Lower Saxony – Scotland Joint Forum 2024:
The Jubilee Edition
10 + 11 June 2024

Jörg Philipp Terhechte is Professor of Public, European and International Law at and Vice President of Leuphana University Lüneburg. He is Academic Director of the European Centre for Advanced Studies.

James Conroy is Professor of Religious and Philosophical Education (Pedagogy, Praxis & Faith) and Dean of Global Engagement for Europe at the University of Glasgow. He is Academic Director of the European Centre for Advanced Studies.

Professor Gioia Falcone is Rankine Chair at the University of Glasgow, where she is Head of the Energy and Sustainability Research Group, Associate Director of the Centre for Sustainable Solutions and member of the University’s Sustainability Working Group. She is also Visiting Professor at Imperial College London and Guest Professor at TU Berlin. Prof. Falcone is Vice-Chairperson of the Bureau of the Expert Group on Resource Management of the United Nations Commission for Europe (UNECE), Member of its Renewables Sub-Group and its focal point for the UNECE Pathways to Sustainable Energy & Carbon Neutrality Project. She sits on the BEIS (UK Government Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy) Energy Working Group, chaired by the Chief Scientific Advisor to BEIS, advising on the development of Technical Screening Criteria in the energy sector for the UK Green Taxonomy. She serves on the Board of Directors of the International Geothermal Association (IGA), on the Board of the Energy Technology Partnership (ETP) and on the Directorate of Scottish Carbon Capture and Sequestration (SCCS). She is Member of the Net Zero Technology Centre Academic Advisory Panel, of the European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) and the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre (UKCCSRC).
Between 2011 and early 2016, Prof. Falcone held the W3 Endowed Chair and Professorship in Geothermal Energy Systems at Clausthal University of Technology, Germany, where she was Head of the new Department of Geothermal Engineering and Integrated Energy Systems, and Director of the now Institute of Subsurface Energy
Systems.
You can contact her via gioia.falcone@glasgow.ac.uk.

Daniel Friedrich is Professor of Energy Systems at the University of Edinburgh, where he leads research on green heat and thermal energy storage. In his research, he focuses on the design and optimisation of dynamic energy systems. His main interest is the integration of thermal energy systems into the wider energy system to provide affordable, reliable and sustainable heat while, at the same time, supporting the decarbonisation of the energy system. You can contact him via d.friedrich@ed.ac.uk. 

Prof. Dr. Claudia Kemfert has headed the Energy, Transport and Environment Department at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) since 2004 and is Professor of Energy Economics and Energy Policy at Leuphana University. She is co-chair of the German Advisory Council on the Environment at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, as well as on the Executive Committee of the German Society of the Club of Rome; Kemfert is one of the most renowned experts in her field. She is the author of over 400 publications, including several books. Most recently, her new book “Shockwaves” was published in spring 2023. She can be contacted via sekretariat-evu@diw.de. 
Photo: Oliver Betke

Stephan Barth has been working in the wind energy sector for 20 years. Since 2008 he is the managing director of the Center for Wind Energy Research of the Universities of Oldenburg, Hannover and Bremen (ForWind). Stephan studied physics and holds a PhD in natural sciences from the University of Oldenburg. Next to other roles he is Chairman of the International Energy Agency Technology Collaboration Programme Wind Energy Systems (IEA TCP Wind), Joint Programme Coordinator for Wind Energy of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA JP Wind) and Vice-chair of the European Technology and Innovation Platform Wind Energy (ETIPWind). He can be contacted via stephan.barth@forwind.de.

Dr. Alexander Bedrunka is a hydrogen expert and project manager of the Hydrogen Network of Lower Saxony. He advises and supports politics, businesses, and science in accelerating the development of a sustainable hydrogen economy.

Prof. Dr. Markus Reihlen is Professor of Strategic Management at Leuphana University Lüneburg. From 2010 to 2012 he was Graduate School Dean of Studies and from 2012 until 2020 Vice President responsible for the Leuphana Graduate School, Young Academics and Entrepreneurship. He can be contacted via markus.reihlen@leuphana.de

Professor Emerita Anne H Anderson is Vice President for Research at the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s national academy. A former Vice Principal at the University of Glasgow, Anne was involved in the early discussions and visits between Glasgow and Leuphana University in 2019 as developing a joint endeavour was explored. A psychologist by background, Anne has led research projects on communication and communication technologies, funded by UK research councils, industry and the EU. Anne is a firm believer in the benefits of international collaboration in research and education. In addition to her role with the RSE, Anne chairs the UK National Commission for UNESCO and holds the Higher Education role
within the UK commission. In her UNESCO role she is very proud of having played a significant role in the development and ratification of the Global Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications. 

