Scientific Consultation

Taking responsibility – a Dialog with Political and Public Stakeholders

Scientific advice on complex current and future issues

The University of Freiburg fulfils its responsibility to society in many ways – in addition to training students to disseminate knowledge on a sustainable society and carrying out various science communication measures, this also includes advising political and public stakeholders on current and future issues.

It is not the task of academia as a whole or of individual researchers to make political decisions. However, researchers can provide food for thought or offer suggestions on how to overcome social challenges – in accordance with the University of Freiburg’s understanding of transfer.

Each commitment by an individual researcher can constitute an important contribution in its own right. In their entirety, these commitments are part of how the University of Freiburg takes on responsibility for society.

Future issues like sustainability, democracy, global justice, and artificial intelligence are embodied in the University of Freiburg’s research profile: A particularly large number of researchers are engaging in excellent, internationally visible, and interdisciplinary collaborative research in the focus areas ‘Cultures and Societies in Space and Time’, ‘Signals of Life’, and ‘Pathways to Sustainability’.

Examples of advisory activities in several subject areas are presented here.

In addition, the University offers regular events at the institutional level to put researchers in contact with political representatives. For example, the parliamentary breakfasts at the Bundestag in Berlin or the state parliament in Stuttgart provide a forum for exchange on current issues.