Channel Title: Holberg Prize Channel Description: This channel features lectures, interviews and speeches by the Holberg Laureates, Nils Klim Laureates, and other guests at Holberg Prize events. The objective of the Holberg Prize is to increase awareness of the value o research in the humanities, social sciences, law or theology. The Holberg Prize is an international prize awarded annually to a scholar who have made outstanding contributions to research in the fields mentioned above. The Prize amounts to NOK 6 000 000 (approximately EUR 525,000 or USD 575,000 as of 01.04.2020). The Prize was established by the Norwegian Parliament in 2003, and awarded for the first time in 2004. It is named after the Danish-Norwegian writer Ludvig Holberg. The Holberg Prize organisation also awards the Nils Klim Prize each year to a scholar from the Nordics under 35 years within the same above mentioned fields, and hosts a research competition called the Holberg Prize School Project for students in Norwegian upper secondary schools. <video> Is the West in Decline? C. Miller-Idriss, Y. Varoufakis, and K. Kisin. The 2024 Holberg Debate. Description: Is the West in decline, and if so, what are the implications for the future of democracy and the global order? This is the central question for the 2024 Holberg Debate. The discussion will centre on the following issues: * The challenges facing Western democracies, such as instability, discontent, extremism, populism, disinformation and social fragmentation. What are currently the greatest threats to democracy and stability in the West? * The cultural and ideological shifts within Western societies. * The extent to which autocracies work to undermine the democratic world. By what means should they be opposed? * The decline of Western influence in global affairs, as the world becomes more multipolar. What are the implications for global stability and prosperity. Panel: Cynthia Miller-Idriss is a Professor in the School of Public Affairs and in the School of Education at the American University in Washington, DC, where she is also the founding director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL). Yanis Varoufakis leads MeRA25 in Greece and is co-founder of the pan-European movement DiEM25 as well as the Progressive International. He is an academic economist who served as Greece’s Finance Minister in 2015. Konstantin Kisin is a Sunday Times best-selling author, comedian, satirist, social commentator and host of TRIGGERnometry, a free speech YouTube show and podcast, based on open, fact-based discussion of important and controversial issues. Moderator: Sara Montague is a British journalist and presenter. Since 1997, she has presented several of the BBC’s most popular radio and TV programmes, including HARDtalk, Today og The World at One. More information: holbergprize.org. </video> <video> The Holberg Masterclass feat. Achille Mbembe: "Thoughts on the Planetary" Description: The greatest challenge facing critical theory now is the reframing of the disciplines in light of the long-term sustainability of life on Earth. To tease out alternative possibilities for thinking life and human futures in this age, there is no better laboratory than Africa. Our planet's destiny might be played out here. Yet, to write the world from Africa, or to write Africa into the world is an exhilarating and, most of the time, perplexing task. Why? Five PhD candidates in the Nordic countries are invited to participate in a masterclass with Holberg Laureate Achille Mbembe. Each participant will be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation related to the theme chosen by the Laureate. After the presentations there will be a panel discussion. Illustration: Adam Ashby Gibbard / The Ecopolitics Podcast, licensed under CC by 2.0. </video> <video> The 2024 Nils Klim Conversation: Siddharth Sareen Description: The 2024 Nils Klim Prize was awarded to Siddharth Sareen, for his research at the intersection between social sciences, the humanities, and technological and environmental sciences. Sareen's research includes complex topics such as sustainability and accountability, energy history, environmental justice, democracy and social inclusion. This interview was recorded on 3rd June, 2024. At the time, Sareen held the position as professor of energy and environment at the Department of Media and Social Sciences, University of Stavanger. He has since taken on a position as research professor at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute. Interviewer: Kjetil Rommetveit, professor at the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities, University of Bergen. Read more about the Holberg Prize and the Nils Klim Prize on holbergprize.org. </video> <video> Global Political Ecology Description: Political Ecology is a growing topic among the environmental social sciences and environmental humanities. It covers issues in the Global North and the Global South, such as post-growth economics and environmental conflicts and injustices.  