Symposium on University Mobilization for Climate Action

Despite growing awareness, many universities still lack comprehensive climate action plans, interdisciplinary collaboration, and student engagement strategies to drive meaningful change. This symposium seeks to bridge these gaps by fostering dialogue among academic leaders, researchers, students, policymakers, and industry partners to accelerate climate action within higher education institutions. 

By convening stakeholders from diverse disciplines, the Symposium will:
a) highlight best practices in university-led climate initiatives
b) strengthen partnerships between academia, government, and the private sector
c) empower students and faculty to lead sustainability efforts on campuses and beyond
d) develop actionable strategies for integrating climate education and research into university curricula and operations.

Papers and presentations may address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• Integrating Climate Action in Curriculum and Research
• University Climate Leadership and Governance
• Student and Staff Engagement in Climate Initiatives
• Climate Action Through Campus Operations
• Partnerships and Policy Engagement
• Measuring and Reporting University Climate Action
• Social Justice and Equity in University Climate Action

Additional themes are welcome. Further themes may be considered, please consult the organisers to discuss your specific inputs.

Delegates come from a cross-sectoral range of areas. They are:

• members of university administrations;
• teaching staff;
• research staff;
• students;
• project officers and consultants;
• other people interested in the field.

The Symposium is hosted by the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), in partnership with the Research and Transfer Centre Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany), the European School of Sustainability Science and Research (ESSSR), the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme (IUSDRP), and the German-Brazilian Science and Technology Network (GERBRAS-SCIENCENET).

This event contributes to the broader mission of mobilizing the higher education sector for climate action and is aligned with international efforts to accelerate sustainability transitions through academic collaboration.

As an output of the event, the book "Higher Education Driving Climate Action: Pathways and Practices" will be published by Springer Nature, as part of the Climate Change Management Series. This is, with over 50 books to date, the world’s leading peer-reviewed book series on matters related to climate change. Over 3.500 scientists and former doctoral students have published their work in the series. The peer-reviewed nature of the series means that publications produced as part of it have been officially accepted for promotion and tenure purposes over the years, and as validated outputs as part of PhD Programmes.

Interested participants are invited to submit a 300-word abstract (including the title, outline of the work, and author contact details) by 30 September 2025 in the following form.

• Abstract Submission: 30 September 2025
• Full Paper Submission: 10 March 2026
• Registration Deadline: 20 March 2026

To offset some of the costs of the organisation of the event and the book production costs, a registration fee of € 275 will be charged to international delegates, and R$500 for delegates from Brazil (R$250 for students). The fee includes the coffee breaks and lunches on the two days, and a PDF of the book to those who contributed to it. Information on how to register will be sent to the delegates whose contributions have been accepted.
 

The earlier submission of abstracts is strongly encouraged. The deadline for submissions of abstracts should not be regarded as the date the abstracts are due. Rather, it is the last possible day. Therefore, authors who submit their abstracts at a later stage should be mindful of the fact that presentation slots may be taken, and only poster presentations may be possible. Please submit your abstract as soon as you can, to avoid possible problems.

• Prof. Josué Labaki, School of Mechanical Engineering - FEM, Unicamp
• Prof. Sônia Regina da Cal Seixas, Advisory Committee on Ecological Change and Environmental Justice - CAMEJA, Unicamp
• Prof. Walter Leal, HAW Hamburg, Germany
   

• Dr. Joao Eustachio, HAW Hamburg, Germany
• Dr. Amanda Lange Salvia, HAW Hamburg, Germany
• Prof. Suzana Regina Moro, School of Mechanical Engineering - FEM, Unicamp
• Prof. Carla Kazue Nakao Cavaliero, School of Mechanical Engineering - FEM, Unicamp
• Dr. Amasa Ferreira Carvalho, School of Mechanical Engineering - FEM, Unicamp

Enquiries regarding submissions of abstracts should be sent to the Organising Team at FTZ-Events (at) haw-hamburg (dot) de