Public lecture aims to point the way out of the climate crisis

Anyone interested is invited to attend the lecture ‘A Way Out of the Climate Debate – How to Overcome the Divide in Public Opinion on Energy and Climate’ in the Central Lecture Theatre Building on the BTU’s main campus in Cottbus, Audimax 1. Admission is free. No registration is required.

About the lecture

Energy and climate policy are dividing Germany. One section of the population wants to ‘accelerate the energy transition’: to expand wind and solar power more rapidly, stick to the nuclear phase-out and promote heat pumps. Another section wants an ‘end to climate planning’: the abolition of the ban on combustion engines and the Heating Act, as well as a return to nuclear energy. To point the way out of this climate battle, the lecture begins with an analysis of 70 years of German energy and climate policy and concludes with a national peace plan for energy and climate. Part of the plan involves depoliticising energy research, which the author illustrates using the specific example of the heat pump. 

An exciting heat pump experiment from the DLR_School_Lab at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg complements the lecture. A heat pump demonstrator will be used to explain the heat pump cycle. Participants will gain a practical understanding of how heat pumps work and their efficiency.

Moderator: Prof. Dr Eike Albrecht, BTU, Chair of Public Law, with Focus on Environmental and Planning Law (with a research focus on civil law)

The lecture is organised in collaboration with the German Aerospace Centre (DLR).
Further information on the DLR site in Cottbus can be found here.

Date: Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 5.30 pm to 7 pm
Venue: Audimax 1 on the BTU’s main campus, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 3, 03046 Cottbus

About the speaker

André Thess studied Physics at the University of Technology in Dresden, where he obtained his PhD in 1991. Following research stays in France and at Princeton University in the USA, he completed his habilitation at the University of Technology in Dresden in 1995. From 1998 to 2014, he was Professor of Thermodynamics and Magnetofluid Dynamics at the University of Technology of Ilmenau. Since 2014, Thess has been Professor of Energy Storage at the University of Stuttgart. At the same time, he headed the DLR Institute of Technical Thermodynamics in Stuttgart for twelve years and, on 1 August 2026, took over as Director of the DLR Institute for Low-Carbon Industrial Processes, with sites in Cottbus and Zittau. Furthermore, Professor André Thess is a member of DFG Research Council 404 and has been its spokesperson since 2012. André Thess has held visiting professorships at Stanford University in the USA, Nagoya University in Japan and Northeastern University in Shenyang, China.

About the Open BTU lecture series 

From 14 October 2026 to 27 January 2027, the public lecture series ‘Open BTU’ will offer insights into fascinating fields of knowledge. During the winter term, the following topics will be explored from various perspectives:

• Energy and mobility research for a sustainable future
• The financial system and the euro – from local authorities to central banks
• Researching with society – co-creative projects at the BTU 

Through this educational format, which is open to all interested parties, the University’s Centre for Academic Continuing Education supports lifelong learning and promotes the transfer of knowledge and ideas within the region by addressing socially relevant issues. In doing so, BTU collaborates with other universities and institutions. After each lecture, there is an opportunity for questions and discussion with the speakers. Anyone interested is warmly invited to take part in the wide-ranging programme of events.

Find out more about the ‘Open BTU’ public lecture series:
https://www.b-tu.de/weiterbildung/offene-hochschule/open-btu