Prof. Dr Matthias Barth, President of the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE), was elected as the new Chairman of the Board at the General Assembly of the Society for Transdisciplinary and Participatory Research (GTPF) on 12 November 2025 in Leipzig. Together with Dr Miriam Brandt (Deputy Chairwoman,Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research) and Dr Thomas Korbun (Institute for Ecological Economy Research) he will help shape the further development and strategic direction of the professional association in the coming years.

Prof Barth has been a member of the Executive Board since 2024 and has been involved in the development and institutional establishment of the GTPF since then. With the responsibility he has now assumed, he would like to lead the organisation into the next phase of its development:

"I am delighted to be able to continue the development work and to accompany the GTPF in its further development in terms of content and structure. It is particularly important to me to promote the diversity of perspectives within the GTPF and to further strengthen the mutual exchange - both between the scientific disciplines and between science, politics and society," says Barth.

The GTPF is the central professional association for researchers, teachers and practice partners who work at the interface between science and society. It offers space for networking, professional exchange and the further development of transdisciplinary and participatory research and teaching.

In doing so, it aims to strengthen the networking of transdisciplinary and participatory researchers in German-speaking countries, to promote young researchers and to advance the professionalisation and institutional anchoring of transdisciplinary research. It also sees itself as an important voice in the representation of interests vis-à-vis science policy stakeholders and funding bodies. A particular highlight in the coming term of office will be the second GTPF conference at HNEE in spring 2026, which aims to further strengthen the dialogue between science, practice and society.

The election of Prof. Dr Matthias Barth stands for HNEE's strong commitment to inter- and transdisciplinary sustainability research and sustainability transfer as an exchange between university and practice for society. HNEE is one of the highest-profile sustainability universities in the German-speaking world and was honoured with the German Sustainability Award in the Educational Institutions category in 2020. This honours its comprehensive commitment to a sustainability transformation in its fields of education, research and university development.

With Prof Barth, the GTPF is enriched by the specific perspective of universities of applied sciences (HAW). Due to their pronounced application orientation and their close cooperation with practice partners from business, politics, administration and civil society, HAWs have a special power of implementation. This perspective complements the scientific profiles already represented in the GTPF and helps to specifically address HAWs and their exchange and professionalisation networks.

One example of research and transfer with impact is the Biosphere Reserves Institute (BRI) at HNEE. Founded in 2019, the HNEE research and transfer institute strengthens UNESCO biosphere reserves and contributes to the scientific foundation of the UNESCO programme "Man and the Biosphere". As a UNESCO Category II institute, the BRI uses inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to develop practical solutions for sustainable regional development and strengthens the transfer of knowledge between science, politics and society.

With currently more than 300 individual and supporting members, a growing number of active working groups and its own publication formats - including in cooperation with the journal GAIA "Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society" - the GTPF has established itself as an important player in the German-speaking science system since its foundation in 2023.

Last year, the GTPF recorded an increase in membership of around 20 per cent and was able to significantly strengthen its organisational structure by establishing a self-financed office at TU Berlin. In addition, the first GTPF annual conference was a great success with over 130 participants, further promoting professional dialogue and networking within the community. The funding of 385,000 euros from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for the period 2025 to 2028 is another forward-looking signal. The funds will support the organisation of future conferences, symposia for young researchers and cooperation projects, thereby ensuring the continuous development of the society.