In collaboration with Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA‑UAB) and held at the Institut d’Estudis Catalans (IEC) in Barcelona, the Holberg Prize will host a discussion on global political ecology and its importance for both Northern and Southern hemispheres. The event will feature the 2023 Holberg Prize Laureate Joan Martinez-Allier, as well as a number of other distinguished speakers. SPEAKERS "Introduction to the theme" by Joan Martinez-Alier, Professor emeritus at the Environmental Science and Technology Institute of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB). He is also professor emeritus at Latin American Social Sciences Institute (FLACSO), and received the 2023 Holberg Prize for his ground-breaking research in ecological economics, political ecology and environmental justice. "Political Ecology of Economic Growth" by Giorgos Kallis, ICREA Professor at ICTA-UAB, Autonomous University of Barcelona. Co-director of the Post-growth ERC synergy grant REAL. Political Ecology : Gender and Decolonization of Knowledge by Gabriella Merlinsky, Doctor in Social Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires and Doctor in Geography from Paris 8 University. CONICET researcher. The Socio-Ecological Question in World Systems History by Zehra Yaşın (TBC), Doctor in Sociology from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Assistant Professor at the Social Sciences University of Ankara, Turkey. "Political Ecology and Environmental Humanities" by Marco Armiero, ICREA Professor at the Institute for the History of Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona. Past president of the European Society for Environmental History. </video> <video> The Nils Klim Symposium: "Reflect and Act: Energy Social Science and Impact!" Description: The symposium is held in honour of Nils Klim Laureate Siddharth Sareen. The Laureate's lecture is followed by presentations by three invited speakers, a panel discussion and a Q&A session. "Under dire circumstances worldwide, how can the insights that energy social scientists hold enable equitable transitions to low-carbon energy futures? Reflection is a form of action at frontiers of understanding. Energy social scientists have reflected upon the deadlocks and breakthroughs that relate to low-carbon energy futures. During rapid global innovation and power tussles over energy systems, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research is thriving. Yet how does academic reflection translate into action to enable equitable transitions? The Nils Klim Symposium examines the roles scholars play in governing energy transitions." SPEAKERS - Siddharth Sareen, professor, University of Stavanger; professor II, University of Bergen. - Mariel Aguilar-Støen, professor, University of Oslo. - Harald Rohracher, professor, Linköping University. - Andy Stirling, professor, University of Sussex. - Moderator: Kjetil Rommetveit, professor, University of Bergen. Photo: Siddharth Sareen. </video> <video> Announcement of the 2024 Holberg Prize and Nils Klim Prize Description: On Thursday, 14 March, the recipients of the 2024 Holberg Prize and Nils Klim Prize, respectively, will be announced at the University Aula in Bergen, Norway. The event is open to the public and will also be livestreamed here. The Holberg Prize is an international prize awarded annually for outstanding contributions to research in the humanities, social sciences, law and theology. The Prize is worth NOK 6,000,000 (approximately EUR 530,000 / USD 600,000). The Nils Klim Prize is awarded in the same academic fields, to a scholar under 35 years from/in a Nordic country, and is worth NOK 500,000. At the event, the Chair of the Holberg Prize Board, Jørgen Sejersted, will the announce the recipients of the Holberg Prize and the Nils Klim Prize. We will also hear the citations of the Academic Committees, as well as expert presentations of the Laureates and their scholarly work. There will be a musical performance, and a light breakfast will be served. </video> <video> Local and Historical Knowledge: Keys for Rethinking Contemporary Planetary Issues Description: How can local and historical knowledge contribute to rethinking current, planetary issues?At this event, four excellent young scholars from the Nordic countries are invited to reflect upon how the local knowledge they have encountered and the different geographical and historical spaces that they have conducted research within may inspire critical and ethico-politico approaches to tackle some of the great planetary problems we face in our time. PROGRAMME Opening remarks  Eco-Dependent: The Bible on Humans and Nature  by Associate Professor Frederik Poulsen, University of Copenhagen  To Travel or Not to Travel? Ancient Perspectives on Human Mobility by Professor Elisa