From Bayreuth to Sharm-el-Sheikh: GCEs at COP27

23 Global Change Ecology (GCE) students* from the University of Bayreuth were granted the privilege of participating as observers in the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, from November 6th to 19th 2022. COP conferences broadly provide a platform for negotiating international […]

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Localising climate conversation – The Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) Germany

YOUNGO, as the official children and youth constituency of UNFCCC, runs various formats of Conference of Youth (COY) to empower youth and formally bring their voices to the UNFCCC processes to shape the intergovernmental climate change policies. To strive for universal accessibility, true inclusion, and diversity, YOUNGO’s events range from global (GCOY) via virtual (vCOY) […]

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EuroScience Open Forum, Leiden 2022

This year, the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) was held in Leiden, Netherlands. This edition of the ESOF is not only special because it happens in a more or less post-pandemic scenario, but also because it marks the EuroScience 25th anniversary and the 10th Edition of the ESOF. The EuroScience is a non-profit organization of researchers […]

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2022 UN Ocean Conference

The health of the ocean is under severe threat, despite its importance for people and the planet. To combat this, the United Nations dedicated SDG 14 to ocean issues, and has so far held two Ocean Conferences – one in 2017, and one very recently in 2022. To learn more about the ocean and my […]

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Reflections on IPBES 9

This year, Global Change Ecology students had the opportunity to join representatives from 139 member states, high-profile stakeholders and NGOs in attending the ninth session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES 9). Every year, this intergovernmental panel convenes to address the state of biodiversity and ecosystem services […]

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Field notes from Nairobi, Kenya

Writing a social science master thesis in GCE For my master thesis, I set out to understand how people use energy in an informal settlement in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya in East Africa. That is a particularity for GCE students because most master thesis are written in natural science disciplines. Instead, mine is dealing […]

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Brazilian Biomes: Intro Series

In all its 8.5 million km² [1], Brazil contains six continental biomes: the Amazônia, the Pantanal, the Cerrado, the Caatinga, the Pampas, and the Mata Atlântica (Figure below). Each of these biomes have their own peculiarities, located in different climatic zones and hosting a wide variety of animal and plant species. Since the arrival of […]

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Shifting Baselines

If you think of somewhere pristine, what comes to your mind? Perhaps you think of the Galapagos Islands, remote areas of the Amazon, or some protected national park somewhere in the world. Wherever you think, you are probably wrong. Humans have been impacting the environment of our planet for thousands of years. Much has changed: […]

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CALL FOR APPLICATIONS for the M.Sc. Global Change Ecology

Apply now for the master’s programme Global Change Ecology at the University of Bayreuth, an interdisciplinary graduate programme that deals with global change and its environmental, ecological and societal aspects. It aims to train highly qualified leaders for tasks and problem solving in science, environmental protection and political or economic decision making. Part of the […]

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