As part of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU, the French Institute of Germany is organising a Night of Ideas, in partnership with the Humboldt University of Berlin, the Marc-Bloch Centre, a Franco-German research centre for the humanities and social sciences, and the Slovenian Cultural Centre SKICA. It will take place on 27 January 2022, under the motto "Europe, together".

Faced with the current challenges of climate change, populism, misinformation and the Covid-19 pandemic, the major questions of our societies regarding their relationship with Europe are more pressing than ever: how do we want to organise our cohabitation in Europe? What kind of Europe do we want? Can Europe even provide answers to all these challenges and what about the sense of European identity and belonging?

For the Night of Ideas, INVR.SPACE GmbH has created a virtual space in which the three high-level panels will address these questions. The audience can follow the discussions in the virtual Heilig-Geist-Kapelle or discover a selection of digital works in the adjoining exhibition rooms. A digital bookshop will also be set up in the waiting room.

17h45

Opening by the Vice-President for Studies and Education of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Professor Niels PINKWART and Ambassador Anne-Marie DESCÔTES.

18h
Navid KERMANI and Péter NÁDAS: "Visions for Europe
Brexit, the erosion of democracy and the rule of law, the rise of populism, the migration crisis, pandemics, digital hype: faced with these challenges, Europe is more divided than ever. Yet Europe is alive and the road ahead can only be travelled together. Together we are stronger!
How can we combine different conceptions of living together? How can we create social cohesion and overcome political, economic, ideological or religious differences? How can history and literature help to repair memories and identities, how can polyphony find expression in a common narrative, how can a European humanism be recreated? These are the questions that will occupy the two major European writers, the German Navid Kermani and the Hungarian Péter Nádas. Both will exchange their views and visions of, on and for Europe. They will also question their own practice and discuss the role of literature, translation and writers in the formation of a common imaginary and a horizon of shared values.
This interview is part of the cycle "Les Grands dialogues", conceived by the French Institute and the online magazine "Le Grand Continent".

19h15
Break

19h30
Introduction: Franc BUT, Ambassador of Slovenia

Social cohesion in Europe
Social cohesion is proving to be fragile at many points, including in Europe. Between religious and political extremism, forms of radicalisation are multiplying. The diversity of European host societies facing the challenge of migration and integration, as well as growing inequalities - be they economic, social, regional or cultural - are challenging the basic democratic consensus. The effects of information bubbles, increasingly driven by social networks, combined with the growing questioning of the legitimacy of the media and science, accentuate the sense of a certain erosion of the sense of common belonging. The pandemic will have demonstrated implacably how all these issues are intertwined.
These challenges pose a threat to Member States as well as to the European Union itself, where new resentments are emerging and nationalist and anti-liberal forces are growing. The participants in this round table will discuss, based on the latest findings of sociological and political science research, the challenges affecting social cohesion in Europe and the solutions that Europe can provide.
Debate with Camille ROTH (sociologist, CNRS/Centre Marc Bloch), Naika FOROUTAN (sociologist, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin) and Renata SALECL (philosopher and sociologist, Univerza v Ljubljani/ Birkbeck College London)

20h45

BREAK

21h15

Introduction: Jakob VOGEL, Director of the Marc Bloch Centre

A Green Union? Europe and the ecological challenge
Climate change, resource depletion, biodiversity loss, environmental pollution: the radical effects of human activity are increasingly evident and lead us to recognise that we are now in the age of the Anthropocene - an era shaped by human beings. Between resignation and utopia: what paths can we take at European level to assume our responsibility together?
The pandemic has exposed the strengths and weaknesses of the European project and shown us the importance of common responses to global challenges and the need to rethink Europe: what role can Europe play in the climate and environmental crisis? Is the Green Deal an opportunity to give new impetus to the European project? How can we encourage a constructive dialogue on this issue between politics, science, research and civil society?
This panel should contribute to answering the questions around climate and ecological change in a European and interdisciplinary perspective.
Introduction by the French philosopher Corine PELLUCHON

Debate with Corine PELLUCHON (philosopher, Université Gustave Eiffel), Marcel ROBISCHON (agronomist, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin) and Vero PINZGER (student, representative of the office of sustainable development of the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin)

In addition:
An innovative digital offer

To echo the debates on the current challenges facing Europe, we offer you a virtual walk through these fundamental questions.

The theme of the Night of Ideas undeniably leads to the place of the digital in our societies, which has become the place of exchange in which modern societies evolve.

In the virtual exhibition space, you can discover our selection of digital works, many of which are also presented in the exhibition "Escape, Journey to the Heart of Digital Cultures" at the French Institute.
Works presented:
Corrupt yourself, Benjamin Gaulon | Voyages extraordinaires, Olivier Pasquet | Moa - My Own Assistant,
Alain Damasio, Franck Weber, Frédéric Deslias, Charles Ayats | Deux visions, Caroline Delieutraz | Seven Grams : Solution Journalism and Augmented Reality, Karim Ben Khelifa

In addition, a virtual book table is available in the waiting room with a selection of books related to the themes of the evening. A selection of books in French related to the themes of the evening is also available on Culturethèque.

The full programme of the Night of Ideas, replay of debates, digital works and virtual book table will be available until 10 February

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