News
KölnAlumni-Talk: New center, new city?
On May 19, 2025, Anissa Vogel was a guest at the Cologne Alumni Talk and discussed future perspectives of Cologne's urban development together with architect Prof. Paul Böhm. The focus was on the visionary "Neue Mitte Köln" project as well as key challenges such as climate change, housing shortages and the mobility transition. The event provided exciting insights into creative planning approaches for the cities of tomorrow.
Disaster Risk Reduction Conference 2025
On March 27, 2025, MYrisk held a successful online session on "Child- and Youth-specific risk communication on climate-related natural hazards" at the Disaster Risk Reduction 2025 symposium. We were supported by an AI in summarizing the results. The result is a short movie. Link to the Youtube video.
UNCCRD Delta Summit 2025
The first UNCCRD Delta Summit took place from March 17-20 at the Asia Institute of Technology in Bangkok. The aim of the conference was to jointly develop a white paper on the operationalization of the UN Convention for Conserving River Deltas (UNCCRD). Representatives from science, politics and local delta communities from 24 countries and four continents contributed their expertise. Anissa Vogel presented research findings from the five-year project on the Ayeyarwady Delta in Myanmar and chaired the session on delta resilience strategies, the results of which will be incorporated into the draft white paper.
BKK Congress 2025
From February 5 to 7, 2025, the second BBK Congress “Research for Civil Protection” took place at the World Conference Center Bonn - an outstanding event with over 900 participants and more than 150 presentations. Three days full of intensive discussions and exchanges about the latest trends in civil protection and civil defense. Dr. Sophie-Bo Heinkel and Anissa Vogel were there and took part actively, gaining valuable insights into innovative research approaches and practical solutions for preventive, transdisciplinary civil protection.
Cities Skylines: Build your own city!
Anissa Vogel was a guest on the ARTE livestream "Couchwissen" on 18.06.24 and discussed current challenges for our cities, possible solutions and the contribution of geography together with presenter Cedric Engels and Sebastian Hoffbauer from the City of Cologne. The innovative format for science communication is available as a full-length recording on Twitch and as a highlight video on YouTube (in German).
Award of an adjunct professorship
On 08.05.2024 PD Dr. Carsten Butsch was awarded his certificate with the appointment as apl-Professor. It is the highly deserved appreciation of his great work in our research group, the institute and the University of Cologne. Congratulations, dear Carsten!
... enjoying an expresso with Professor Frauke Kraas
...who traveled to Vietnam and Thailand in January 2024 as part of a delegation with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil. Here is an interview with insights into this special trip.
ForUm Conference 2023
An international conference of the expert network "ForUm for Urban Future in Southeast Asia" on the topic of "National Urban Development Strategies for ASEAN Member Countries" took place in Jakarta/Indonesia from 25.11.-5.12.2023. Participants from seven Southeast Asian countries intensively discussed recent urban development processes in the ASEAN countries and derived concrete recommendations for national urban development policies. Frauke Kraas has headed the international, interdisciplinary network of experts since 2005.
International Science Award for Prof. Dr. Surinder Aggarwal
At the German Geographical Congress (DKG) in Frankfurt am Main, Prof. Dr. Surinder Aggarwal was presented with the International Science Award of the German Geographical Society, which he had been awarded in 2021. Due to the pandemic, the prize could not be presented in person at the time. The Chairwoman of the Prof. Dr. Frithjof Voss Foundation, Prof. Dr. Frauke Kraas, emphasized the outstanding importance of Prof. Aggarwal within Indo-German relations in geography by referring to Prof. Aggarwal's significant involvement in international research programs, university teaching and supervision as well as bilateral scientific exchange. Prof. Aggarwal has maintained close ties with the Institute of Geography at the University of Cologne since 2002. In 2012, he was the first recipient of the prestigious "Indian Chair", which he dedicated to a long research and teaching stay in Cologne. On behalf of the German Geographical Society (DGfG), the Prof. Dr. Frithjof Voss Foundation has financed, organized and awarded the International Science Prize of German Geography every four years since 2012.
German Congress of Geography 2023
The 62nd German Congress of Geography (DKG) took place in Frankfurt am Main from September 19 to 23, 2023. Our working group was also well represented in the highly interesting DKG program with presentations by Frauke Kraas and Anissa Vogel.
GSGS Research Conference with Poster Award Winner
On May 12, 2023, the 10th Research Conference of the Graduate School of Geosciences took place. PhD students presented their projects through posters. Among all presenters, one of the Poster Awards was given to Anissa Vogel for her poster on the research project "Identifying Land-Use Related Potential Disaster Risk Drivers in the Ayeyarwady Delta, Myanmar". Congratulations!
Extension DFG-Project
For the year 2024 the follow-up project "Rising sea and sinking land: Determining spatially resolved subsidence rates for the Ayeyarwady Delta (Myanmar) and developing dynamic adaptation scenarios for the increased risk of flooding" to the interdisciplinary research project in the Ayearwady Delta in Myanmar under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Brückner, Dr. Dominik Brill and Prof. Dr. Frauke Kraas is funded by the DFG for another 12 months.
New DFG project
Since 01.01.2023 the project "MiGeQua - Migrant Health Understandings and Practices in Diverse Neighborhoods" under the direction of PD Dr. Carsten Butsch and Prof. Dr. Frauke Kraas is funded by the DFG for 36 months. More infos here.
