Ursula Heise (UCLA) Appointed as International Francqui Professor
(09-09-2024) This autumn, we will be hosting UCLA professor Ursula Heise as an International Francqui Professor at our faculty. Heise is one of the leading scholars in the field of the environmental humanities.
The environmental humanities are an interdisciplinary area of inquiry that shows how the various ecological crises we face - such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and widespread pollution - are not only scientific or technological challenges, but also deeply intertwined with culture, history, and politics.
Ursula Heise holds the Marcia H. Howard Chair in Literary Studies at UCLA, where she is affiliated with the Department of English and the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.
On Wednesday 2 October, Professor Heise will deliver her inaugural lecture, entitled “Environmental Futures and the Challenges of Realist Storytelling”, in the Belvedère of the Boekentoren. The lecture is aimed at a wide audience, but registration is required.
During her stay at our faculty, Professor Heise will participate in several Class of Excellence seminars and in a symposium entitled “Imagining Environmental Futures”.