Prof. Dr. Verena Blechinger-Talcott is the first Vice President responsible for University Culture, International Affairs, Diversity, and Equality and a professor of Japanology (Politics and Economics of Japan) at Freie Universität Berlin. One of her main tasks as the First Vice President is coordinating Freie Universität Berlin's sustainability strategy. Dr. Blechinger-Talcott studied Japanology, Political Science, and Law at LMU Munich and Dōshisha University in Kyoto and earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from LMU Munich. In addition to her work as a professor, she has held various positions at Freie Universität since 2007. Among other roles, she served as Dean of the Department of History and Cultural Studies, Director of the Graduate School of East Asian Studies (GEAS), and member of the Academic Senate.

Prof. Dr. Carsten Dreher

He has held the professorship for Innovation Management at the Department of Economics at Freie Universität Berlin since 2009. From 2009 to 2012, he was also the Director of the Center for Cluster Development, which advised and supported the university's executive board on strategic research planning and the identification and development of research priorities. Prior to his research activities at Freie Universität, he worked as a professor of Innovation Research and Innovation Management at the University of Flensburg/Syddansk Universitet, Denmark, and as a department head at the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research. He also spent time abroad in Brussels at DG Research, MIT, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and as a guest professor in Santiago de Chile. In 2021, he was appointed by the European Commission as a member of the Board of the 'European Innovation Council.' His research focuses on strategic innovation and technology management, foresight and analysis of the dynamics of technological innovation systems, and tools for sustainability-oriented science, technology, and innovation policy.

"I am committed to the FUturist jury because when it comes to innovations for sustainability, we should start with ourselves (here at FU) in order to convince others."

Dr. Tanja Prillwitz

Since January 2021, she has been managing the administration of the University Library. Previously, the economist served as Chancellor of an American private university and worked as a Senior Consultant for Change Management and Government Relations at a start-up. As a long-time advisor at the Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK), she most recently worked in the fields of innovation, technology, and science. Her responsibilities included participating in numerous committees, including those within ministries and senate administrations. During this time, she was also active as a partner and jury member for the Funpreneur competition.

"I am committed to the FUturist jury because I want forward-thinking concepts and creative solutions to be implemented. Through GreenFUBib, I have come to realize how valuable even the smallest steps toward sustainability can be."

Prof. Dr. Fabian Faßnacht

He is a forest scientist and took over the leadership of the Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics research group at the Institute of Geographical Sciences at Freie Universität Berlin in 2022. After completing his PhD with a focus on remote sensing methods at the University of Freiburg, he worked at the Institute of Geography and Geoecology at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. His research projects focus on understanding ecological patterns and processes in vegetation ecosystems using remote sensing methods. For instance, he applies AI techniques to extract information from long satellite image time series or to better characterize wildfires. Research stays have taken him to Chile, China, Canada, and the USA. Additionally, he serves as Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Forestry (Oxford University Press).

"I am committed to the FUturist jury because I believe that ideas with the potential to make the university and the world more sustainable should not remain theoretical discussions but should have the opportunity to develop in practice and thereby have the potential to make a real difference."

Dr. Katja Reinecke

Since 2021, she has been leading the Dahlem Center for Academic Teaching at Freie Universität Berlin. There, she focuses on developing the personal teaching competencies of educators, optimizing teaching-learning formats for student success, and fostering exchange between educators and students. A PhD linguist, she taught German Studies for 10 years, specializing in German as a Foreign and Second Language in teacher training and professional development. In 2017, she transitioned from teacher education to higher education didactics at Freie Universität. She is also involved in the Lehreⁿ Netzwerk e.V. , working nationwide on shaping the teaching of tomorrow.

"I am particularly excited about project ideas related to teaching and learning, perhaps even co-developed by educators and students. At the Dahlem Center for Academic Teaching, we support the advancement of teaching, which is why I am committed to the FUturist jury: because teaching is the central and most powerful vehicle through which we, as a university, prepare graduates to shape the society of tomorrow."

Annika Nee, Johanna Uebe and Joshua Melzig

They are Bachelor’s and Master’s students in Biology, all of whom support Dr. Manfred Forstreuter in his teaching and research work in the Climate Forest, where they are also writing their theses. In 2022/23, they implemented the project "FU Climate Forest – A Sustainable Teaching and Research Location" together with him and fellow students.

"We are participating in the FUturist jury because we consider the promotion of sustainable ideas particularly important and want to contribute our student perspective. Through the successful implementation of our own FUturist project, FU Climate Forest – A Sustainable Teaching and Research Location, we know firsthand what is important in the planning and execution of such projects and can effectively bring this experience into the jury’s work."

Julian Krapp and Sophie Rose

Both study Geological Sciences at FU Berlin's Lankwitz Campus, where they explore the processes, resources, and risks of planet Earth. Together with their fellow students, they implemented their FUturist Project "Facade Greening at Lankwitz Campus" in 2022/23 to improve the ecological situation on campus. Both are also actively involved in the Geosciences Student Initiative.

"We are participating in the jury because we are curious to see the creative ideas students come up with this year and because we want to continue shaping the campus."