PIONEER SDG11 Winter School

PIONEER Alliance (Image: Universität Zilina)

The PIONEER SDG11 Winter School is an annual conference organized by the PIONEER Alliance at TH Köln that explores topics related to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 "Sustainable Cities and Communities".

The conference is specifically aimed at young and aspiring researchers from the ten PIONEER partner universities who want to gain a first experience of international conferences and scientific interaction.

The conference, which is peer-reviewed by international experts, will take place from February 23-27, 2026 at TH Köln and offers a supporting program with key notes, excursions and workshops.

The overarching theme of the conference is inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, section 11 (SDG 11). This includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• Inclusive, healthy and sustainable urbanisation, urban planning and development
• Environmental impacts, their measurement and reduction
• Nature in the city
• Sustainable urban mobility
• Digital transformations and smart cities
• Resource efficiency
• Civic engagement and outreach
• Disaster risk reduction and other urban resilience measures

Only members of PIONEER partner universities are eligible to participate. Participants are currently enrolled in a Master's program, are working towards a doctorate or are postdocs working in research.

The PIONEER SDG11 Winter School at TH Köln is led by:

Prof. Dr. Eike Permin (Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering Science)

Carlo Federico dall'Omo, PhD (Università IUAV di Venezia, IT)

Participation in the Winter School opens up valuable opportunities for professional and scientific development:

• Gain valuable insights into current SDG11-related research topics and trends
• Gain experience by participating in an international research conference
• Have your research paper published in a conference publication
• Learn from scientists and professionals from TH Köln and the PIONEER Alliance
• Experience the research environment at TH Köln
• Meet and exchange ideas with colleagues from TH Köln and PIONEER Alliance partner institutions
• Establish relationships for future joint research projects