A EUROPEAN SUMMIT
FREEDOM OF
RESEARCH
4.11. – 5.11.2024 | AACHEN
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VISION
Our summit serves as a place for reflection and foresight. We aim to bring together people from various backgrounds from all across Europe, fostering connections with thought leaders, and addressing pressing issues that will define Europe’s future.
Freedom in all its dimensions is a core European value and right. Freedom of research is vital for fostering innovation, expanding knowledge, and ensuring Europe's global competitiveness. Today, this freedom is increasingly under pressure from political tensions and shifting uncertainties. How can we navigate these challenges? How do we create a resilient framework for future developments to come?
Freedom in all its dimensions is a core European value and right. Freedom of research is vital for fostering innovation, expanding knowledge, and ensuring Europe's global competitiveness. Today, this freedom is increasingly under pressure from political tensions and shifting uncertainties. How can we navigate these challenges? How do we create a resilient framework for future developments to come?
OUR TOPICS
Freedom of Research
The freedom to conduct research is a fundamental European value, crucial for fostering innovation, advancing knowledge, and sustaining Europe's global competitiveness. Recent political and social tensions have increasingly threatened this freedom. How can we navigate these challenges and protect this essential value?
Our Summit aims to explore strategies for building a robust academic community that aligns with European principles and supports democratic governance and societal benefit. We seek to strengthen Europe's position as a competitive and sovereign actor while upholding the ideals of academic freedom.
Our Summit aims to explore strategies for building a robust academic community that aligns with European principles and supports democratic governance and societal benefit. We seek to strengthen Europe's position as a competitive and sovereign actor while upholding the ideals of academic freedom.
Future of Europe
With the Summit, we aim to highlight key issues today that will be of immense importance for Europe and the EU tomorrow. What should Europe look like in the future? What priorities do we want to set? And how can we protect and strengthen European values while advancing European integration? How free are we in directing our focus, driving innovation, and shaping the future of Europe?
As uncertainties regarding the future of Europe mount and the call for transparency and public discourse grows louder than ever, we seek to engage a broad audience to discuss current and future challenges.
As uncertainties regarding the future of Europe mount and the call for transparency and public discourse grows louder than ever, we seek to engage a broad audience to discuss current and future challenges.
Times of Uncertainty
We live in times of uncertainty that are – more than ever – driven by multifaceted and complex crises, from military and political-societal conflicts to climate change. Additionally, the emergence of the metaverse as a major technological innovation, majorly driven by big technology companies beyond Europe's borders, promises to have an unprecedented impact on our public and private spheres. Its impact on science and research is uncertain, and it poses a challenge to the European values of freedom, security, and democracy. In this context, we aim to identify the various uncertainties and ways to address them. How can we shape the metaverse of tomorrow European-like? How can Europe position itself in the ongoing conflicts? What are the impacts on the European concept of freedom?
PROGRAM
LUDWIG FORUM
01
MONDAY, 4 NOVEMBER 2024
6:30 to 11:30pm
We invite you to an inspiring event featuring thought-provoking talks, artistic performances, and scientific presentations. Delve into the critical questions: "Why is science crucial for freedom?" and "How do key technologies ensure our freedom and that of future generations?" Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of a vibrant discussion on the power of education and technology in securing freedom for all.
The Freedom LateNight event will be held in the Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst in Aachen, offering a unique and immersive experience that explores the multifaceted concept of freedom. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with the theme from various perspectives – artistic, scientific, political, and deeply personal – across three dynamic stages.
FORUM M
02
SYMPOSIUM
TUESDAY, 5 NOVEMBER 2024
9:00am to 4:30pm
The Symposium will be held in English and will be interpreted live into German.
The Symposium will be held in English and will be interpreted live into German.
In a conference format, we will explore various aspects of research freedom in times of uncertainty through panel discussions, TED Talks, and interactive sessions. Engage with renowned scientists, hear firsthand accounts from representatives in business, politics, and academia, discuss the ideas of young researchers from across Europe who are currently working on pressing issues that may affect all of us, and reflect with us on the major challenges for the future of Europe.
These thematic discussions will take place on the rooftop of the bookstore “Mayersche” at forum M, right in the heart of Aachen. Whether you are a student, an expert, a media representative or a local, you are warmly invited to join the debates.
CORONATION HALL, AACHEN TOWN HALL
03
FESTIVE EVENING EVENT
TUESDAY, 5 NOVEMBER 2024
7:00 to 9:30pm
In a festive dinner atmosphere in the historic halls of Aachen’s Coronation Hall, we will reflect on the day's discussions and look forward to inspiring keynote addresses. The dinner will conclude with the awarding of scholarships to the new Fellows of the Charlemagne Prize Academy, and mark the end of the Summit.
There is only a limited number of seats available.
C.A.R.L., RWTH AACHEN UNIVERSITY
04
ART EXHIBITION
21 OCTOBER TO 5 NOVEMBER 2024
We are pleased to have brought the exhibition “European Archive of Voices” to Aachen.
A team of 50 young international interviewers has interviewed people from across Europe born in the first half of the 20th century in their mother tongue about their experiences, fears and hopes. This diverse collection of memoirs includes activists, artists, lawyers, politicians, scientists, writers, and many more. Through these varied biographies, the project aims to highlight the rich, complex, and polarized histories of Europe and the generation that rebuilt it after 1945.
