Chair of Health Communication

Establishing a new Institute for Planetary Health Behaviour

Fighting climate change will require far-reaching measures in the future. At the University of Erfurt, we are currently planning on establishing the Institute for Planetary Health Behavior (working title), which will focus on the cause and potential combatant of climate change — humans and their behaviour. The term planetary health is understood to mean the consequences for humans and nature that result from human intervention in nature. Our scientific work is going to focus on the societal, political and individual level and initiate a transformation towards better planetary and human health: because our health depends on a healthy planet.

The institute is currently being founded and, according to the current planning status, brings together scientists from health communication (Prof. Cornelia Betsch und Dr. Mirjam Jenny), social, organizational and economic psychology (Prof. Tilmann Betsch), educational research (Prof. Johannes Bauer), empirical social research (Prof. Guido Mehlkop) and communication science (Prof. Dr. Fabian Prochazka). The professional spectrum will be expanded in the future.

This institute will build bridges to scientific institutions that conduct scientific and biomedical research on climate and health, and to alliances that place climate and health protection on a political level. We want to provide behavioral science tools and new concepts for science communication and journalism as well as education to contribute to a healthy future.