Summer School 2025 for mid-career scholars: "Justice in an interlinked world"

9 to 11 September 2025 | Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER), Dresden/Germany

Under the heading "Justice in an interlinked world: revisiting rural-urban and South-North relationships in sustainability transformations", a Summer School in September 2025 will be dedicated to questions of justice in rural-urban and global South-North relationships towards sustainability. The Summer School is aimed at mid-career scholars. Applications can be submitted until 30 March. The Summer School will take place from 9 to 11 September 2025 at the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) in Dresden.

The burdens and benefits of, as well as the recognition and participation in sustainability transformations remain unequally distributed across rural/urban, global South/North communities, leading to spatial injustices and peripheralization. The Summer School 2025 addresses this spatial unevenness from a diversity of justice perspectives, widening the focus from distribution, recognition and participation to especially intersectionality and restoration.

The aim is an inter- and transdisciplinary exchange and critical reflection on socio-spatial relationships. What are the causes of (in)justices, ambivalences and paradoxes in rural-urban and South-North relationships? What are the reasons for their reproduction and reinforcement? How can injustices be undone? These are just some of the questions that the Summer School will be focussing on.

The interdisciplinary training and networking event provides conceptual introductions with the presentations of empirical examples and interactive workshops to give participants the opportunity to expand their knowledge of the literature on (in)justices and spatial unevenness and learn methods of critical reflection on normative concepts. Furthermore, participants will expand their knowledge of transdisciplinary research approaches and test methodological approaches to co-creation with societal actors, in particular artistic interventions. In addition, inspiring speakers from the sustainability sciences share insights from their research.

This summer school is designed for mid-career scholars. The organisers roughly define mid-careers as academic professionals who have progressed beyond the early stages of their career but have not yet reached senior or leadership positions. They usually have: several years (often more than 5) of research or teaching experience, completed their PhD, have established reputation in their area of expertise, and often hold mid to senior positions in their institutions.

Participation in the Summer School is free of cost. However, participants will have to cover their travel and accommodation.

Interested mid-career scholars can apply until 30 March 2025 using the online form.

Details on the application modalities can be found in the complete Call for Applications (PDF).

Background

The Summer School "Justice in an interlinked world: revisiting rural-urban and South-North relationships in sustainability transformations" is hosted by the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) in cooperation with Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Special Interest Group on Justice, Power and Transformative Action in Sustainability (JUPITA, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University), Thematic Group Equity and Justice (Ju-ST) (Sustainability Transitions Research Network), and the Leibniz Research Network "Knowledge for Sustainable Development".