Young photographer Maximilian Gödecke, focusing on reportage and portrait photography, travels through European countries, capturing personal portraits of the witnesses to history featured in the “European Archive of Voices.” Through his lens, he captures not only their faces but also the spirit of a “last generation.” The project won the European Charlemagne Youth Prize in 2020.
The exhibition will be displayed in the Foyer of the C.A.R.L. at RWTH Aachen University. The opening will take place on Monday, 21 October 2024, at 12:30pm.
SPEAKERS
Marina Weisband
Sven Koopmans
Rebecca Weiß
Holger Hoos
Betül Hisim
Andreas Beck
Ece Cihan Ertem
Johannes Riegger
Luise Befort
Gabriele Gramelsberger
Carsten Reinhardt
Miranda Loli
Verónica Relaño Écija
Lars Lott
Kristin Eichhorn
Dominik Brenner
Jennifer Baker
Benjamin Paaßen
Nadina Iacob
Elena Bascone
Yasmina Asrarguis
Julia Hagel
Jana Forkel
Sven Bliedung von der Heide
Lukas Moll
Wibke Reincke
Jeff Wilkesmann
Frank Albrecht
Stefan Böschen
Verena Nitsch
Aachener Popchor „PopChorn“
Claudia Kleinert
Luca Swieter
Matthias Wessling
FREEDOM LATE NIGHT
Claudia Kleinert | Television Presenter
After Claudia Kleinert completed her training as a bank clerk in 1990
and worked at a Cologne-based bank for three years, she began studying business administration in 1994 and graduated in 1998. While still a student, the aspiring presenter topped up her finances as a program presenter at WDR.
In 1996, Claudia Kleinert presented the weather show on “Wetter und Reise
TV” and the n-tv travel magazine, followed later by the WDR cooking program
“Kleinert kulinarisch” was added. When the weather forecasts for ARD came from Switzerland in 2002, Jörg
Switzerland, Jörg Kachelmann brought the media-savvy businesswoman into the sales management of Meteomedia AG/Switzerland. Claudia Kleinert later took over the management of Meteomedia AG. In
with Jörg Kachelmann, she presented “Das Wetter im Ersten” and “Wetter nach
“Weather after the Tagesthemen”.
From 2012 to 2019, “Wetter im Ersten” was broadcast before the Tagesschau and in the
Tagesthemen was produced in the Bavaria Filmstudios/Munich. From 2020, the production will find a new home at the ARD Weather Competence Center at Hessischer
Rundfunk will find a new home. To date, Claudia Kleinert has alternated with Sven Plöger, Karsten Schwanke and Donald Becker to present the weather programs of ARD and the affiliated public broadcasters.
public broadcasters.
Claudia Kleinert has also been presenting events for business and financial
and financial companies, from galas and award ceremonies to trade fair
events to summits and conferences in German and English.
She conducts employee training sessions in a results-oriented and entertaining manner,
management training courses and panel discussions.
Claudia Kleinert is also in demand as a business coach and key note speaker on the topics of “climate change” and “communication and impact training”.
Ambassador for Kindernothilfe
Ambassador for Lebenshilfe NRW
Ambassador for Save the Children
Since March 2023, Claudia Kleinert has been the recipient of the NRW Order of Merit.
Prof. Dr Matthias Wessling | Vice-Rector for Transfer, RWTH Aachen University
Seit 2018 ist Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Wessling Prorektor für Transfer an der RWTH Aachen. Zudem leitet er seit 2010 den Lehrstuhl für Chemische Verfahrenstechnik (AVT.CVT) der RWTH Aachen.
Johannes Riegger | Chief Analyst of Borussia Mönchengladbach
Johannes Riegger has been in charge of data analysis for Borussia Mönchengladbach's licensed team since 2019. Immediately after studying sports science with a non-specialist focus on mathematics and computer science at the Albert-Ludwigs-University in Freiburg, he started as the first data analyst in the sports department at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Over the past five years, he has succeeded in expanding the area of data analysis in sport at Borussia into a team of four, with the core topics of match analysis, scouting, athletics and the NLZ. As an integral part of the licensed team, Johannes Riegger tries to use his passion for soccer and data to provide faster, better information in order to ultimately make better decisions in many areas of sport.
Andreas Beck | Former professional soccer player
Andreas Beck was born on March 13, 1987, in Kemerow, formerly part of the Soviet Union, and relocated with his family to Aalen-Wasseralfingen, Germany, in 1990.
He discovered his passion for soccer as a child and joined the junior division of the Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart in the summer of 2000. Beck made his debut in a Bundesliga game in 2006. On July 1, 2006, he received a four-year contract as a professional player at VfB Stuttgart and made four Bundesliga appearances during the 2006/07 season. As such, he was part of the Stuttgart squad that won the league.
On February 21, 2007, Beck played his first game for the German U-21 national team against Italy, having previously played three games each for the U18 and U19 and four games for the U20 of the DFB.
On July 4, 2008, he transferred from VfB Stuttgart to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, which had just been promoted to the Bundesliga. He immediately became a regular starter, helped the club win the fall championship, and played 30 league games in his first season for Hoffenheim.
In 2010, he became the youngest captain in the Bundesliga and went on to lead Hoffenheim for five seasons.
