24.03.-29.3.2024 at Arbeiterbildungszentrum, Gelsenkirchen
The Open Academy, as a forum of progressive critical science, literature and art, is planning its twelfth weekly conference in 2024. In the face of comprehensive social crises, we call for contributions that focus on the urgent questions of the future of humanity, that are critical, materialistically founded, committed to the interests of the broad population.
The call „listen to science“ comes from many sides. Critical voices complain that in natural sciences and even more in humanities science suffers more and more, due to positivism, pragmatism or orientation for short-term profit. The Open Academy defends real scientific method and promotes a discussion about the philosophical and methodological reasons of an undermining of science.
The Open Academy resolutely distances itself from ostensibly „critical“ but in reality reactionary pseudo-science of contrarians, conspiracy mystics and fascists. We are ideologically open, on an anti-fascist basis, which includes scientific socialism. Our self-understanding can be found at https://offene-akademie.org/unser-selbstverstaendnis/
The Open Academy is interdisciplinary. We invite contributions or proposals for speakers on the following topics in particular:
- Economic development, global economic- and financial crisis, digitalization.
- Workers movement, defense of social and political rights, postmodernism.
- Medicine and biology, public health Crisis, background and lessons of the corona pandemic, medicine and public health.
- Environmental catastrophe, environmental protection measures, capitalism and environment, (youth) environmental movement and its perspectives, advanced technologies of the circular economy, paradigm shift for the unity of man and nature.
- Military rearmament, threat of world war, development of the peace movement.
- Worldwide refugee crisis, right to asylum
- History, social development and politics, defense and extension of democratic rights, anti-fascism, fight against racism, anti-semitism and anti-communism
- Agriculture, agribusiness, healthy food production and nutrition
- Living conditions and welfare, psychology and pedagogy
- Natural sciences and technology, crisis of natural and social sciences, the standard of science and technology, contentious materialism.
- Philosophy and ideology, social alternatives, scientific socialism.
There will also be cultural events on the evenings of the event week. We ask cultural workers to apply for this.
We are especially a forum of the youth and promote young scientists and cultural workers. Contributions from working-class youth and students, also as team contributions, are welcome. In this context, the Open Academy also supports the Student Political Council on December 2-3 and calls for participation in the preparation.
„Open“ academy also means that at it speakers and listeners, regardless of academic titles, come together at eye level and learn from each other. The exchange between science, culture and the workers‘, women’s, environmental and youth movements is promoted.
The application
The application should contain the title and a brief description of the content of the lecture or cultural contribution. As second part there should be a short description of the speaker.
Speakers will receive an honorarium of 150,- Euro, a day ticket for all events, catering on the day of the performance and, if necessary, free accommodation. Requests for fees and, if desired, payment of travel expenses should be noted in the application.
Applications should be submitted by email to: info@offene-akademie.org by 09/15/2023. The decision on the acceptance of applications will be made by the scientific advisory board. Notification is expected to be made by 01.11.2023.
Procedure
Each of the one-and-a-half-hour lectures consists half of the lecture and half of the subsequent discussion. In the course of the Open Academy, it has been shown that this achieves a depth of discussion that is otherwise rarely the case. The content and design and style of the lecture is free to the speaker. Necessary technology (beamer for PowerPoint and film presentation, sound amplifier) is available.
Publication
Contributions to be published should be submitted in written form by four weeks after the event, i.e. by 1.5.2024. Publications are possible in consultation as a video or as a written contribution, they will be made available on our homepage.
Scientific advisory board
- Prof. Dr. Helga Baumgarten, political scientist, Jerusalem
- Prof. Dr. Rolf Bertram, physicist, Göttingen
- Bernd Bittenbinder, dentist, Herdorf
- Dr. Andreas von Bülow, publicist, Bonn
- Heinrich Breuckmann, engineer and economist, Castrop-Rauxel
- Prof. Dr. Rainer Frentzel-Beyme, environmental physician, Bremen
- Dr. Colin Goldner, graduate psychologist, Hörgertshausen
- Dr. Rolf Gössner, lawyer, Bremen
- Dr. Maria Grein, engineer for microsystems technology, Bochum
- Prof. Dr. Sigmar Groeneveld, agricultural scientist, Kassel
- Prof. Dr. Christian Jooß, physicist, Göttingen
- Dr. Peter Kaiser, biochemist and political scientist, Hamelin
- Christoph Klug, psychologist and science journalist, Recklinghausen, Germany
- Prof. Dr. Knut Krusewitz, environmental and peace researcher, Fulda
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Josef Lutz, electrical engineer, Chemnitz
- Stephan Moldzio, biologist, Braunschweig
- Traugott Nassauer, psychologist and child and youth psychotherapist, Daaden, Germany
- Jonas Norpoth, physicist, Kassel
- Dr. Michael Schmidt-Salomon, graduate pedagogue and publicist, Newel-Butzweiler
- Prof. Dr. Inge Schmitz-Feuerhake, physicist, Hanover
- Peter Schmöle, geriatric nurse, Cologne
- Prof. Dr. Cynthia A. Volkert, physicist, Göttingen
- Günter Wallraff, journalist and writer, Cologne
- Dr. Rainer Werning, political and social scientist, Frechen-Königsdorf
- Prof. Dr. Jean Ziegler, Member of the Advisory Committee of the UN Human Rights Council, Geneva
Speakers of scientific advisory board are
Christoph Klug (Recklinghausen) Tel: (02361) 494997, E-Mail: wissenschaft_klug@web.de,
Prof. Dr. Josef Lutz, (Chemnitz) Tel: (0371) 53133618, E-Mail: josef.lutz@etit.tu-chemnitz.de
Prof. Dr. Christian Jooß (Göttingen)
Dr. Peter Kaiser (Hameln)