Colloquium

Beginning at the University of Augsburg on day one, the colloquium started off with a warm welcome and introduction, setting the stage for a series of thought-provoking sessions. The format chosen was different this time: sessions were divided into interdisciplinary groups sharing a common theme, and instead of advisors it was the PhD students themselves who moderated the sessions. The new format demanded in-depth preparation on the side of workshop moderators, but that was absolutely worth it: the thematic framing of each session highlighted thematic overlaps that had been less visible previously, and there was a new sense of ownership by the PhD students that allowed for a particularly encouraging and lively discussion and helpful interactions among peers and advisors alike. Thank you Livia Cahn, Daler Kaziev Christopher Klapperich, Katie Kung, Maximilian Pieper, Christian Schnurr, Jasmijn Visser, Pia Wimmer and Floris Winckel!

The lively climate of the event continued throughout the second and third sessions of the day, that were focusing on “The Meaning of Ecological Invasion in an Interconnected World” and “Melting Matter, Sediments: Going Back in Time”. Penelope and Katie Kung explored topics ranging from sea urchin invasivorism and climate-conscious cuisine to invasive species in a more-than-human world, while Floris Winckel introduced the Japanese snowflake scientist Ukichiro Nakaya.

On the second day, the colloquium moved to a different building slightly removed from the campus center, which had an invigorating effect on the event. Themes like “Planting, Melting, Fencing in: Human Changes to the Earth,” “Through a Human Lens: Visuality and Ecological Transformation,” and “On Whose Terms? People, Politics, Protest” were covered and led to an exciting exchange of ideas and, sometimes, to an evolution of past research findings.