On February 5, 2009, Andreas Beck was called up for the first time by national coach Joachim Löw to the German national team and played his first international match six days later in Düsseldorf against Norway. On March 28, he played in the World Cup qualifier against Liechtenstein, making him the first Hoffenheim player to be fielded for Germany in a competitive match.
His greatest international success was winning the 2009 U-21 European Championship in Sweden under national coach Horst Hrubesch. Beck’s decisive goal to make it 1-0 against Italy opened the way for Germany to win 4-0 against England in the final.
Beck played a total of nine games for the senior national team, the last of which was in November 2010.
For the 2015/16 season, Andreas Beck transferred to the Turkish first division club Beşiktaş Istanbul. With Beşiktaş, he won the league twice in a row.
In 2017, he returned to VfB Stuttgart and was part of his team’s starting lineup. On the 30th matchday of the season, Andreas Beck tore his right anterior cruciate ligament, which meant the end of the season for him. After his comeback, the defender played 24 league games for Stuttgart in the 2018/19 season but missed the last two games of the season and the relegation play-offs against Union Berlin due to injury, and the club was relegated to the 2nd Bundesliga.
In July 2019, the defender signed a three-year contract with KAS Eupen in the Belgian Division 1A. In his first season, shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, Beck participated in 27 of 29 possible league games for Eupen.
Andreas Beck officially ended his career as a professional soccer player in December 2022 after 17 years as a professional and over 500 competitive games.
Luca Swieter | Science Slammer
Luca Swieter has been one of the most sought-after slam poets in the German-speaking world for over ten years. She is a multiple participant in the German-speaking under 20 and over 20 championships and a finalist in the North Rhine-Westphalian poetry slam championships. In Cologne, she hosts the biggest monthly poetry slam ReimGold.
Marina Weisband | Ukrainian-German Politician and Publicist
Biography follows
Dance Ensemble “Maureen Reeor & company”
Maureen Kulanthavadivel-Lomb studied dance at the Fontys Hogeschool voor de Kunsten. Following her studies, she started her international dance career, dancing in pieces by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Tony Adigun, among others. At the same time, she began to devote herself to science and is pursuing her doctorate in psychology. Back in her hometown of Aachen, she is mainly concerned with creating new structures as well as refreshing and uniting the local dance landscape. Her working method is interdisciplinary and located at the interface between science and art. From here she has the vision to open dance to the digital space and to re-establish it as its own form of communication at the city theater. With young and innovative ideas, Maureen turns artistic engagement into a unique experience that speaks to the audience in a personal way.
Aachen pop choir “PopChorn”
Hi, we are PopChorn! Our choir was originally founded as a private neighborhood choir in the Frankenberger Viertel. In the meantime, however, numerous members from all over Aachen and the surrounding area also sing with us, who make the journey for the nice, relaxed atmosphere and the casual but not indiscriminate character of this choir. At the moment we are about 50 singers. Our repertoire consists of pop songs from 1950 to the present day, which are often arranged especially for us by our choirmaster Ina Hagenau. The special thing about our choir is that anyone can sing with us, with or without experience, and we have a lot of fun growing together with new challenges.
Ulf Buermeyer | former judge and political podcast “Lage der Nation”
Bio follows
Domenica Dreyer-Plum | esearch assistant at the Chair of Political Systems, RWTH Aachen University
Bio follows
Prof. Dr Jeff Wilkesmann | Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences and Industrial Engineering, Deggendorf Institute of Technology (DIT)
Ph.D. in Biochemistry (Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz). Professor at the Chemistry Department, University of Carabobo, Venezuela. Guest Professor at the University of Applied Sciences Mannheim, Germany. Lecturer at the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University Mannheim, Germany. Senior Research Fellow at the Integrative Cell Biology Laboratory, Durham University, United Kingdom. Visiting Lecturer at ENSAT (Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Toulouse) Toulouse, France. Among some of the administrative roles at the Univ. Carabobo were: Head of the Graduate Students Office (2004–-05), Head of the Faculty Research Office (2005-–07), and Head of the Chemistry Department (2007–-2009). Since 2012, Founder and Director of the Environmental, Biology and Chemistry Research Centre. Main research focus is enzyme biotechnology and protein characterization through electrophoretic and zymographic methods. Philipp Schwartz Initiative Fellow at the Hochschule Mannheim, Germany, 2017–-2020. 2020-–2024 Education Manager, Collaboration Lead, and Team Lead at the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, (EIT-Health, Germany). Since March 2024, appointed as Professor for Bioengineering at the Technische Hochschule Deggendorf.
Frank Albrecht | Head of the Philipp Schwartz Initiative and Academic Freedom Division at the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Frank Albrecht is Head of the Philipp Schwartz Initiative and Academic Freedom Division at the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Before setting up the Philipp Schwartz Initiative, in which he has been involved since 2015, he worked for the Humboldt Foundation in the areas of strategic planning and in the regional department for North America, Australia, New Zealand and Oceania. Prior to that, he worked for a consultancy firm in the UK, among others.
Prof. Dr Verena Nitsch | Institute of Ergonomics, RWTH Aachen University
Since 2018, Prof. Dr Verena Nitsch is the Director of the Institute of Industrial Engineering at RWTH Aachen University. Her research focuses on human-technology interaction in highly automated work systems. She serves as Vice President of the German Society for Work Science, Chair of the Professional Standards and Education Committee of the International Ergonomics Association, and is spokesperson for the Competence Center for Gainful Employment in Industry 4.0 (AKzentE4.0). Prof. Nitsch has extensively explored ethical issues in Dual Use research, notably as a member of the ethics committees at the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing, and Ergonomics, as well as the Bundeswehr University Munich. Since 2022, she is Chair of the cross-faculty Ethics Committee at RWTH Aachen University.
