Potsdam Summer School 2023

The annual Potsdam Summer School brings together talented early-career scientists and people outside of academia working in the field of sustainability to improve science awareness, develop informed opinions, and enhance the transferable skills of current researchers and practitioners. In 2023, the Potsdam Summer School was co-organized by the University of Potsdam, the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), and the Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS). The overarching theme was Responsibility and Ethics in Sustainability Science.

Áslat Holmberg opened the workshop titled, From Consultation to Co-creation: Ethical and Equitable Approaches to Arctic Research, and shared about Saami history and research. Then, Stephan Dudeck shared a practical example of co-creation through his work with the Khanty documenting their Bear Ceremony. Evie Morin presented on the CO-CREATE Collaborative and gave a high-level overview of some key collaborations, while Nina Döring provided more detail about the recently published Roadmap to Decolonial Arctic Research. The workshop concluded with a reflective session, prompting participants to personally contemplate the influence of colonial histories on their work and encouraging thoughtful consideration of key factors when working on Indigenous lands and with Indigenous Peoples.

Contributors

Nina N. DöringLocation: Potsdam, Germany

Aslak HolmbergLocation: Njuorggán, Sápmi, Finland

Evie MorinLocation: Potsdam, Germany

Stephan DudeckLocation: Berlin, Germany; Tartu, Estonia; and Rovaniemi, Finland