Uusimäki, University of Aarhus  Lessons from Historical and Local Arctic Indigenous Perspectives by Assistant Professor Aviâja Lyberth Hauptmann, Ilisimatusarfik, Grønlands Universitet, Nuuk  A Humanist Perspective on the Anthropocene: How Fiction Might Inform our Attitude Towards Climate Change    by Associate professor Simona Zetterberg-Nielsen, University of Aarhus Panel discussion with the speakers and Q&A The event is chaired by Professor Dorthe Staunæs, University of Aarhus </video> <video> The 2024 Holberg Conversation: Achille Mbembe Description: Achille Mbembe received the 2024 Holberg Prize for his groundbreaking research in African history and politics, and related fields. Mbembe is research professor of history and politics at Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Witwatersrand. Interviewer: Kari Jegerstedt, associate professor of gender studies in the humanities and Head of the Centre for Women’s and Gender Research, University of Bergen. The interview was recorded on 3rd June, 2024, during the Holberg Week in Bergen. For more information and other video productions: See holbergprize.org. </video> <video> Award Ceremony for the 2024 Holberg Prize and Nils Klim Prize Description: The 2024 Holberg Prize is awarded to Cameroonian scholar Achille Mbembe for his groundbreaking work in the fields of history and political theory. The 2024 Nils Klim Prize is awarded to Siddharth Sareen for his research in environmental social sciences. Oddmund Hoel, Norwegian Minister of Research and Higher Education, will confer both Prizes. </video> <video> An Evening with the Holberg Prize (Feat. Achille Mbembe and Siddharth Sareen) Description: This event will feature the Holberg Laureate Achille Mbembe and the Nils Klim Laureate Siddharth Sareen in conversation about their background, research and their experiences from academia. Speakers Achille Mbembe is the 2024 Holberg Laureate. Mbembe is a Research Professor of History and Politics at Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Witwatersrand. He is also Director of the Innovation Foundation for Democracy. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Fellow of the British Academy, Mbembe is the author of ten books and his work has been translated into 17 languages. His latest book is La communauté terrestre (Paris, La Découverte, 2023). Siddharth Sareen is the 2024 Nils Klim Laureate. He is Professor of Energy and Environment at the Department of Media and Social Sciences, University of Stavanger, Norway. Sareen is also professor II at the Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation, University of Bergen. Kari Jegerstedt (moderator) is Head of Centre at the Centre for Women's and Gender Research (SKOK) at the University of Bergen. </video> <video> The Holberg Laureate LIVE, feat. Achille Mbembe: Apartheid After South Africa. Description: The end of Apartheid in South Africa coincided with a renewed drive to expand our definition of the human and to reimagine democracy as a community of life. During the first decade of democracy, South Africa became a model of how to dismantle a racist state, achieve justice through reconciliation, equality through economic redress, and freedom through the transformation of the law and the restoration of a variety of rights, including the right to dignity. Thirty years into democracy, what remains of the dream of disentangling the old nexus between democracy and necropolitics? The day after receiving the Holberg Prize in Bergen, 2024 Holberg Laureate Achille Mbembe will join Professor Bjørn Enge Bertelsen, Academic Director of the Holberg Prize, in conversation at the House of Literature in Oslo. The event is open to the public, but registration is required. Watching the livestream does not require registration. The Holberg Prize is an international prize awarded annually for outstanding contributions to research in the humanities, social sciences, law and theology. The Prize is worth NOK 6,000,000 (approximately EUR 515,000 / USD 550,000). For more information on the Laureate and the Holberg Week, se holbergprize.org. </video> <video> Does Consciousness Extend Beyond Brains? The 2023 Holberg Debate, feat. Seth, Luhrmann, Sheldrake. Description: Do conscious experiences happen both within and outside the brain, and can science solve the 'hard problem' of consciousness? At this year's Holberg Debate, Tanya Luhrmann, Anil Seth and Rupert Sheldrake will take on the deep scientific and philosophical mystery of consciousness. The debate will be chaired by David Malone. The 2023 Holberg Debate will take place on 2 December, at 15:00 CET / 09:00 EST, and will be livestreamed from the University Aula in Bergen. See our webpage for more information: https://holbergprize.org/en/2023-holberg-debate-does-consciousness-extend-beyond-brains The Holberg Debate is an annual event organized by the Holberg Prize. See previous instalments here: