This interdisciplinary graduate school brings together programmes of the Faculty of Physics and Earth System Sciences, the Faculty of Life Sciences, and the Faculty of Economics to explore pressing global challenges at the intersection of biodiversity, climate change, and human behaviour. In addition, it partners with programmes such as ECO-N, IRTC AC3, yDiv, CGDE, the Graduate Academy Leipzig and graduate schools of the Helmholtz and Leibniz Associations, and Max-Planck Society (HIGRADE, LGS-CAR, IMPRS – EVA, IMPRS-gBGC).
About our Programme
The Graduate School "Futures for Earth, Humans and Nature" is designed as an interdisciplinary, unified and comprehensive platform for research and education.
- It integrates scientific training programmes from the Faculties of Physics and Earth System Sciences, Life Sciences, Economics and Management Science as well as courses from partner graduate programmes (see below).
- The GS FoEHN is an umbrella structure within LU's strategic research field "Sustainable Principles for Life and Health".
- It provides comprehensive support for PhD students from all scientific disciplines working on pressing global challenges at the interface of climate, biodiversity and society.
- GS FoEHN itself offers courses on disciplinary and interdisciplinary research related to climate, biodiversity, economy, and psychology and their interactions.
- Specific courses in data management and artificial intelligence are offered by the Centre for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (ScaDS.AI).
- All members of the GS FoEHN can, in principle, attend courses offered by partner institutions to complement their research and education needs, and vice versa.
Our Aim
GS FoEHN aims to offer comprehensive support and a variety of relevant courses for doctoral researchers across scientific disciplines who address pressing global challenges at the intersection of climate, biodiversity, and society.
School structure
The Graduate School is deeply integrated into the support structures of Leipzig University, with a strong collaborative relationship with the Graduate Academy Leipzig that provides key skill training. This partnership ensures that our doctoral candidates receive comprehensive training, mentorship, and resources to advance their research and contribute to innovative solutions for a sustainable future.
We offer
Scientific program that aims at investigating the complex interactions between ecological and socio-economic systems, providing a holistic approach to understanding the future of our planet.
- Possibility to engage in cutting-edge research that not only addresses the scientific aspects of environmental change but also considers the human dimensions of these global issues.
- Unique courses such as “Nature’s values and ecosystem services”, “Plant-atmosphere interactions and feedback dynamics”, “Environmental psychology”, “Climate change mitigation and adaptation”, “Natural risks to human well-being”, or “Hybrid modelling of the Earth system”.
- Advanced training modules with international speakers on cutting-edge topics of the GS FoEHN members’ choice and needs, including career prospects outside of academia.
- A dedicated online platform to access individual modules from all GS FoEHN programs.
- Mandatory courses on “Good scientific practice” and “Research data management”
- Full flexibility to choose courses from GS FoEHN and its partners matching the needs of all members