Julia Ilina is a Programme Officer at the German Research Foundation (DFG).Within the group of International Affairs she is responsible for the cooperation with South Eastern Europe, incl. the West Balkan Countries. She is in charge of the establishment and
maintenance of partnerships with relevant stakeholders in the field of science and research. She is also involved in the DFG initiative Networking for Research – Universities of Applied Sciences and Researchers Worldwide (UDIF-HAW). Through this initiative, the
DFG seeks to reach out to German universities of applied sciences that focus on application-oriented research in an international context. She can be contacted via julia.ilina@dfg.de.

Moritz Dütemeyer holds the esteemed position of deputy Head of Unit for European and International Affairs at the Ministry of Science and Culture for Lower Saxony (MWK) since December 2022. His previous professional experience includes being entrusted with the role of Head of the Minister’s and State Secretary’s office in the MWK. From 2014 to 2020, he was an adviser on Foreign and Constitutional Affairs at the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg.

Jörg Philipp Terhechte is Professor of Public, European and International Law at and Vice President of Leuphana University Lüneburg. He is Academic Director of the European Centre for Advanced Studies.

James Conroy is Professor of Religious and Philosophical Education (Pedagogy, Praxis & Faith) and Dean of Global Engagement for Europe at the University of Glasgow. He is Academic Director of the European Centre for Advanced Studies.

William studies Sustainability Science at Leuphana University and is currently writing his master’s thesis with the ecology department. He is a saxophonist in the Leuphana BigBand and enjoys going on bike tours and canoeing in his free time.    

Konstantin studies International Business Administration & Entrepeneurship at Leuphana University Lüneburg. His interests lie in Music, especially in playing piano and playing music together with other musicians.

Professor Gioia Falcone is Rankine Chair at the University of Glasgow, where she is Head of the Energy and Sustainability Research Group, Associate Director of the Centre for Sustainable Solutions and member of the University’s Sustainability Working Group. She is also Visiting Professor at Imperial College London and Guest Professor at TU Berlin. Prof. Falcone is Vice-Chairperson of the Bureau of the Expert Group on Resource Management of the United Nations Commission for Europe (UNECE), Member of its Renewables Sub-Group and its focal point for the UNECE Pathways to Sustainable Energy & Carbon Neutrality Project. She sits on the BEIS (UK Government Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy) Energy Working Group, chaired by the Chief Scientific Advisor to BEIS, advising on the development of Technical Screening Criteria in the energy sector for the UK Green Taxonomy. She serves on the Board of Directors of the International Geothermal Association (IGA), on the Board of the Energy Technology Partnership (ETP) and on the Directorate of Scottish Carbon Capture and Sequestration (SCCS). She is Member of the Net Zero Technology Centre Academic Advisory Panel, of the European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) and the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre (UKCCSRC).
Between 2011 and early 2016, Prof. Falcone held the W3 Endowed Chair and Professorship in Geothermal Energy Systems at Clausthal University of Technology, Germany, where she was Head of the new Department of Geothermal Engineering and Integrated Energy Systems, and Director of the now Institute of Subsurface Energy
Systems.
You can contact her via gioia.falcone@glasgow.ac.uk.

Professor Emerita Anne H Anderson is Vice President for Research at the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s national academy. A former Vice Principal at the University of Glasgow, Anne was involved in the early discussions and visits between Glasgow and Leuphana University in 2019 as developing a joint endeavour was explored. A psychologist by background, Anne has led research projects on communication and communication technologies, funded by UK research councils, industry and the EU. Anne is a firm believer in the benefits of international collaboration in research and education. In addition to her role with the RSE, Anne chairs the UK National Commission for UNESCO and holds the Higher Education role
within the UK commission. In her UNESCO role she is very proud of having played a significant role in the development and ratification of the Global Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications. 

