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Lecture Series: "European Global Studies: Focus the Anthropocene"
European Global Studies: Focus the Anthropocene" is the title of this year's lecture series at the Institute for European Global Studies, organized by Corey Ross as part of the MA program in European Global Studies. The lecture series will run from 15 October to 3 December, taking place at the Vesalianum in Basel from 16:15 to 18:00.
The lecture series explores key issues surrounding the designation of the most recent period of history as a fundamentally new era—the so-called Anthropocene—in which human activity has overtaken other natural processes in shaping the planet’s climate and ecosystems. When we examine energy use, atmospheric changes, water use, land conversion, the nitrogen cycle, biodiversity, and much else, it is clear that human societies have become a dominant geological force. Among the questions that arise are: When did this period start, and what were the main drivers and turning points? What are the political, conceptual, and practical implications of creating such a meta-category? What does the concept help to reveal, what does it occlude, and are there better alternatives? Leading voices from a range of disciplinary backgrounds and focusing on a variety of different countries will present their research and discuss their ideas with the participants. The lecture series aims to understand and reflect on the potential, problems, and implications of identifying our current age as ‘human-made’.
Renowned international scholars have been invited to present their work in this series.
The series begins on October 15 with an introductory session led by our host, Corey Ross, where the goals and content of the lecture series will be outlined. On October 22, we look forward to a lecture by Antoine Acker titled "Willkommen auf dem Planeten Erde - Endstation der Geschichte." Antoine Acker, Professor of history at the University of Geneva, is a renowned historian specializing in global connections during the Anthropocene, with a focus on transatlantic networks between Latin America and Europe.
We are also delighted to welcome Nesa Zimmermann on November 5, with a talk entitled "Human Rights in the Anthropocene: Promises and Pitfalls of the Human Rights Paradigm in Addressing Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss." Nesa Zimmermann is an Assistant Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Neuchâtel, specializing in international human rights law and environmental and climate constitutionalism.
On November 19, Elisa d’Amico from the University of St. Andrews will present her lecture on "Anthropocene Mobilities: Navigating the Complexities of Climate-Induced Migration." Elisa d’Amico is a postdoctoral researcher and political scientist working on global fragmentation and peacemaking and is currently a research fellow at the Institute for European Global Studies.
The series will conclude on December 3 with Frank Krysiak’s lecture on "Sustainability in the Anthropocene: How Can We Cope with Our Ability to Shape the Planet?" Frank Krysiak is a Professor of Economics at the University of Basel, researching the long-term impacts of environmental policy and the economic theory of sustainability.
The lectures will take place at the Vesalianum (Side Entrance, Grosser Hörsaal EO.16) at Vesalgasse 1, 4051 Basel, from 16:15 to 18:00.