Marlene Nowotny, Science Editor, Ö1
When: 15.12.2026, 18:30-20:00
Where: Lecture Hall 2, University of Vienna, Neues Institutsgebäude (NIG)
Online participation: link will follow
Speakers:
- Yuri Kazepov, University of Vienna
- Moderation: Timo Bühler, ECH
When: 12.1.2027, 18:30-20:00
Where: Lecture Hall 2, University of Vienna, Neues Institutsgebäude (NIG)
Online participation: link will follow
Speakers:
- Ina Säumel, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Moderation: Timo Bühler, ECH
When: 19.1.2027, 18:30-20:00
Where: Lecture Hall 2, University of Vienna, Neues Institutsgebäude (NIG)
Online participation: link will follow
Speakers:
- Barbara Laa, Vienna University of Technology
- Moderation: Timo Bühler, ECH
When: 21.1.2027, 18:30-20:00
Where: Lecture Hall 1, University of Vienna, Neues Institutsgebäude (NIG)
Participation: Registration link will follow
Speakers:
- Sabine Pahl, University of Vienna
- Timo Bühler, ECH (Organizer)
FAQ for the lecture series
The lecture series is open to all students of the University of Vienna, students from Circle U. partner universities and interested members of the public. No prior expertise is required.
It is particularly relevant for anyone interested in how collaboration between research, policy, administration and society can contribute to addressing contemporary environmental, social and economic challenges. Whether your background is in the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, engineering, planning or public policy, the lecture series offers opportunities to engage with diverse perspectives and approaches.
Complex societal challenges such as climate change, social inequality, sustainable resource use or resilient infrastructure cannot be addressed by a single discipline, institution or sector alone. This lecture series explores how different actors, including researchers, public authorities, practitioners and civil society organisations, can work together to develop and implement solutions for a more sustainable future.
Drawing on experiences from Vienna and other European cities, the series showcases examples of collaboration across institutional and national boundaries. Each session combines perspectives from research and practice and creates space for discussion, critical reflection and mutual learning.
In principle, yes, but this depends on your study programme. For students at the University of Vienna, recognition is possible if the Director of Studies (SPL) of your programme has included the lecture series in the curriculum.
The course is worth 3 ECTS credits and is assessed through a multiple-choice examination. Circle U. students may also participate as part of the Circle U. programme and receive ECTS credits. An online examination format is available for Circle U. students.
If the lecture series is not listed in your curriculum, we recommend registering for the course and contacting your SPL directly regarding credit recognition.
Yes, this is generally possible. If you are enrolled at another Austrian university or university of applied sciences, you can attend individual courses at the University of Vienna through co-registration.
Important: You must clarify credit transfer with the program director at your home university before attending courses.
Once your co-registration application is approved, don’t forget to register for the lecture via u:find.
More information on co-registration is available here:
Co-registration at the University of Vienna
Circle U. students can register until 13 October 2026 via the application portal. Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
After admission, students must complete their course registration via u:find by the specified deadline.
The main language of instruction is English. The opening event is a public event held in German (English subtitles will be added to the recording afterwards).
For administrative questions relating to admission and participation through Circle U., please contact the International Office of the University of Vienna at: circle-u(at)univie.ac.at
If you have questions regarding the content, organisation or participation in the lecture series, please contact the organising team at: ringvo.ech(at)univie.ac.at
Organisers
This lecture series is organised by the Environment and Climate Research Hub (ECH) at the University of Vienna in cooperation with the City of Vienna. The course is led by Timo Bühler, MA.
Partners
Join the Urban Research to Practice: Science4Policy Hackathon