Dr. Britta Kalkreuter is an Associate Professor of Design Studies at the School of Textiles and Design at Heriot-Watt University, where she also currently serves as Director of Research. Her research focuses on heritage and innovation in design, with an emphasis on how exploring heritage may be harnessed as one guiding resource to transform design practices in the face of current challenges. With a particular interest in climate emergency and marginalisation of communities, her work is positioned within the UNSDG framework and explores responsible production and consumption and associated environmental and socio-economic goals. Connecting object and archive-based investigations with ethnographic methods, and by seeking collaborators from fields such as economics, computer sciences and engineering, interdisciplinary aspects of innovation, material practices and knowledge transmission are as central as local and global aspects of production and consumption scenarios, which she explores within several international networks. 

Josie Steed is Associate Dean for Research and Knowledge Exchange at Gray’s School of Art, Robert Gordon University. Her research interests focus on sustainable practices in fashion and textiles and the use of immersive technologies to tell stories of place, provenance, and people. She is interested in fostering design innovation and Knowledge Exchange collaboration and has extensive experience as a researcher working with textile manufacturing businesses both in Scotland and internationally.

Maria Silies is a research assistant at the USE-LESS Centre for Sustainable Strategies at Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts. She is a fashion and textile designer with several years of experience in the industry. She holds a BA in Fashion Design from Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts and an MA in Fashion & Textiles from Heriot-Watt University in Galashiels, where she focused her research on the  innovative reuse of wool remnants in the Scottish textile sector. With experience in both German and Scottish contexts, Maria actively participates in projects for the Scotland Initiative. She is particularly interested in the use of local resources, especially the use of regional wool. 

Jule Eidam is a research assistant at the USE-LESS Centre for Sustainable Strategies at Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Her current research focuses on sustainable biobased materials and its best use. In her master’s thesis “Changing Room – Space for Change for a Sustainable Approach to Clothing”, she developed an educational program in a museum context that links the circular economy with sustainability. In addition to her teaching activities she also gives numerous workshops on sustainable design strategies and how to deal with one’s own clothing consumption.

Anna Bludau, M. Sc. Public Health, works as a researcher at the Department of Infection Control and Infectious Diseases at the University Medical Center Göttingen. She is responsible for the coordination of two national projects. Her particular interest lie in climate change and infectious diseases, sustainability in the
healthcare sector as well as pandemic preparedness. Anna believes that interdisciplinary cooperation at eye level is particularly important for the success of projects. She can be contacted via Anna.bludau@med.uni-goettingen.de.

Axel Kramer is retired professor, but still still working as consultant at the Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine of the University Medicine Greifswald, Germany. His research focuses on control of healthcare associated infections, hand hygiene, antisepsis
and implementation of possibilities for sustainable development in the field of hospital hygiene. As editor in chief of the Journal GMS Hygiene and Infection Control he promotes articles on sustainable development through new hygienic solutions. He can be contacted via kramer@uni-greifswald.de

Nicolás Reinoso Schiller is a researcher specializing in healthcare and infection prevention and control. Currently based within the Department of Infection Prevention and Control at the University Medical Center Göttingen, he has diligently pursued his academic and research endeavors. Nicolas completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, followed by a Master of Science degree from the Humboldt University in Berlin. Noteworthy among his accomplishments is his recent receipt of the B. Braun Foundation grant for young researchers in 2022, which supported his project, GAST-HYGIENE. This project underscores his commitment to employing innovative behavioral approaches to enhance hand hygiene practices. In his role as the Scientific Co-Lead of the Staff Healthcare Research Group since 2021, he actively contributes to fostering research initiatives with a modest yet dedicated approach. He can be contacted via nicolas.reinoso-schiller@med.uni-goettingen.de

