New professors enrich HNEE - diversity of perspectives for a sustainable future

The Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) is pleased to welcome two new professors: Prof. Dr Benjamin Engler and Prof. Dr Katharina Löhr are now researching and teaching at HNEE - with different academic backgrounds but a common goal: to help shape the transition to a socio-ecological future for our society.

Prof. Dr Benjamin Engler – Shaping Forestry Practices in a Time of Change
Originally from Dresden, Benjamin Engler studied Forest Sciences in Dresden and later completed a Master’s in Sustainable Land Use Management in Freiburg, where he also earned his doctorate. His academic journey has included research stays in China, Canada, and the United States.

At HNEE, he has taken up the Professorship of Forest Work Science and Process Technology.
For Benjamin Engler, people are at the heart of forestry – both as decision-makers and as workers facing physical and mental demands. His field is broad and interdisciplinary, bringing together classical forestry, engineering, the social sciences and medical research.

He will contribute to the undergraduate programs Forestry (B.Sc.) and International Forest Ecology and Management (B.Sc.), as well as the Master’s program Forestry System Transformation (M.Sc.). In his teaching, he draws on his international experience and aims to raise students’ awareness of how deeply forestry decisions affect ecological, social, and economic syste

Prof. Dr Katharina Löhr – Socio-Ecological Perspectives on Land Use
A native of Berlin, Katharina Löhr brings with her an interdisciplinary background. Following her studies in Education, African Studies, and a Master’s in International Conflict Research and Development Policy, she completed her PhD at Humboldt University in Berlin and conducted research at the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF). Her expertise lies at the intersection of sustainable land use, governance, and social cohesion.

She now holds an endowed Professorship in Socio-Ecological Forest Governance, playing a pivotal role in reframing forests as both social and ecological assets. Her teaching and research are firmly interdisciplinary, addressing topics such as reforestation, social peace, and the exchange of knowledge across science, policy and society.

Katharina Löhr will primarily teach in the Socioecological Forest Management degree programme. She is especially committed to viewing land use not just through an ecological lens, but also in terms of its societal value and significance as a resource essential to human survival.

HNEE warmly welcomes its new professors and looks forward to the fresh perspectives, expertise, and energy they bring to teaching, research, and knowledge exchange. With their diverse academic backgrounds, they will help tackle pressing challenges from forestry, ecological and social science viewpoints – working together with students and partners to develop sustainable solutions.