Lecture Series Education for the Future

How can education help us engage responsibly with people, nature, and society? This is the question explored by the public lecture series “Education for the Future: Educational Pathways for Sustainable and Ethical Thinking and Action” at Alanus University in the Mannheim Study Center.

The public lecture series “Education for the Future: Educational Pathways for Sustainable and Ethical Thinking and Action” at Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences at the Study Center in Mannheim invites participants to rethink education: sustainably, ethically, and with a practical orientation.

The series will open on 17 February 2026 with a lecture by Prof. Dr. Albert Schmelzer entitled “Toward an Ethics of Sustainability. The Contribution of the World Religions.” Against the backdrop of the climate crisis, species extinction, and environmental destruction, he examines the ethical guidance that the major world religions can offer for sustainable action—and the role they play in current educational debates.

The lecture series brings together perspectives from educational science, philosophy of education, and inclusive practice. A special focus is placed on Waldorf educational approaches, which are reflected upon both in terms of their historical development and their relevance today. The aim is an open dialogue that brings theory and educational practice into conversation and highlights ways in which education can contribute to shaping a sustainable future.

With a total of ten dates, the lecture series is an open, free offer in the spring semester for students, professionals, and anyone interested in education in the 21st century.

All lectures are open to the public.

Start time: 12:00 noon in each case

Location: Mannheim Study Center, Campus 1, Zielstraße 28, 68169 Mannheim

Responsible: Prof. Claudia Schmidt-Dietrich · Junior Prof. Christiane Adam · Prof. Christian Tewes

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Programme overview

17. 02. 2026
Prof. Dr. Albert Schmelzer (Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences)
Toward an Ethics of Sustainability. The Contribution of the World Religions

10. 03. 2026
Prof. Dr. Jens Soentgen (University of Augsburg)
From the Principle of Responsibility to the Principle of Sustainability

12. 05. 2026
Prof. Dr. Jakob Benecke (Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences)
The History of Waldorf Schools During the Nazi Era

26.05.2026
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Barth (Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences)
Inclusive Educational Processes Across the Lifespan: Pathways to Greater Educational Equity

09.06.2026
Prof. Dr. Henning Pätzold (University of Koblenz)
Practising Sustainability

16.06.2026
Prof. Dr. Martyn Rawson (Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences)
Waldorf Education and Decoloniality: a Necessary Connection?

23.06.2026
Prof. Dr. Christiane Drechsler (Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences)
Living Responsibly

30.06.2026
Junior Prof. Dr. Fanny Stein (Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences)
Evidence-Based Approaches to Fostering Democratic Competence in Primary School

07.07.2026
Prof. Dr. Oktay Bilgi (Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences)
Cultures of Vitality: Pathways of Learning in the Planetary Age

14.07.2026
Janis Maiwald (Doctoral Candidate, Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences)
Waldorf Education as Peace Education?