Annual Conference of the Working Group SEA
On 24-25 June 2022 the annual meeting of the Scientific Working Groups Southeast Asia and East Asia took place in Osnabrück. Besides Prof. Dr. Frauke Kraas, Anissa Vogel, Niklas Elverich and Khun Set Thar participated and were able to network with new contacts as well as get valuable input for their own research in addition to exciting lectures. More information here.
Press conference on results of MSME survey
On May 10th 2022, the results from the survey of MSMEs and the recommendations for action to be derived from them on the premises of the Cologne Chamber of Commerce and Industry were presented at a press conference.
For more information click here.
Retreat in Koblenz
From 30 March - 01 April 2022 we spent three intensive, beautiful days in Koblenz. Besides the collection of ideas for research and teaching, exchange of expertise as well as future working group orientation (and much more), we could get to know each other better as working group and grow together as a team.
Nusantara - Wie baut man eine Metropole aus dem Nichts?
Prof. Kraas talks to host Jonas Grethel in the detektor.fm format "Zurück zum Thema" from 04.02.2022 about how the Indonesian government wants to build a new capital called Nusantara out of nothing and whether the Indonesian government's goals are realistic. Click here to listen to the podcast (in German).
Goodbye Zoom Meeting for Dr. Tine Trumpp
After many years, Dr. Tine Trumpp is leaving the working group to take up a new position at the University of Stuttgart. We wish you, dear Tine, all the best and thank you very much for the great time together and always productive collaboration.
Press conference on the MSME survey 2021
On 24.08.2021, Prof. Kraas and A. Mihaljevic informed in a press conference about the start of the digital survey on disaster preparedness of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) in Cologne in the context of the MYrisk project in cooperation with the Cologne Fire Department and the Cologne Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Reports on this appeared in the Kölnische Rundschau and the Kölner Stadtanzeiger.
One-hour talk with Prof. Kraas and PD Dr. Butsch
On 06.05.2021, Prof. Kraas and PD Dr. Butsch participated as experts and speakers in the one-hour discussion on "Sustainable Megacities: Health, Risks, Resources part IV", organised by the North America Office in New York. Questions such as "How can cities prioritize different strategies to achieve healthier living conditions for urban populations?" were discussed. The full video is available here.
Flyer dissemination campaign in Myanmar (January 2021)
As part of the project "Multiple risks management of extreme events in fast-growing (mega)cities in Myanmar", flyers prepared by the project consortium on COVID-19, evacuation, earthquakes, tropical cyclones and floods were distributed in Yangon.
Video of the web talk online
On 20 november 2020 Prof. Dr. Kraas and PD Dr. Butsch talked about their work on urbanization, health and risk management in South and Southeast Asia. It is worth to have a look and listen. Here is the one-hour Youtube video: Sustainable Megacities: Health, Risks, Resources - Part 1: University of Cologne.
Annual Meeting AK Southeast Asia and AK East Asia
The annual meeting of the two working groups Southeast Asia and East Asia in the DGfG took place from June 25-27, 2021 as a three-day event (at the University of Duisburg-Essen).
The main topics were "Sustainable Urban Development" and "The New Silk Roads: China's Belt and Road Initiative and its Impact in East and Southeast Asia" (see Call for Papers). (in german language)
Robert Sabelfeld receives NRW.Bank study award
For his innovative, practice-oriented master thesis on the topic: "Cohousing: A Suitable Strategy for Ageing in Place? Lessons Learnt from Bonn, Germany" (supervised by Prof. Kraas) Robert Sabelfeld receives the study award "Wohnen und Stadt" of the NRW.Bank endowed with 1.500€.
Congratulations also from the AG for this great achievement! Here the press release (in german).
International Conference on "Transformation Processes in Myanmar V"
27.-28 November 2020: With an audience of about 150 and 41 scientific presentations, the traditional conference jointly organized by the Universities of Cologne and Yangon was a great success. This year, the conference took place in the ceremonial framework of the 100th anniversary of the University of Yangon and enabled us all to participate online via Zoom.
Here the article on the website of the Ministry of Education.
Web Talk Series: "Corona Conversations: Mobility in a Post(covid) Future"
From 27 October 2020 - 10 February 2021 Dr. Amrita Datta will moderate discussions via Zoom on the impact of Covid on mobility, migration and transnationalism. The exact dates, discussion partners and topics can be found here.
Successful disputation
Harald Sterly successfully defended his doctoral thesis on "Translocal Social Constellations and Mediated Communication in Bangladesh" on 11 September 2020. His disputation was online via zoom video conference.
Congratulations to your great work, Harald!
Zoom meetings in the home office
We also meet in our home office twice a week via Zoom to exchange information about current developments in our work, teaching experiences and any problems that may arise. Physical meetings are nicer, but this way we stay in touch and can support each other.
Post from... the excursion blog
In the future, exciting reports on current and past excursions under the direction of Prof. Kraas will be published here. But unfortunately only in german.
Successful Disputation
Satyendra Singh Yadav successfully completed his doctorate on 04.03.2020 on "Exploring the Competitiveness of Home-Based Women Workers in Delhi: A Case Study of the Garment and Apparel Sector". We congratulate him on his great achievement.
7th Research Conference of the GSGS
On 17 January 2020, the Research Conference of the Graduate School of Geosciences took place for the seventh time. In addition to an interesting and varied lecture programme, 23 scientific posters from various geoscientific disciplines were presented. One of the poster awards was given to Sarah Luft for her poster on the research project "New Connectivity in Asia: Pioneering border corridors and transnational transformation processes in the Greater Myeik Area/Myanmar and Prachuap Khiri Khan/Thailand".