https://holbergprize.org/en/en/holberg-prize/holberg-debate . </video> <video> The Holberg Lecture by Achille Mbembe: "The Earthly Community" Description: How should we inhabit anew and share as equitably as possible a planet whose life-support system has been so severely damaged by human activities as to be in dire need of repair? Undoubtedly, this concern will be at the center of any debate on the futures of life and reason in this century. Indeed, questions of cohabitation, of sustainability and durability, of the interlacing of human history and the Earth’s history are far from abstract concerns. If there is no significant adjustment in how we conduct our lives, parts of the Earth are likely to become inhospitable in the near future. Drawing on African cosmogonies and the power of African aesthetic and figural objects, this lecture will reflect on the conditions of possibility of a new, truly planetary and inclusive Earth ethics. Lecture by the 2024 Holberg Laureate, Achille Mbembe. Achille Mbembe is the 2024 Holberg Laureate. Mbembe is a Research Professor of History and Politics at Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Witwatersrand. He is also Director of the Innovation Foundation for Democracy. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Fellow of the British Academy, Mbembe is the author of ten books and his work has been translated into 17 languages. His latest book is La communauté terrestre (Paris, La Découverte, 2023). Photo: Chanté Schatz, University of the Witwatersrand </video> <video> The Holberg Symposium feat. Achille Mbembe: "Democracy as a Community of Life" Description: This academic symposium is held in honour of the 2024 Holberg Laureate Achille Mbembe and his research. The Laureate introduces the topic, followed by presentations by three speakers, a panel discussion and in the end an open Q&A session. "In African cosmogonies, all living entities are composed of symbiotic relations while complex infrastructures are required to sustain personhood. Personhood itself is differentially redistributed among humans, animals, plants and material artefact. As technological escalation, the impending ecological catastrophe and wars of extermination unfold, can these cosmogonies form the basis for new ways of inhabiting the Earth and re-enchanting democracy? What kind of democracy? What will it take to create and sustain milieux which are hospitable to a variety of ways of being a person in this brutal and unforgiving world? " SPEAKERS - Achile Mbembe, recipient of the 2024 Holberg Prize; research professor at Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research. - Ato Quayson, professor at Stanford University. - Nasrin Olla, assistant professor at the University of Virginia. - Paul Gilroy, Founding Director, Sarah Parker Remond Centre for the Study of Race and Racism, University College London. - Moderator: Bjørn Enge Bertelsen, professor at the Universitetet i Bergen and Academic Director of the Holberg Prize. Illustration: Adam Ashby Gibbard / The Ecopolitics Podcast, licensed under CC by 2.0. </video> <video> Announcement of the 2025 Holberg Prize and Nils Klim Prize Description: On Thursday, 13 March, the 2025 Holberg Prize and Nils Klim Prize will be announced at the University Aula in Bergen. At the event, the Rector of the University of Bergen, Margareth Hagen, will present welcoming remarks. The Chair of the Holberg Prize Board, Professor Jørgen Sejersted, will announce the recipients of the Holberg Prize and the Nils Klim Prize. We will also hear the citations from the Academic Committees, before the Holberg Prize Academic Director, Professor Bjørn Enge Bertelsen, will lead a conversation between experts on the Laureates and their scholarly work. There will be a musical performance, and a light breakfast will be served. </video>

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This channel features lectures, interviews and speeches by the Holberg Laureates, Nils Klim Laureates, and other guests at Holberg Prize events. The objective of the Holberg Prize is to increase awareness of the value o research in the humanities, social sciences, law or theology.

The Holberg Prize is an international prize awarded annually to a scholar who have made outstanding contributions to research in the fields mentioned above. The Prize amounts to NOK 6 000 000 (approximately EUR 525,000 or USD 575,000 as of 01.04.2020). The Prize was established by the Norwegian Parliament in 2003, and awarded for the first time in 2004. It is named after the Danish-Norwegian writer Ludvig Holberg.

The Holberg Prize organisation also awards the Nils Klim Prize each year to a scholar from the Nordics under 35 years within the same above mentioned fields, and hosts a research competition called the Holberg Prize School Project for students in Norwegian upper secondary schools.

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