corsus moderates WeltWeitWissen Congress 2026 in Lübeck: Three days on “Life at the Sea – Global and Local”
From 14 to 16 September 2026, education actors discussed the future of education for sustainable development (ESD) and global learning in Lübeck. The Congress combined global perspectives with local practice – from the NextGen Ocean City youth competition to indigenous voices from Papua New Guinea. It was moderated by corsus.
The sea combines topics that at first glance are far apart: Fisheries and shipping, global supply chains, climate crisis, migration and democracy. It was precisely this link that made the WeltWeitWissen 2026 Congress the starting point for three intensive days under the motto ‘Living by the Sea – Global and Local’. From 14-16th September, educational actors, politicians, administration, academia and civil society as well as interested parties met directly on the waterfront in the Media Docks in Lübeck and discussed current challenges and opportunities of global learning. Organised by the Bündnis Eine Welt Schleswig-Holstein (BEI) and under the auspices of Reem Alabali Radovan (Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development) and Daniel Günther (Prime Minister of the State of Schleswig-Holstein), the diverse programme aimed to strengthen the foundations of our democratic society by education. corsus took over the main moderation, Dr. Anke Butscher and Dr. Krishan Gairola jointly led through the programme, interactively bound the participants and took care of a lively discussion and constructive feedback.
The congress was opened with greetings from Federal Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan, Prime Minister Daniel Günther and Bishop of the Nordkirche im Sprengel Schleswig and Holstein, Nora Steen as the third patroness. Three keynote speeches set different accents: Linda Kastrup from Fridays for Future highlighted the societal perspective on marine conservation and democracy and the importance of hands-on learning places, as real experiences shape young people. Prof. Dr. Arne Körtzinger from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research shared scientific insights into climate and marine protection on the coast of West Africa and showed the role of data and evidence in closing the gap between knowledge and action. Tanya Zeriga from Papua New Guinea introduced an indigenous perspective and described how important local knowledge can be for scientific knowledge. Highlights of the evening were the reception at the town hall and the guided tour of the sculpture ‘Spirit Canoe’ by the indigenous artist David Seven Deers in Lübeck’s Domhof.
The second day was dedicated to practical implementation. On the education market, organisations such as Brot für die Welt, Kiel University, BUND and NABU presented projects and methods of ESD. A coffee talk with a delegation of coffee farmers from Nicaragua made global connections tangible. In parallel, workshops, lectures and excursions and networking events took place, including many very illustrative offers such as a workshop on plastic in the sea, including a practical excursion with the catamaran ‘Seekuh’. The conclusion was a cultural contribution by the performance group MeerManege e.V., which conveyed marine knowledge in an entertaining and spectacular way.
The last day was marked by young perspectives and big questions. The NextGen Ocean City youth competition awarded the best visions for a future marine conservation city of Lübeck. The keynote speech by Dr. Antje Brock from the Futur Institute at Freie Universität Berlin addressed the question of what good education must do in the face of global crises. The final panel “Beyond the Sea: Security, Sustainability and the Power to Shape our Future through Education” discussed the role of education in an uncertain future with international guests – including Michael Klembara from Slovakia, Emma Schornstein from the Bundesschüler:innenkonferenz, Hendrik Plehn from the Bundeswehr Kiel and Henrik Welp from TechHub SVINord – and with the active participation of the audience.
Over the course of three days, it became clear: The sea is more than just a habitat – it is a symbol of the interconnectedness of local action and global responsibility. The congress showed that education for sustainable development not only imparts knowledge, but also creates spaces in which people learn to ask questions, endure perspectives and find solutions together.
Komplexe Themen verständlich machen, Diskussionen zielgerichtet führen und Beteiligung wirksam gestalten: corsus moderiert Veranstaltungen, Workshops, Kongresse und Dialogformate – professionell, flexibel und mit Blick auf klare Ergebnisse. Sie planen ein Format? Sprechen Sie uns gerne an.
