What economic measures can we put in place to improve the quality of life for everyone on Earth while keeping resource use within the planetary boundaries? Are there local projects we can realise that will help us live in harmony with our natural environment? And what answers does the Doughnut Economy provide? Researchers at the University’s Institute of Applied Ethics in Business, Professional Training and in Continuing Education have been searching for answers to these questions.
When the local branch of a doughnut chain opened its doors in Passau's pedestrian zone in summer 2021, people got excited. At times, the queue was so long that it stretched all the way from Ludwigstrasse to Große Klingergasse, a good 100 yards. This also happened to be the place where the new event series "Uni Live - Campus meets Town" started in summer 2023, and the deep-fried dough ring took centre stage as Dr Annekatrin Meißner, Managing Director of the Institute of Applied Ethics in Business, Professional Training and in Continuing Education (Ethik WAW), presented the essential ingredients of Kate Raworth's Doughnut Economy to the interested public. Following this, two of the institute's staff members, Nelly Rahimy and Sina Kehrwieder, organised a workshop in which they applied the concept to the town of Passau.
The Institute of Ethics WAW at the University of Passau sees itself as a scientific competence centre for economic and business ethics issues as well as for an ethically sound discussion of sustainability and education. The Institute focuses on the ethical foundations of sustainable business, sustainable entrepreneurship and the sustainability transformation of organisations and society. The central aim of the institute is to promote and deepen the dialogue between business and ethics in interdisciplinary and cross-faculty formats.
Turning the economy on its head
Dr Annekatrin Meißner is researching the donut economy.
Kate Raworth, an English economist, is pursuing an ambitious plan: she wants to turn the economy on its head. As she writes, the starting point for her concept boils down to a simple idea: What if, instead of placing the established, traditional theories of economics front and centre, we focused instead on the long-term goals of humanity and tried to develop an economic way of thinking that enables us to achieve these goals?
To illustrate her concept, Ms Raworth uses a doughnut. The hole at the centre contains "the great scourges and hardships of mankind, such as hunger and illiteracy". The edge of the donut represents the ecological ceiling, the planetary boundaries within which we must remain so as not to over-exploit our planetary resources, for example with regard to air pollution or the destruction of the ozone layer. Between these planetary boundaries and the needs of humanity (the social foundation) lies a safe and just space for humanity – the doughnut itself, where everyone has access to all necessities of life, whether this is food and housing, health care or political participation. Ms Raworth says the economy should be organised in such a way that all people can live within this safe and just space.
Amsterdam shows how it's done
The city of Amsterdam is a pioneer when it comes to implementing the Doughnut Economy. As Annekatrin Meißner explains, the Amsterdam Donut Coalition, established in 2019, is large network of people who are enthusiastic about Kate Raworth's ideas and are working together to bring her concept to life through local projects. Amsterdam's city council firmly supports the network's goal of transforming the Dutch capital into an urban space with a fair, social basis for all – and within safe ecological boundaries. This network idea has already inspired other metropolitan centres such as Brussels and Barcelona, but also small towns such as Bad Nauheim.
Launched in summer 2023, the 'Uni Live - Campus meets City' event series invites citizens to get to know the University of Passau and its researchers better. In a diverse programme, academics present research findings and their benefits for society. They provide insights into their findings on current topics and also present their activities in the areas of sustainability, politics and culture. The venue is a barrier-free room at Ludwigstraße 8 with access via Große Klingergasse 2a.
No shortage of ideas in Passau
How can companies and organisations transform themselves so that their business activities comply with the principles of the Doughnout Economy? This is precisely what Annekatrin Meißner is investigating jointly with Professor Suleika Bort, who holds the Chair of Corporate Governance at the University of Passau. Since 2022, the two have been analysing promising practices of companies and organisations in the field of sustainability transformation as part of a three-year cooperation project funded by the Dr-Hans-Karl-Fischer Foundation.
The aim of the project is to transfer this knowledge to all interested companies, organisations and municipal administrations in the wider Passau area. "There is no shortage of ideas on how to approach the goals of the Doughnout Economy in Passau", says Annekatrin Meißner. If the opening event of the new "Uni Live – Campus meets Town" series is anything to go by, she could be right.
Professor Bernhard Bleyer
"How does a theological ethics arrive at scientific knowledge?“
"How does a theological ethics arrive at scientific knowledge?“
Professor Bernhard Bleyer has been with the Chair of Theological Ethics at the University of Passau since 2021. He heads the master's programme in Charity Studies and Values-Based Management as well as the Institute for Applied Ethics in Business and Education. After obtaining his doctorate in moral theology at the University of Regensburg in 2007 he went on to helm the Institute for Sustainability and Ethics at East Bavarian Technical University Amberg-Weiden. He then transferred to the Deggendorf Institute of Technology, joining the Professorship of Applied Ethics and Sustainable Development in Health Science. In 2019, he completed his habilitation at the Catholic Private University Linz.
Professor Suleika Bort
How can globally active organisations be designed and managed in a socially responsible and sustainable way?
How can globally active organisations be designed and managed in a socially responsible and sustainable way?
Professor Suleika Bort has been holder of the Chair of International Management and Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Passau since 2020. In addition, she is Chair of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Applied Ethics of the University of Passau and has been Vice Dean of the School of Business, Economics and Information Systems at the University of Passau since autumn 2023. Previously, Professor Bort was employed at the University of Mannheim, Chemnitz University of Technology, and the University of Sydney in Australia.
Dr Annekatrin Meißner
How can sustainable economy be structured?
How can sustainable economy be structured?
Dr Annekatrin Meißner is managing director of the Institute of Applied Ethics in Economy, Education and Training (Ethik WAW). The institute, led by Professor Peter Fonk, carries out interdisciplinary research and teaching on the topics of economic and corporate ethics and sustainability, and works together closely with organisations and enterprises from the region.