Prof. Dr Stefan Böschen | Director of the KHK c:o/re, Chair for Society and Technology at the Human Technology Center (HumTec), RWTH Aachen University
Böschen, Stefan, Dr. phil. Dipl.-Ing. Professor for Society and Technology at the Human Technology Center (HumTec) RWTH Aachen University. Spokesperson of HumTec and Co-Director of the Käte Hamburger Kolleg “Cultures of Research”. Member of acatech – National Academy of Science and Engineering. Member of the working-group “interdisciplinary science studies” at Leopoldina – Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften. Prior to this senior research scientist and group leader for the area “knowledge society and knowledge politics“ at the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) at KIT. Training in Chemical Engineering (Diploma), PhD and Habilitation in Sociology. Special interests: sociology of science and technology, risk research, technology assessment, theory of modern societies.
Lukas Moll | queer visual artist
Lukas Moll grew up in Aachen and has been working as a visual artist since 2015. He is
living in Cologne since 2021. In addition to numerous solo and group exhibitions and art fairs in Aachen, Cologne, Koblenz and Munich, he has also gained his first international experience in the Netherlands. In his artistic work, he focuses on the representation of queer themes and deals with the meaning of identity and the experiences of queer people in
society. To strengthen the visibility of queer people in art, he founded an online platform for queer artists in 2024.
Betül Hisim | author of the book “2.0.5.0."
Betül Hisim is the author of the book "2.0.5.0." and is currently studying for a master's degree in sociology at RWTH Aachen University. In addition to her studies, she works as a research assistant at the WZL Aachen in the Human Technology Interaction research group. Since her bachelor's degree, her focus has been on artificial intelligence and technology assessment.
Sven Bliedung von der Heide | Managing Director of Volucap
Sven Bliedung von der Heide is an experienced expert in the computer graphics and film industry and CEO of Volucap, the first commercial volumetric studio in Germany. He has established himself as an innovator in the field of AI and film and is shaping the future of the film industry with his focus on immersive media and projects such as “The Matrix Resurrections” and “Marvel's The Avengers”.
Jana Forkel | screenwriter
Jana Forkel initially wanted to become a linguist, as she has always been fascinated by language, and decided to study for a Bachelor's degree in Media Studies and English in Erlangen. “But the closer I got to graduation, the clearer it became: I actually want to write screenplays, because they contain everything that excites me about language - dialog, a mixture of fantasy and technical language and the visual aspect that language always carries with it.”
She moved to Hamburg and studied film at the Hamburg Media School (HMS), specializing in screenwriting. Today she is a freelance screenwriter and works both alone and together in her screenwriting collective “Fassung Drei”. Her debut series “Angemessen Angry” will be released on RTL+ on 25 November 2024.
Luise Befort | actress
The actress Luise Befort is known for her leading roles in the series “Wir sind die Welle” (Netflix) and “Club der roten Bänder”.
She appeared on stage as a child, including in the musical “Les Misérables”, and made her film debut in 2005. In 2020, she was honored with the Jupiter Award for Best National Actress.
In addition to her acting career, she is actively committed to sustainability, is an ambassador for the Green Actors Lounge and works with Greenpeace. She was most recently seen in the Danish series “Oxen”.
Between November 4 and 8, 2024 (the exact date has not yet been set), she will celebrate the opening of the immersive virtual reality film “Aufwind”, in which she plays the lead role of pilot Charlotte Möhring - a project on which she has already collaborated with talk show guest Sven Bliedung von der Heide.
SYMPOSIUM
Dr Julia Hagel | Moderator
Since 2014 Julia Hagel has been working as a moderator for conferences, events, panel discussions or video productions for e.g., the ministry of economics Baden-Wuerttemberg (BaWü), Karlsruhe Insitute of Technology, Technical University of Munich, Technical University of Berlin, or the environmental ministry BaWü.
The focus of her moderations lies on topics like science and sustainability. During her moderations she always strives to make complex topics accessible for everyone. She holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration and works as a Consumer Insights Manager at Bosch Siemens Home Appliances.
Rebekka Weiß | Senior Manager Government Affairs, Microsoft Berlin
Rebekka Weiß, LL.M. is a fully qualified lawyer and Head of Regulatory Policy at Microsoft Germany. She is the point of contact in the Microsoft Berlin team for data and competition policy, artificial intelligence, digital safety and platform regulation. Rebekka previously worked at the digital association Bitkom from 2017, where she headed the department and team for trust and security. Rebekka studied law in Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom and holds a Master of Laws in ‘Intellectual Property and the Digital Economy’ from the University of Glasgow. She regularly publishes in legal journals and commentaries on data law, IT security law and related fields of law.
Dr Sven Koopmans | European Union Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process
On 29 April 2021, the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU) appointed Mr. Koopmans as the EU Special Representative (EUSR) for the Middle East Peace Process. He is charged with providing an active contribution to the final settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on a two-state solution, in line with the UNSCR 2334 (2016). He reports directly to the High
Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, on this issue and maintains an overview of all EU regional activities linked to the Middle East Peace Process.
