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From Human Rights to the Limits of Development
The upcoming edition of the YUFE Academy will feature open lectures and discussions on the challenges of our time. These sessions will provide an opportunity for international dialogue, the exchange of experiences, and a collective search for answers to questions about effectiveness, care and the future of our world.
The first event in the spring edition of the YUFE Academy will take place on 19th May.
The event is entitled “Young Scientists on a Social Mission, Tackling Urban Challenges and Opportunities". Three doctoral students from the YUFE4Postdocs programme: dr Ramya Ambikapathi, dr Maximilian Wagner and dr Ana Ricchiardi will present their research to date and discuss how scientific research can help us build more sustainable cities, protect vulnerable ecosystems and rethink society's responses to global challenges.
- 19 May | 14:00–16:00 | online | language: English
- Registration is open until 17 May.
On 27th May, YUFE Academy will host an online lecture by dr habil. Aleksandra Derra, NCU Prof. from the NCU Institute of Philosophy: 'A New Perspective on Feminism: Building New Alliances With Care, Together, Across Differences'. Prof. Derra encourages us to view feminism as a collective endeavour based on care, cooperation and responsibility for others. She draws on key moments in the history of feminism and demonstrates how contemporary approaches draw on these experiences whilst simultaneously subjecting them to reflection and critical evaluation.
- 27 May | 13:00–14:00 | online | language: English
- Registration is open until 26 May.
There will also be a number of on-site events in Toruń. On 28th May, the Toruń Urban Lab will host a meeting entitled 'Ecological Limits and Nature Conservation in the Context of Megaprojects'. The event will focus on the relationship between large-scale developments and the natural environment. The programme includes a screening of the documentary “Sakbe. Paths of Life in the Mayan Forest", which highlights the impact of megaprojects on local communities and ecosystems.
The event is taking place simultaneously at several locations across Europe, creating a space for the international exchange of perspectives and experiences.
The event will begin with an introduction in English featuring Kerttu Matinpuro and Hanna Laako, the directors of the film 'Sakbe'. This will be followed by a sit-down session featuring a joint screening of the film with Polish subtitles, as well as a discussion, also in Polish, on topics including social participation, the ecological limits of development, and the impact of mass tourism on local communities. The discussion will be moderated by dr Barbara Szyda (NCU Institute of Socio-Economic Geography and Spatial Management).
At the end of the event, participants from all European locations will come together to share the conclusions from their local discussions.
- 28 May | 2.00–4.30 pm | Toruń Urban Lab, ul. Bydgoska 52 | languages: English / Polish
- The event is open to all and admission is free, but online registration is required.
The following day, the theme will be 'Empowerment in Democracy – From Human Rights to Everyday Agency'. The event will be a hybrid event, taking place partly online and partly on-site at the Toruń Urban Lab.
The programme includes:
- an on-site lecture, also available online, to be delivered by dr Piotr Sadowski (NCU Department of Human Rights), entitled 'How the Council of Europe's Legal Framework Strengthens Effective Social `Empowerment' (lecture in English), focusing on the social dimension of human rights,
- an on-site seminar entitled 'From Human Rights to Social Empowerment in Everyday Life', to be led at the Toruń Urban Lab by dr Agnieszka Furmańska-Maruszak (Department of Quality of Life Research and Applied Sociology), concerning active participation in democracy and building agency in everyday life. This part of the event will not be streamed online. The seminar is part of the Erasmus+ MACU project, coordinated by the Toruń University of the Third Age.
This event is also taking place simultaneously at several locations across Europe, so the meeting will conclude with an international round-up of the local discussions and an exchange of experiences.
- 29 May | 12:00–15:00 | hybrid event (partly online + on-site: Toruń Urban Lab, ul. Bydgoska 52) | languages: English / Polish
- To listen to the online lecture only, please register via the YUFE Virtual Campus; a link to the session will be sent to you by email. To attend the entire event in person at the Toruń Urban Lab, please register using the form. Registration is open until 28th May.
