SustainAbility and URV WiSe 2026/27

Understanding Sustainability: SustainAbility and the “Umweltring” Lecture Series at TU Dresden

How can we live more sustainably, and what challenges does the climate crisis pose? The “SustainAbility” and “Umweltring” lecture series at TU Dresden offer a variety of opportunities to explore these and other questions related to sustainability.

Since the winter semester of 2021, the student team behind “SustainAbility: Understanding and Implementing Sustainability,” in cooperation with DRESDEN-concept, has been providing foundational knowledge on sustainability and, in particular, the climate crisis. The events examine the topic from various perspectives and highlight the connections between ecological, societal, and individual issues.

The program is open to students in all semesters, TU Dresden staff, high school seniors, and anyone else interested. No prior knowledge is required—the events thus also offer an accessible introduction to the topic of sustainability.

The program is complemented by tuuwi’s “Umweltring” lecture series, which delves deeper into specific topics. Together, these two program offerings provide an opportunity to explore sustainability both at a foundational level and from various scientific perspectives.

Those who were unable to attend the events can watch past SustainAbility lectures online on Videocampus Sachsen. This ensures that the knowledge remains accessible even beyond the dates of the individual events.

The lecture series invites participants to learn more, discover new perspectives, and reflect on how sustainable development can be shaped in their own daily lives and in society.

Upheaval. Disobedience. Utopias. – Lecture Series on Social Transformation

How does society change—and what opportunities exist to actively shape social change? The lecture series “Upheaval. Disobedience. Utopias. – The Potential of Social Transformations” explores these questions .

The lecture series sheds light on processes of social transformation and explores the potential they hold for actively changing society. In doing so, upheaval, disobedience, and utopias are examined from various perspectives.

Particular emphasis is placed on the question of what role feminist approaches, protest movements, the media, and artificial intelligence play in processes of social transformation. These diverse perspectives aim to foster a better understanding of changes in society and to critically examine existing structures.

The goal of the lecture series is to make social change more understandable, to open existing structures up for discussion, and to explore possible paths toward a socially and ecologically just future.

The lecture series will take place starting October 21, 2026, on Wednesdays from 4:40 p.m. to 6:10 p.m. The venue is HSZ/401/H.

“Don’t Build Crap” – Lecture Series on Future-Oriented Design

How can buildings, cities, and landscapes be designed to be sustainable, climate-resilient, and future-proof? The lecture series “Don’t Build Crap – How We Can Design Buildings, Cities, and Landscapes for the Future” addresses this question .

The lecture focuses on various approaches to the sustainable design of our built environment. Topics include resource-efficient construction and living, sustainable urban development, and urban gardening and landscaping.

The series does not limit itself to ecological aspects; social and design-related issues also play an important role. The lectures also explore how architectural planning can contribute to creating more livable and safer spaces.

The goal of the lecture series is to highlight sustainable solutions for the built environment while critically examining how we want to build and live in the future.

The lecture series will take place starting October 19, 2026, on Mondays from 4:40 p.m. to 6:10 p.m. The venue is HSZ/401/H.