University of Cologne

UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Thematic Hub for Planetary Wellbeing

Exploring Multispecies Wellbeing and Ecological Flourishing

Focused on Planetary Wellbeing, the Cologne BRIDGES Thematic Hub addresses the interconnections amongst human health and wellbeing, climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity conservation and ecological regeneration. Bringing the insights and understandings of the environmental humanities to the One Health concept, the Hub approaches wellbeing from a perspective that prioritises multispecies conviviality and ecological flourishing in a shared Planet Earth for present and future generations.

Anchored at the University of Cologne, the BRIDGES Thematic Hub brings together research, public outreach and policy expertise to address the interconnections between human and ecological health in the context of global environmental change

The BRIDGES Thematic Hub for Planetary Wellbeing is anchored in two leading research institutions at the University of Cologne (UoC): the research hub for Multidisciplinary Environmental Studies in the Humanities (MESH) and the Global South Studies Center (GSSC). It is also supported by the Global Responsibility Unit at UoC and the European University for Wellbeing (EUniWell).

Situated within a capacious network of European research partners, but extending its scope and reach to include collaborators from the Global South in order to advance North-South-South eco-humanities interventions, the Hub explores and connects diverse concepts, methodologies and policies connected to Planetary Wellbeing, including intergenerational justice and mental health, art and literature, spirituality and value systems, indigenous and traditional knowledge systems, foresight and futures thinking, as well as discursive and other practices of more-than-human conviviality and collaboration.

Bridges Hub Cologne

News & Events

Partners

UoC BRIDGES Thematic Hub for Planetary Wellbeing

bridges map background
bridges logo white border

UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Thematic Hub for Planetary Wellbeing: Exploring Multispecies Wellbeing and Ecological Flourishing

 

WEBSITE

1 of 8
022 MESH Logo L transparent

MESH | Multidisciplinary Environmental Studies in the Humanities

MESH is a research hub addressing the social, cultural and ethical dimensions of global environmental change, together with its associated ecological, climate and health crises. Bringing the historical, philosophical, literary, linguistic and cultural anthropological expertise of the humanities into conversation with the natural and social sciences, MESH fosters research and knowledge exchange across three main areas of enquiry: Decolonial Cultural Ecologies; Multispecies Conviviality; and Disaster Preparedness.

 

WEBSITE

2 of 8
GSSC Logo schriftzug weiss The Global South Studies Center (GSSC) coordinates global, interdisciplinary research at the University of Cologne focusing on currently highly relevant topics such as migration, sustainability and infrastructures in Africa, Asia and Latin America. A particular focus lies on human-environment relations. Besides providing the supportive structure for scientific projects, the GSSC also makes research results accessible not only to an academic audience but also to the broader public.

WEBSITE 3 of 8
ed490b26 d65c 4fbe b3fd 6346beeb0541

Global Responsibility: DIA | Division of International Affairs

Global Responsibility combines internationalization with third mission in order to spread and transfer the knowledge generated by the University of Cologne in our local, regional and global networks and contribute to global change.

 

WEBSITE

4 of 8
Logo WF final 1

Wissenschaftsforum zu Köln and Essen | Engaging Citizens – Engaging Science

The Wissenschaftsforum zu Köln und Essen is Cologne’s central unit for initiatives in the Public Understanding of the Sciences and Humanities (PUSH). It recognizes and promotes the polyphony of academic research and communicates it both internally and externally.

 

WEBSITE

5 of 8
Sustainability Council UoC 1

Sustainability Council University Cologne

The Sustainability Council advises and make recommendations for the development of the University of Cologne’s sustainability strategy and an implementation concept for a sustainable campus.

 

WEBSITE

6 of 8
867f183d 8ff7 4288 ae3b 5d0ba72eb1bb e1729628671330

IFDG | Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Didactics in the Humanities
The IFDG initiates, promotes and consolidates cooperation between the subject-specific pedagogies of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, which, with almost 14,000 students and currently 165 professors, is one of the largest teacher training faculties in the German university landscape.

 

WEBSITE

7 of 8
d280ce88 e594 451d 8518 26efea88175b

EUniWell | The European University for Well-Being  – is one of 64 European University Alliances, selected for funding by the European Commission under the ERASMUS+ programme in 2020.  promotes research, education, innovation, and societal engagement, EUniWell is committed to shaping a better future for all.

 

WEBSITE

8 of 8

Our Team

kate rigby
Prof. Dr. Kate Rigby
Hub Director and MESH Director, Humboldt Professor of Environmental Humanities
Franz
Prof. Dr. Franz Krause
Hub Co-Director and MESH Co-Director, Professor of Environmental Anthropology
kenneth
Dr. Nsah Mala (Kenneth Nsah)
Hub Coordinator, Postdoctoral Researcher in Environmental Humanities, Sustainability Science, Foresight and Futures Thinking
Roman Bartosch
Prof. Dr. Roman Bartosch
Hub Co-Director and MESH Co-Director, Professor of Anglophone Literatures and Cultures and the Teaching of English
Christoph
Dr. Christoph Lange
MESH Associate Director and Academic Programme Manager, Postdoctoral Researcher in Environmental Anthropology
Saskia
Ms Saskia Maassen, BA
Hub Communications Specialist, MA Student and Research Assistant to Prof Dr Kate Rigby