From 2017 to 2021 Mr. Koopmans was a Member of Parliament in The Netherlands for the governing WD party, first as spokesman on legal affairs, then on foreign affairs and military missions. He was Head of Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, President of the Dutch-French Contact Group, Chair of the Parliamentary Commission on Requests and Citizen
Initiatives, and Member of the Parliamentary Assemblies of the Council of Europe and the OSCE.
Between 2003 and 2016 he was political and legal advisor in peace processes, border conflict mediation and constitutional review processes under the auspices of the European Union, United Nations, African Union and OSCE, among others, including in Cyprus, Darfur, Mali, Ukraine and
Guyana/Venezuela. Between 2014 and 2016 he was senior mediation expert to the UN Special Envoy for Syria, between 2011 and 2013 advisor to the EU Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan, and from 2008 to 2009 to the International Civilian Representative in Kosovo.
Between 2001 and 2008 Mr. Koopmans was also a barrister (advocaat) at the global law firm of Clifford Chance LLP, specializing in international litigation. In 2000 he advised Bosnia and Herzegovina at the United Nations in New York on negotiations on the International Criminal Court. Mr. Koopmans obtained Master's degrees in law and political science at Leiden University
(1997) and a Master's degree (1998) and a Doctorate (2007) at Oxford University, the latter for his thesis Diplomatic Dispute Settlement (T.M.C. Asser Press, 2008). He also studied at Sciences Po Paris (1993), Harvard University (1995) and New York University (2000).
His book Negotiating Peace: a guide to the practice, politics and law of international mediation was published by Oxford University Press in 2018. Mr. Koopmans has taught peace negotiation at the universities of Leiden and Aix-Marseille III. He was born in Amsterdam on 20 June 1973 and speaks Dutch, English, French and German.
Wibke Reincke | Senior Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Novo Nordisk
Wibke Reincke leads as Senior Director of Government Affairs in the Public Policy Team for Novo Nordisk in Germany. Prior to joining Novo Nordisk, she worked at Amazon Web Services, where she led the European policy team for Energy and Sustainability and served as Principal for Public Policy, overseeing political communications for Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Before transitioning to the private sector, Wibke built her career in diplomacy and international relations, with professional roles at the U.S. Department of State and the United Nations.
Prof. Dr Holger Hoos | Chair for AI Methodology, RWTH Aachen University
Holger H. Hoos holds an Alexander von Humboldt Professorship in AI at RWTH
Aachen University (Germany), where he also leads the RWTH AI Center. Holger's
research is aimed at methodological and technological advances in human-centred
AI, AI for Good and AI for All. Specifically, he seeks to improve the efficiency of AI
methods, by automatically increasing performance and reducing resource needs; and to broaden access to and use of cutting-edge AI methods. Overall, Holger and his group develop and study AI methods that augment rather than replace human intelligence, and that help human experts to overcome their biases and limitations.
Known for his work on machine learning and optimisation methods for the automated
design of high-performance algorithms and on stochastic local search, Holger has
developed - and vigorously pursues - the paradigm of programming by optimisation
(PbO); he is also one of the originators of the concept of automated machine learning
(AutoML). Holger has a penchant for work at the boundaries between computing
science and other disciplines; much of his work is inspired by and has broad impact
on real-world applications.
In November 2021, Holger has been selected for an Alexander von Humboldt
Professorship in AI, Germany's most highly-endowed research award, which honours
its recipients for their outstanding research record and aims to facilitate long-term and
groundbreaking research contributions. Supported by this award and substantial
additional resources made available by the university, he started building a new
research group at RWTH Aachen University (Germany), dedicated to methodological
and technological advances in human-centred AI, AI for Good and AI for All, in
January 2022.
Yasmina Asrarguis | Public Relations Associate, UNESCO | Karlspreis Fellow
Yasmina Asrarguis is a researcher on the Middle East Peace at Sorbonne-Nouvelle University and a graduate of Sciences Po Paris where she undertook her Master’s degree in International Security. She also work as a Public Relations Associate at UNESCO in Paris. Former professional at the United Nations and the Diplomatic Unit of President Macron, Yasmina has great expertise on peace and stability in the Middle East and the Arab-Israeli normalization processes. Serving as a Global Shaper at the World Economic Forum, Yasmina was awarded the Peter Throughton Prize in 2018 for her study on the root causes of ISIS recruitments in France. Previously, she worked with the OneVoice Movement and the Aladdin Project of UNESCO both of which promote dialogue and interfaith peace in the Mediterranean region. Moreover, Yasmina is a 2023/24 Charlemagne Prize Academy Fellow.
Prof. Dr Benjamin Paaßen | Junior Professor for Knowledge Representation and Machine Learning, Bielefeld University
Benjamin Paaßen received their PhD on "Metric Learning for Structured Data" from Bielefeld University in 2019. They received a DFG research fellowship for post docs at The University of Sydney, Australia, and Humboldt-University of Berlin, Germany, before taking a position as senior researcher and deputy head of the Educational Technology Lab of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) in Berlin.
Since April 2023, Paaßen is Junior Professor (with Tenure Track) for Knowledge Representation and Machine Learning at Bielefeld University with particular research focus on Machine Learning methods for education. In 2024, Christiane Attig and Benjamin Paaßen received a BMBF grant to start the science communication podcast "Autonomie & Algorithmen" to inform the public about the relation between human autonomy and artificial intelligence.
