University for all: “Human-animal relationship #govegan” lecture series enters its second round

From 17 April 2025, Witten/Herdecke University (UW/H) is offering anyone interested the opportunity to take part in the public and free lecture series "Human-Animal Relationship Vol. 2 #govegan" and learn more about the challenges and solutions that exist in the relationship between humans and animals.

"The human-animal relationship is becoming increasingly important - especially against the backdrop of growing environmental awareness and the ongoing debate about climate protection," says Prof Dr Jan Ehlers, Vice President for Teaching and Learning and Chair of Didactics and Educational Research in the Health Care System at the UW/H. Nevertheless, this topic is still not dealt with enough in many university contexts. Dr Julia Nitsche, Post-doc at the Chair of Didactics and Educational Research in Health Science, adds: "Our lecture series is intended to provide a platform to focus on the complex aspects of the relationship between humans and animals." Junior Professor Dr Theresa Sophie Busse, holder of the Junior Professorship of Digital Health, is looking forward to the coming semester: "Last semester, we were able to reach 1,382 people and had some great discussions. We're looking forward to perhaps even more this time."

Ten experts from various subject areas will provide insights and encourage a broad debate. The following topics will be discussed, for example:

• Peaceful coexistence between wolves and humans: One of the most common lines of conflict between humans and animals is the return of wolves to our habitats. The session with official veterinarian Dr Birgit Mennerich-Bunge will focus on future scenarios: How can peaceful coexistence work and what solutions are there to safeguard both human and animal interests?
• Animal experiments and the development of NAMs (non-animal models): The ethical and scientific issues surrounding animal experiments are still highly topical. What innovative approaches are there to replace animal testing? The lecture with Dr Kathrin Herrmann, scientist at John Hopkins University, will highlight both the ethical dilemmas and the progress made in developing such alternatives and discuss the possibilities of reducing animal testing in medical research.

• Illness caused by pedigree breeding in dogs and cats: Breeding animals is a controversial topic, especially when it comes to extreme forms of pedigree breeding that lead to health problems in dogs and cats. How far can breeding practices go and what responsibility do breeders bear? Prof Dr Achim D. Gruber, veterinary pathologist at the FU Berlin, discusses how animal health and welfare can be better protected and whether breeding without "reasonable cause" is ethically justifiable at all.

   

The lecture series began in 2021 as a small seminar in which students worked out the content themselves. A jointly written book documents the results at the time (https://zenodo.org/records/7310891). In the new form, the general public will be included in the discussion. The lecture is free and accessible online for all interested parties. It takes place weekly on Thursdays from 17:30 to 19:00.

Further information:

After regular participation, a certificate will be issued, which can be used, for example, for independent recognition as an elective or further training.

The lecture series ends on 17 July 2025. Click here to register: https://www.uni-wh.de/euer-campus/wittenlab-zukunftslabor-studium-fundamentale/veranstaltungen-und-oeffentliche-vortraege/ringvorlesung-mensch-tier-beziehung-sose-25