Gedankengänge - Together on the path to a liberal future in the Year of Science 2024

BMBF

In the year of science 2024, TU Dortmund University is devoting itself intensively to the topic of freedom for future generations.  In the "Gedankengänge" project, the university aims to enter into dialogue with society with the goals of stimulating long-term transformation processes. The project receives support and visibility through close cooperation with civil society partners from Dortmund. Different people (young families, people with a migration background) are addressed via an Instagram channel and videos on Youtube as well as locally via four “walkshops” in Dortmund's Nordstadt district. Under the common overarching theme of ‘freedom”, the project will focus on specific research topics studied by researchers of the TU Dortmund university.

The " Gedankengänge"-project will firstly communicate research on the topic of freedom to the public, secondly stimulate dialogue and cooperation between research and society and thirdly test and establish innovative methods of science communication.

A workshop led by the Social Research Centre will focus on the topic of "Climate change and freedom". Freedom in the context of climate change involves recognising the individual's responsibility. The increasing heat pollution in heavily sealed city centre areas, such as the Nordstadt, is noticeable for many people. During a walk (Walkshop) in Dortmund's Nordstadt, good examples of how to deal with heat stress will be shown. It will be demonstrated how the quality of life in the neighbourhood can be improved by giving people the freedom to help shape their own lives, getting involved and acting together.

Project management

Prof. Dr. Nele McElvany (Vice President Research)

Researchers involved at the TU Dortmund University

Prof Dr Torsten Bertram (Control Theory and Systems Engineering)

Stephanie Bund (Social research center)

Prof Dr Thomas Goll (Specialised didactics in general studies and social sciences)

Prof Dr Cornelius Schubert (Sociology of science and technology)

Prof Dr Barbara Welzel (Art history and cultural education)

Civil society partners

a) Project “nordwärts”

b) Science masterplan, thematic area of science city and cultural metropolis

c) District Mayoress of the Dortmund Nordstadt, Hannah Rosenbaum

d) Verein Auslandsgesellschaft e.V.

e) QM (Neighbourhood management) Nordstadt

• Addressing the target groups via social media
• Conducting four walkshops on different dates
• Discussion of impressions from the event and identification of lessons learned
• Lessons learned are presented in the form of a practice-oriented checklist as well as in the form of reports at a symposium of the Initiative Centre for Political Education and Local Democracy

• Mediation: Freedom is a multi-layered concept in a state of transition that is studied across various scientific disciplines. Everyone is invited to reflect on freedom and its significance. The "Gedankengänge" will visualise diverse aspects of freedom in research through videos, the Instagram channel, as well as four walkshops.
• Incentives: Through dialogue and cooperation, research and society can make a joint contribution to securing the freedom of tomorrow. In addition to conveying current research content, it will be shown that freedom is not a natural constant, but rather a concept that must be continually negotiated throughout history. All topics are clearly related to current challenges and stimulate debate on the development of the concept of freedom.