Dr. Verónica Relaño Écija | Karlspreis Fellow
Verónica Relaño Écija, holding a PhD in Oceans and Fisheries from the University of British Columbia and mentored by renowned fisheries expert Dr. Daniel Pauly, is deeply committed to marine conservation. Her work focuses on connectivity and addressing socio-ecological challenges arising from the mismanagement of marine resources. Veronica’s dedication extends beyond academia; she has volunteered for numerous organizations, been actively involved in climate change conferences, and has contributed as a consultant for the World Bank and as a teaching assistant at the University of British Columbia. As the founder and director of the UN Ocean Decade Project "SOS – Somos OceanoS (ocean stories for conservation)," Veronica spearheads initiatives to amplify local voices and foster equitable management in "paper Marine Protected Areas." Her dedication to this cause has been recognized through multiple awards at eco film festivals for her documentaries on Marine Protected Areas, as well as the prestigious Sumaila-Volvo Graduate Prize in Environmental Sustainability. Currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Santiago de Compostela, she investigates Ocean Equity and simultaneously serves as the Oceans Program Manager at NGO Onewater. Moreover, Verónica is a 2023/24 Charlemagne Prize Academy Fellow.
Dr Dominik Brenner | Department of Political Science and Department of International Relations, Central European University Vienna
Dominik Brenner is a political economist at the Department of Political Science and the Department of International Relations at Central European University (CEU) in Vienna. He defended his PhD in Political Economy at CEU in 2022 and held visiting research positions at Sciences Po Paris and the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence. His research interests include the political economy of banking and finance, European financial integration, legislative politics, policy predictability, and good governance indicators.
Dr Kristin Eichhorn | Institute of Literary Studies, University of Stuttgart
Kristin Eichhorn is a substitute professor for Modern German Literature at the University of Stuttgart. She is an expert on 18th-century literature and expressionism and has received her PhD from Kiel University in 2013 and her Habilitation from Paderborn University in 2020. She is one of the co-initiators of the campaigns #95vsWissZeitVG and #IchBinHanna that address precarity in academic employment.
Richard C. Schneider | Journalist, Author, Filmmaker
Biography follows.
Dr Ece Cihan Ertem | Department of Education, Universität Wien
Ece Cihan Ertem is a postdoctoral researcher and a lecturer at the Department of Education, University of Vienna since 2020. She previously (2018–-2020) worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Lund University, Sweden, at the Department of Sociology. She obtained her PhD degree from Bogazici University, Istanbul, and Aarhus University, Copenhagen, in 2018. Ertem worked as a full-time instructor and later as a lecturer at Istanbul Technical University from 2006 to 2020, with intervals of employment abroad during this period.
Her research areas revolve around international and comparative education in the general framework of politics and education. Her research priorities are comparative education within the framework of global political tendencies such as neoliberalism and its impacts on privatization and commodification of education; academic freedom and education in contemporary authoritarian regimes; educational institutions with a regional focus on Turkey and the Middle East; education and migration, academic migrants in Europe vis-à-vis diversity and inclusion.
Dr Lars Lott | Institute of Political Science, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg
Lars Lott is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Political Science at the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen. His research focuses on academic freedom, its determinants and effects, democratization and autocratization, and the political economy of inequality. Lars Lott received a doctoral degree from Heidelberg University in 2021. He is one of the authors of the annually published Academic Freedom Index Updates.
Prof. Dr phil. Gabriele Gramelsberger | Director of the KHK c:o/re, Chair for Theory of Science and Technology, RWTH Aachen University
Biography follows
Prof. Dr Jeff Wilkesmann | Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences and Industrial Engineering, Deggendorf Institute of Technology (DIT), Former Scholar at Risk
Ph.D. in Biochemistry (Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz). Professor at the Chemistry Department, University of Carabobo, Venezuela. Guest Professor at the University of Applied Sciences Mannheim, Germany. Lecturer at the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University Mannheim, Germany. Senior Research Fellow at the Integrative Cell Biology Laboratory, Durham University, United Kingdom. Visiting Lecturer at ENSAT (Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Toulouse) Toulouse, France. Among some of the administrative roles at the Univ. Carabobo were: Head of the Graduate Students Office (2004–-05), Head of the Faculty Research Office (2005-–07), and Head of the Chemistry Department (2007–-2009). Since 2012, Founder and Director of the Environmental, Biology and Chemistry Research Centre. Main research focus is enzyme biotechnology and protein characterization through electrophoretic and zymographic methods. Philipp Schwartz Initiative Fellow at the Hochschule Mannheim, Germany, 2017–-2020. 2020-–2024 Education Manager, Collaboration Lead, and Team Lead at the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, (EIT-Health, Germany). Since March 2024, appointed as Professor for Bioengineering at the Technische Hochschule Deggendorf.
Jennifer Baker | Presenter and Reporter, EU Tech Influencer 2019
Better known as Brusselsgeek, Jennifer has been a journalist in print, radio and television for more than 20 years, the last 10+ specialising in EU policy and live event presentation.
Regularly listed as one of the top influencers in the EU bubble, Jennifer was awarded #1 Tech Influencer 2019 by ZN, was listed by Politico as one of the Top 20 Women Shaping Brussels in 2017, and was named by Onalytica as one of the world's Top 100 Influencers on Data Security 2016.