Prof. Simone Scheithauer is director and W3 ordinaria of the Department of Infection Control and Infectious Diseases at the University Medical Center Göttingen. She is a specialist in hygiene and environmental medicine as well as a specialist in microbiology, virology and infectious disease epidemiology and infectious diseases.
Since 2024, she has been a member of the “Health and Resilience” expert panel at the Federal Chancellery (BKAmt). Since 2023, she has been an appointed member of the Scientific Advisory Board on Public Health Microbiology at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI); since 2019, she has been an appointed member of the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention (KRINKO) at the RKI. She is an associate member of “Airborne Transmission COVID-19”; at the MPI for Dynamics and Self-Organisation in Göttingen since 2021 and a member of the Supervisory Board of Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) Braunschweig since 2020. Since 2022, she has been Vice President of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie (DGHM) and Member of the advisory board “Plasma for Life”, and since 2018, she has been a member of the
Scientific Advisory Board of the Medical Faculty Bielefeld. In her work, she focuses on infection prevention and control in the hospital setting. One major focus is bridging knowledge and information across different faculties and sectors in the healthcare system. She works on innovative surveillance strategies, individualized risk factor identification and focused interventions in order to improve effectiveness and efficacy of infection prevention and control. With respect to the context of this joint forum, she works on improving suitability of infection prevention and control measures with ecological sustainability: as an example, she is the spokesperson of a recently published comment of the KRINKO on appropriate
usage of medical gloves with respect to sustainability from the ecological point of view. She is the head of the consortia project HOPE “Hospital hygiene Preventing Emissions” aiming at compiling a matrix which brings together the potential of decreasing the ecological footprint by maintaining patient safety with respect to hospital aquired infections due to modification of infection prevention and control measures. Simone Scheithauer led 13 officially funded project during the last 10 years. She can be contacted via krankenhaushygiene.leitung@med.uni-goettingen.de. 

Stephanie de Sousa Vieira is a Ph.D. candidate at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, exploring the intersection of Business, International Law, and Sustainability. Her research centers on addressing and preventing global supply chain damage in the Global South, with emphasis on Brazil, aiming to contribute legal solutions for sustainable development and corporate responsibility. She can be contacted via Stephanie.Vieira@stud.leuphana.de

Saumya Raval is a doctoral candidate at Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany, focusing on the intersection of Business, Human Rights, and Governance. His research explores inclusive sustainability in Global Value Chains, with a particular emphasis on the perspectives of the Global South within extractive and apparel industries. He can be contacted via Saumya.Raval@stud.leuphana.de

Dr Bennett Collins is a Lecturer/Assistant Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Aberdeen where he teaches on energy, environmental, and climate politics. His research has largely centred around the inequities in supply chain politics and
policies, climate justice, and historical dialogue. He can be contacted via Bennett.Collins@abdn.ac.uk

Dr. Matthias Packeiser is the academic manager of the Joachim Herz Doctoral School of Law at Leuphana University Lüneburg. He conducts research on international law, its historical and theoretical foundations, and the understanding of (Eurocentric) international law from the perspective of the Global South. He completed his doctorate at the University of Hamburg (Germany) and Tilburg University (the Netherlands). He can be contacted via matthias.packeiser@leuphana.de

Dr. Stephanie McKendry is Deputy Director of Student Experience at the University of Strathclyde where she has responsibility for equality, diversity and inclusion, widening access and admissions, careers and employability. Stephanie supported the Scottish Commissioner for Fair Access as Researcher/Implementation Advisor from 2016 to 2020, has been a member of two National Expert Think Tanks on fair admissions, sits on the Universities Scotland Admissions Working Group and the Scottish Government’s Access Delivery Group. Stephanie is an editor of the Journal for Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning and led the award winning TransEDU research project exploring the experiences of trans and gender diverse students and staff within Scottish tertiary education. She can be contacted via stephanie.mckendry@strath.ac.uk. 

Kelly Stewart is an ESRC funded PhD Candidate at the University of Strathclyde, within the Institute of Education. In her research she focuses on equity around social class across Higher Education Institutions in Scotland. Her main interest is in exploring Widening Access policy and the ways in which HEIs seek to understand the lives of students from widening access backgrounds, addressing students’ needs within HE, or not. Of interest is the use of implicit and explicit bias around social class as a way of explaining the approaches taken and mechanisms put in place, or lack thereof, by HEIs. She can be contacted via Kelly-stewart@strath.ac.uk.

Christoph is the Managing Director of ECAS. Prior to this position, he was coordinating the international and digital programmes at Leuphana Professional School. His mission has always been to build bridges and facilitate international (academic) cooperation.

Karolina holds a master’s degree in Culture, Arts and Media from Leuphana University Lüneburg and a bachelor’s degree in Communication from the University of Wrocław. Her academic interests cover cultural organisations and their impact upon urban space and society.