Universität Wien

280299 VO Changing Cities, Changing Societies (Circle U. course) (2026W)

Lecture Series by the Environment and Climate Research Hub (ECH) in Cooperation with the City of Vienna

3.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 28 - Erdwissenschaften, Meteorologie-Geophysik und Astronomie
CIRCLE-U
Moodle
Tu 20.10. 18:30-20:00 Hörsaal II NIG Erdgeschoß

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).
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Details

Language: English

Examination dates

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

13.10.2026 - Ballroom, Vienna City Hall (Separate registration required, see below - Event language: German; English transcript will be provided afterwards)
01.12.2026 - Natural History Museum Vienna (OPTIONAL - Separate registration required, see below - Event language: German; English transcript will be provided afterwards)
21.01.2027 - Lecture Hall 1, NIG, Erdgeschoß

All units will be available for hybrid participation via livestream or Zoom webinar.

  • Tuesday 06.10. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal II NIG Erdgeschoß
  • Tuesday 13.10. 18:00 - 20:00 Ort in u:find Details
  • Tuesday 27.10. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal II NIG Erdgeschoß
  • Tuesday 03.11. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal II NIG Erdgeschoß
  • Tuesday 10.11. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal II NIG Erdgeschoß
  • Tuesday 17.11. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal II NIG Erdgeschoß
  • Tuesday 24.11. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal II NIG Erdgeschoß
  • Tuesday 01.12. 18:00 - 20:00 Ort in u:find Details
  • Tuesday 15.12. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal II NIG Erdgeschoß
  • Tuesday 12.01. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal II NIG Erdgeschoß
  • Tuesday 19.01. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal II NIG Erdgeschoß
  • Thursday 21.01. 18:00 - 20:00 Ort in u:find Details

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

As nearly three quarters of Europeans live in cities, urban areas are both major drivers of resource consumption and environmental pressures, and key arenas for shaping climate-neutral, resilient and liveable futures. The interdisciplinary lecture series "Changing Cities, Changing Societies" explores how collaboration between research and practice can support urban sustainability transformations and address complex societal challenges.

Organised within the framework of the Circle U. Alliance, the series connects international perspectives with local experiences in Vienna. Researchers from Circle U. partner universities, including the University of Vienna, UCLouvain, Aarhus University, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, King's College London, the University of Pisa, the University of Oslo and the University of Belgrade, as well as TU Vienna, present projects and experiences from their respective cities and regions. Their contributions provide starting points for discussions with researchers from the University of Vienna, representatives of the City of Vienna and students.

Rather than presenting ready-made solutions, the lecture series creates a space for dialogue, exchange and mutual learning. By bringing together actors from different disciplines, sectors and countries, it explores how knowledge can be shared, translated into practice and used to support more sustainable, resilient and equitable urban futures.

The programme consists of an introductory session, a public opening event, nine thematic sessions and a closing event:
* Introduction (06.10.2026)
* Public kick-off event at Vienna City Hall (13.10.2026, German; English subtitles will be provided after the event)

Thematic sessions
* Energy (20.10.2026)
* Green and Blue Infrastructure (27.10.2026)
* Circular Economy (03.11.2026)
* Participation (10.11.2026)
* Finance and Markets (17.11.2026)
* Buildings and Construction (24.11.2026)
* Justice and Health (15.12.2026)
* Nutrition and Food (12.01.2027)
* Mobility (19.01.2027)

* Closing event (21.01.2027)

Each thematic session features input from an international expert, followed by a discussion with local researchers and/or practitioners from the City of Vienna. Rather than providing basic information on environmental, climate and sustainability concepts, which is already widely available at the University of Vienna, the lecture series focuses on current challenges and experiences of collaboration between academia, public administration and professional practice. It is intended as a platform for exchange, discussion and collaborative learning across institutional, disciplinary and national boundaries.

The lecture series is organised by the Environment and Climate Research Hub (ECH) of the University of Vienna in cooperation with the City of Vienna.

The weekly sessions take place on Tuesdays from 18:30 to 20:00 at the University of Vienna. The regular sessions and the closing event are held in English. The public opening event is held in German.

Further information about the lecture series is available at: https://ech.univie.ac.at/events/lecture-series-changing-cities

Due to organisational requirements, separate registration is required for the opening event at Vienna City Hall: https://ech.univie.ac.at/event/kick-off-event-for-the-lecture-series-changing-cities-changing-societies

On 1 December 2026, an event in the "Umwelt im Gespräch" series will take place and can be attended as an optional activity, either in person or online. Separate registration is required: https://ech.univie.ac.at/event/16th-environmental-dialogue-why-isnt-more-happening-in-search-of-levers-for-transformation

Welcome, Circle U. students! Please consult the Circle U. website for information on registration and participation: https://www.circle-u.eu/open-campus/lecture-series-changing-cities-changing-societies

For questions regarding the lecture series, please contact: ringvo.ech@univie.ac.at

Assessment and permitted materials

The written examination will be conducted as a multiple-choice examination. One or more answer options may be correct. Each question is worth one point. If multiple answers are correct, partial credit will be awarded. If an incorrect answer option is selected, zero points will be awarded for that question. The duration of the examination is 60 minutes.

The examination is based on the content of the lectures, discussions and materials provided by the speakers.

No aids or supplementary materials are permitted during the examination.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Participation in the lecture units is voluntary; there is no attendance requirement. Successful completion of the lecture series requires passing the examination. Registration for the examination must be completed separately via u:space.

Minimum requirement: Passing the multiple-choice examination.

Partial credit: For questions with multiple correct answers, partial credit is awarded. If an incorrect answer option is selected, no points are awarded for that question.

Assessment criteria: Grading is based on the percentage of questions answered correctly:
Very good: ≥ 90%
Good: ≥ 80%
Satisfactory: ≥ 70%
Pass: ≥ 60%
Fail: < 60%

Examination topics

The following materials are relevant for the examination:
* the content of all lecture units and discussions;
* all presentation slides from the units;

Examination materials will be made available via the Moodle course and organised according to the respective course units.

Reading list

Further reading and supplementary materials related to the individual thematic areas will be made available via Moodle.

Association in the course directory

MES-5; APM-NatWis; WIG; BA-ERD-25.0; UF GW 19; UF GW 02; MMIC 5;

Last modified: We 07.10.2026 08:07