She regularly features as an EU expert on BBC radio, Euronews, SkyNews and others, and hosts Brussels’ must-watch weekly roundup show TOTW for Euractiv. From editing a national daily paper in Malta, to reporting on European affairs for Middle Eastern television, she has worked
across a wide range of media, and has written for some of the biggest names in publishing.
Jennifer has a wealth of experience in navigating the political quagmire of the EU and is skilled at translating EU policy-speak into understandable English.
Prof. Dr Stefan Böschen | Director of the KHK c:o/re, Chair for Society and Technology at the Human Technology Center (HumTec), RWTH Aachen University
Böschen, Stefan, Dr. phil. Dipl.-Ing. Professor for Society and Technology at the Human Technology Center (HumTec) RWTH Aachen University. Spokesperson of HumTec and Co-Director of the Käte Hamburger Kolleg “Cultures of Research”. Member of acatech – National Academy of Science and Engineering. Member of the working-group “interdisciplinary science studies” at Leopoldina – Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften. Prior to this senior research scientist and group leader for the area “knowledge society and knowledge politics“ at the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) at KIT. Training in Chemical Engineering (Diploma), PhD and Habilitation in Sociology. Special interests: sociology of science and technology, risk research, technology assessment, theory of modern societies.
Elena Bascone | Visiting Fellow, CEPS | Karlspreis Fellow
Elena Bascone is a public policy professional, focusing on future economic and political challenges. Her research spans economic, security, and tech policy. Notably, her master’s thesis in 2020 developed a model assessing the effectiveness of sanctions, applied to the Council of Europe-Russia dispute. She subsequently explored energy policy (Nord Stream 2 in 2021) and budget policy (EU Commission in 2022). Passionate about computer programming, she partially coded her Future Blog in 2022 and initiated her project, Res Publica, in 2018. Since 2023, she has delved into immersive technology, European industry consortiums and collaboration in the metaverse. She is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS). Moreover, Elena is a 2023/24 Charlemagne Prize Academy Fellow.
Frank Albrecht | Head of the Philipp Schwartz Initiative and Academic Freedom Division at the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Frank Albrecht is Head of the Philipp Schwartz Initiative and Academic Freedom Division at the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Before setting up the Philipp Schwartz Initiative, in which he has been involved since 2015, he worked for the Humboldt Foundation in the areas of strategic planning and in the regional department for North America, Australia, New Zealand and Oceania. Prior to that, he worked for a consultancy firm in the UK, among others.
Miranda Loli | Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence | Karlspreis Fellow
Miranda Loli is a researcher in international relations examining the role of international organizations at the local level, with a specific focus on the global fight against corruption. Currently, she is undertaking her fellowship at Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute in Florence and is an associated member of the DFG research training group “Standards of Governance”. In 2023, she received her PhD from the University of Darmstadt with a dissertation on the international and local practices of anti-corruption in Kosovo and Ukraine. During her doctorate she conducted fieldwork in Kyiv and Pristina and was a guest researcher at the European University Institute (EUI) Florence. Previously, she studied political science at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) and peace and conflict studies at the Goethe University of Frankfurt. Moreover, Miranda is a 2023/24 Charlemagne Prize Academy Fellow.
Prof. Dr Carsten Reinhardt | Faculty of History, Philosophy and Theology, Bielefeld University
Carsten Reinhardt has been Professor of Historical Science Studies at Bielefeld University since 2007. From 2013 to 2016, he was President and CEO of the Science History Institute in Philadelphia, USA. After studying history, chemistry and the history of science and technology in Stuttgart and Berlin, Reinhardt completed his doctorate at TU Berlin in 1996 and habilitated at the University of Regensburg in 2003. He held a scholarship at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin, was a visiting professor at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris and is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. Together with Helmut Maier, he is heading the research program on the history of departmental research in Germany until September 2024. In the winter semester 2024-25, he is a Fellow at the Käte Hamburger Center for Advanced Study in the Humanities “Research Cultures” in Aachen.
Reinhardt's research focuses on the history of chemistry, industrial research, scientific methods and expert knowledge. His most recent book, which he co-authored with numerous colleagues, is Residues. Thinking Through Chemical Environments, Rutgers UP 2022, has been published. It was awarded the Robert K. Merton Award of the American Sociology Association (Science, Knowledge, and Technology Section) in 2023.
FESTIVE EVENING EVENT
Bettina Stark-Watzinger | German Minister of Education and Research
Since December 8, 2021, Bettina Stark-Watzinger has been the Federal Minister for Education and Research.
Stark-Watzinger has been a member of the German Bundestag since 2017. From 2018 to 2020, she chaired the Finance Committee, and from 2020 to 2021, she served as Parliamentary Secretary of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) in the Bundestag.
Stark-Watzinger studied economics at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main. After her studies, she initially worked for BHF-BANK. Following several years abroad in the United Kingdom, she became Academic Manager in the Finance, Accounting, Controlling, and Taxation Department at the European Business School in Oestrich-Winkel. From 2008 to 2013, she served as Managing Director of the House of Finance at Goethe University. From 2013 to 2017, she was Managing Director of the SAFE research center—Sustainable Architecture for Finance in Europe.
Bettina Stark-Watzinger was born on May 12, 1968, in Frankfurt am Main. She is married and has two daughters.
