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Fabricio Rodríguez as visiting professor at the EPN in Quito, Ecuador

Zwei Frauen und drei Männer stehen vor zwei aufgestellten Fahnen.

Fabricio Rodríguez mit Vertreter:innen der Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN) in Quito, Ecuador. 

| © ABI

Strengthening the partnership-based knowledge dialogue

From December 6 to 13, 2024, Fabricio Rodríguez held a guest professorship at the renowned Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN) in Quito, Ecuador. This one-week collaboration offered an outstanding opportunity to intensify the knowledge dialogue between Germany and Ecuador and to promote interdisciplinary networking on a global level.

During his stay, Rodríguez worked closely with Prof. Dr. Javier Cuestas-Caza, an expert in technology and innovation who had visited the ABI in the summer of 2024. Together, they published a scientific article in the journal Forest Policy & Economics, which highlights the interfaces between bioeconomy and plurinationality. This work underlines the partnership approach of the two scientists to combine ecological, technological and transcultural aspects of global transformations in research.

A rich program for students and researchers

Rodríguez's academic program at the EPN was rich in content and methodological approaches. It included lectures and workshops on topics such as geopolitics, environmental sociology, decolonial studies and knowledge production. Of particular note was the focus on global challenges such as conflicts over energy and critical raw materials as well as the discussion of alternative development paradigms. The practical sessions, including strategies for publishing in journals and building academic networks, provided valuable resources for postgraduates to position themselves on the international research stage.

International networking

A central element of the visiting professorship were meetings with leading representatives of the EPN, including Dr. Marco Santórum (Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Networking), Dr. Monserrate Intriago (Director of Research) and Mgs. Doralisa Niachimba (Director of Innovation and Networking). The talks laid the foundations for future collaborations, from joint research projects to academic exchange programs. The aim is to strengthen institutional capacities in the long term and develop synergies between the partner institutions.

An inspiring highlight: public lecture at the EPN

The guest professorship concluded with a public lecture by Fabricio Rodríguez on December 12, 2024 entitled “Beyond Modernity: Science, Energy and Technology in the Face of New Global Hierarchies”. In front of a wide audience, he presented pioneering approaches to the energy transition and its link to newly forming global power structures. The lecture not only provided food for thought, but also stimulated an intensive exchange between the Ecuadorian academic community and international perspectives.

This guest professorship was not only a recognition of Fabricio Rodríguez's academic achievements, but also a significant step towards the further internationalization of the ABI. It illustrates how targeted knowledge exchange and interdisciplinary cooperation can create sustainable impetus for research and teaching.

German Ambassador to South Korea Georg Schmidt at the ABI

Georg Schmidt und Andreas Mehler stehen im ABI-Foyer.
© ABI

Georg Schmidt is the German ambassador to South Korea. The Freiburg-born diplomat has been associated with the ABI as a member of the Advisory Board for many years. Between November 11 and 14, 2024, he visited the ABI for the annual meeting of the Advisory Board and spoke about his work in South Korea.

The exchange with Mr. Schmidt on his work in Korea, the geopolitical situation in the region and the new challenges following Trump's re-election was very enriching. Thank you very much!

Javier Cuestas-Caza (EPN, Ecuador) visits the Arnold-Bergstraesser-Institut

Christina Espinosa, Fabricio Rodríguez, Javier Cuestas-Caza

Cristina Espinosa, Fabricio Rodríguez & Javier Cuestas-Caza in Freiburg.

Javier Cuestas-Caza, a distinguished scholar from the Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN) in Ecuador, visited the Arnold Bergstraesser Institute (ABI) in Freiburg, Germany. His stay from 23 May - 1 June 2024 was marked by productive discussions about collaborative research at the intersection of science and technology studies, governance, and Andean-Amazonian notions of well-being with his colleague and co-author from ABI, Fabricio Rodríguez. Fabricio had previously reviewed Javier’s work in the ALMA review blog, which features reviews of inspiring colleagues in and from the Global South, from whom ABI researchers draw inspiration and which contributes to building relationships of reciprocal exchange.

Javier’s agenda included a conversation with Cristina Espinosa from the Chair of Sustainability Governance at the University of Freiburg. Javier, Cristina and Fabricio all come from Ecuador and share an interest in the political trajectory of the concepts and implementation of plurinationality, rights of nature, and post-Western alternatives to ‘development’ in/from South America. They held conversations about the question of what Sumak Kawsay (Kichwa for “good life/living”) means for current debates on alternatives to “development”, natural resource conflicts, and postcolonial practices. This question is partly addressed in a recent open-access article that Javier and Fabricio co-authored with Lucía Toledo (EPN, Ecuador) and published with Forest Policy and Economics under the title „Transcultural bioeconomy governance in a plurinational state: Sumak Kawsay and bio-based production in two Kichwa territories of Ecuador“ 

Javier Cuestas Caza’s visit provided a unique opportunity for the ABI to deepen its commitment to fostering academic exchange and interdisciplinary research. This experience highlights the importance of building reciprocal relationships to address key topics and produce original research across geographical borders and disciplinary boundaries. 

Experts from Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad hold talks at the ABI

Group photo of the ABI and Cariatas delegations in front of the institute.
© ABI

On April 22, 2024, Helga Dickow and Fabricio Rodríguez welcomed an international delegation of experts and humanitarian aid professionals to the ABI. Among those present were Abbé Constantin Sere, head of Caritas in Burkina Faso, Baba Diarra, head of Carita’s partner organization ENDA Mali and Thomas Alyo, Caritas expert in Chad. The delegation was accompanied by Volker Gerdersmeier, Philipp Lang and Lisa Skender from Caritas International in Freiburg. 

The exchange focused on assessing the political situation and the different security challenges in the Sahel. In addition, both German and European humanitarian aid were critically discussed under the heading of "localization". Elements from these discussions will be incorporated into a policy paper for the "Postcolonial Hierarchies in Peace and Conflict" project.