Sibylle Keupen | Lady Mayoress of the City of Aachen
Since November 1, 2020, Sibylle Keupen has been the first female mayor of the city of Aachen, following 256 male predecessors. She leads the city administration with 6,200 employees, chairs the city council, and represents the city in various committees.
Born in 1963 in the Vulkaneifel region, she became involved early on in political education and women's issues. She studied education in Trier and, starting in 1994, led the Bleiberger Fabrik in Aachen, where she developed innovative cultural education projects. In 1997, she founded the Youth Art School and advocated for child protection and continuing education. She is married, has two adult sons, and lives in Herzogenrath-Kohlscheid.
Dr Jürgen Linden | Chairman of the Charlemagne Prize Board of Directors
Dr Jürgen Linden has been Chairman of the Society for the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen since 2010, of which he has been a member since 1989. Dr Linden studied law at the University of Cologne and was awarded a doctorate in law. From 1995 to 2009, he was Lord Mayor of the City of Aachen for the Social Democratic Party of Germany. He was also a member of the Presidium of the Association of German Cities and the Association of Cities of North Rhine-Westphalia. In recognition of his political achievements, Dr Linden has received numerous honours, including being made an honorary citizen of the cities of Aachen, Liège (Belgium), Heerlen (Netherlands) and the European Academy of Sciences (Salzburg). He was also awarded the Golden Medal of Honour by the city of Maastricht (Netherlands) and received medals from several European countries. Most recently, Dr Linden received the Order of Merit of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia in 2019. Through his commitment to the Charlemagne Prize, Dr Linden has received numerous heads of state and personalities in Aachen and thus made a significant contribution to the promotion of European politics and integration. He has also written numerous publications on European policy and the history of the Charlemagne Prize.
Prof. Dr Thomas Prefi | Chairman of the Charlemagne Prize Foundation
Since 2019, Professor Dr Thomas Prefi has been Chairman of the Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen. He studied mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen University from 1984 to 1990, where he obtained his doctorate in 1995 and habilitated in 2002. He is co-founder, former CEO and member of the Supervisory Board of ‘Umlaut SE’ (formerly ‘P3 group AG’) - which has been part of Accenture since 2021 - and contributes to the strategic direction of the company. Professor Dr Prefi holds an associate professorship for production metrology and quality management at RWTH Aachen University.
Moderation: Dr. Angela Maas | Journalist and Moderator
Dr Angela Maas is a German journalist and television presenter. She studied history at the University of Vienna, where she received her doctorate in 1986. From 1984 to 1986, Dr Maas worked for the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation before returning to Germany. After her return, she presented the programmes west3 and Lokalzeit from Cologne for WDR, among others. Today, Angela Maas works regularly as a freelance moderator.
WHY PARTICIPATE?
NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
Our primary goal is to create a platform for young people to get in touch with decision-makers on a professional and personal level, and to foster sustainable cross-border collaboration and exchange of ideas and visions. The Summit, therefore, serves as a venue for open dialogue, facilitating freedom in research and knowledge transfer. Whether it is during a dance performance, strolling through the art exhibition at C.A.R.L., engaging in discussions with panelists at our Symposium, participating in an interactive lunch break, or joining roundtable conversations with representatives from business, academia, and politics, we aim to offer diverse opportunities for individuals from various backgrounds to connect.
DISCOVER AACHEN
Aachen, renowned for its rich history and vibrant academic atmosphere, provides an ideal setting for this gathering of minds. Situated in the heart of the tri-border region and close to Brussels, Aachen embodies the spirit of Europe, facilitating transnational exchange and networking. This is further enhanced by the presence of RWTH Aachen University, a hub of excellence and innovation, as well as the city’s thriving startup scene and its deep-rooted tradition of creativity and free thought. With various event formats taking place at different locations throughout the city, both locals and visitors will have much to explore during our Summit.
INTERACTIVE FORMATS
Our Summit offers a diverse range of experiences, including TED Talks, fairs, panel discussions, keynotes, art exhibitions, a dance choreography, and much more. Each of these formats provides unique opportunities to engage, learn, and be inspired. By participating, you’ll not only gain valuable insights from thought leaders across various fields but also experience the intersection of creativity, innovation, and culture. This is more than just a conference—it’s a vibrant, multi-faceted event designed to broaden your perspectives and empower you to contribute to shaping the future of Europe and the freedom of research.
SAVE YOUR SPOT
To secure your spot, please register for the event sessions using the following registration form. After your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with all further details. All event sessions are open to the public and free of charge.
For any questions, please feel free to contact us at:
contact@for-summit.eu
For press inquiries, please contact:
REGISTRATION FORM
ABOUT US
The Summit is jointly organized by the Charlemagne Prize Foundation and RWTH Aachen University’s Knowledge Hub and Käte Hamburger Kolleg: Cultures of Research (co/re). We invite you to Aachen for a summit focused on the crucial role of freedom in scientific, cultural, social, and political contexts. With a program that includes a late-night event, an all-day symposium, an art exhibition, and a festive evening, the summit will bring together researchers, policymakers, representatives of business, media, culture and the public to exchange ideas and develop strategies for strengthening academic freedom, fostering a resilient European community that champions democratic governance and societal benefit, and connect fresh perspectives and innovative solutions for the challenges of tomorrow.
IMPRESSIONS
