On May 20, 2025, the 3rd Québec-Bavaria Forum took place at the University of Passau, this year supported financially by the Society for Canadian Studies, GLS Bank and the Association internationale des Études Québécoises as well as the University of Passau's event pool. This event, organized by the Chair of Intercultural Communication, is a format that creates a platform for encounters between various representatives from academia, business and society from both Québec and Bavaria. This brings different status groups together to discuss, reflect on and think about a central topic. This year, the theme of the event was “Sustainability and social responsibility - intercultural perspectives” - a highly relevant topic in today's world.

The audience of students, university members and external guests was first welcomed by the Vice President for International Affairs of the University of Passau, Professor Dr. Christina Hansen. Organizer Professor Dr. Christoph Barmeyer (Chair of Intercultural Communication, University of Passau) then welcomed the attendees and led them through the entire program.He emphasized the relevance of the event, which is part of a series of other projects of the Bavarian-Quebec cooperation, which has already existed for over 35 years.

Dr. Benedikt Miklós, Attaché for Politics, Public Affairs and Cooperation at the Québec Government Office in Munich, then gave an introduction to the content of the event, which focused on the topic of sustainability in general, but also the special Québec connection. The long-standing cooperation between Bavaria and Québec in this area was also highlighted using numerous examples, such as Optel, CGI and Brainbox.ai. Dr. Florence Gauzy-Krieger, Science Coordinator at the Bavarian Research Alliance, gave an overview of the diversity of cooperation between the two regions in the academic field. In particular, the overarching topic of sustainability can be found in many of the funded fields and projects, demonstrating its relevance for both regions.

Finally, a scientific presentation by Prof. Dr. Andreas Eberth and Cyprien Brabant from the Chair of Geography with a focus on Education for Sustainable Development introduced the main part of the event and opened up new perspectives on the importance of sustainability. The presentation, which focused on alternative sustainability concepts such as post-growth geographies and degrowth, stimulated intensive discussions with and among the audience. Martin Herkommer, Head of Sales at Ororatech, presented a concrete practical perspective on how specific satellite technology and artificial intelligence can be used worldwide to combat forest fires and other large-scale fires. The technology is being used intensively by Québec, for example in the major forest fires in 2023, preventing even more extensive damage. The first coffee break was used for an interactive activity where participants were able to calculate their own ecological footprint based on a selection of questions. The materials for this were generously lent by the Hans Lindner Foundation and formed the basis for lively discussions and reflection on their own consumption, lifestyle and behavior. After the break, Anna Kolb, research assistant at the TZE (Technology Center for Energy) at Landshut University of Applied Sciences, gave an overview of international scientific cooperation in the field of energy, some of which is also carried out together with Québec institutions.Charles Berthelet from the Université du Québec à Montréal then gave an insight into “Econationalisme québecois” and made connections between economic nationalism, the unique Québec identity and sustainable development in the francophone province of Canada. Finally, migrant Brazilian entrepreneur Maria Julia Guimaraes (TotumTech) described her immigration and founding story to Québec in her presentation: Due to her own health challenges, she developed a medical-technological innovation (sensor technology and AI-supported, warming glove), which, in addition to the direct medical benefits, also has an indirect impact on a social level and contributes to a more sustainable society.

The two concluding table rondes offered an in-depth practical perspective. These linked entrepreneurship and general business activities in companies with sustainability and social responsibility as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Maria Julia Guimaraes (TotumTech), Michael Kriegel (Wild Campus / TH Rosenheim) and Melek Yildirim as well as Osman Nergiz (MedTip) spoke about entrepreneurship and their own experiences with founding in a sustainable and social environment at the first Table Ronde. In the second Table Ronde, Dr. André Haller (CGI), Dr. Sebastian Öttl (WWF) and Martin Herkommer (Ororatech) provided insights into their companies' social and sustainable projects. In their discussions, all participants showed how bridges between the three dimensions of sustainability (social, ecological and economic) can be created in their respective projects and successfully integrated into business models in different ways.The extensive involvement of the audience in the discussions encouraged constructive exchange and provided new impulses for all present.

Once again this year, the participation of a group of students from the Université du Québec à Montréal, who are spending a week in Passau to develop their own entrepreneurial projects in intercultural teams with German students as part of an advanced seminar of the Chair of Intercultural Communication on “Intercultural Entrepreneurship”, was particularly outstanding. The questions and experiences of the Québec students were a real enrichment for the forum and allowed for an even more intensive intercultural exchange during the event. The students also received inspiration for their own start-up projects, which they then presented brilliantly at the university's Entrepreneurship Day on May 22.

A key outcome of the event was the overarching realization that both in Bavaria and in Quebec, humanistic values, i.e. respect for people, nature and the environment, form an indispensable basis for sustainable action. Social responsibility, the conscious use of resources and each other, as well as the intelligent use of technology to achieve ecological and social goals were recurring themes in all contributions.From Québec's perspective, it became clear that sustainability there is deeply interwoven with the cultural, social and geographical identity of the province. In particular, the historical and environmental context determines the use of natural resources, cooperation and the understanding of sustainability. The contributions from Bavaria particularly emphasized the role of technology and research as driving forces for sustainable development. The aim is to think economy, society and sustainability hand in hand - modern future technologies and practical innovation research are of particular importance here.

The event proved to be a great success: the exchange between different disciplines and cultures opened up new perspectives, food for thought and concrete approaches to cooperation. Many participants not only gained new knowledge, but also questioned their own convictions and reflected on existing thought models. In addition to various connections between individual topics, areas of tension and paradoxes that often remain beneath the surface in the debate on sustainability also became apparent. At the same time, the forum conveyed an encouraging message: there are many ways to take action and shape change.In a time of multiple crises, it became clear that resignation is not an option - on the contrary. As the entrepreneur Maria Julia Guimaraes aptly put it: “A world of crisis is a world of opportunities.” With these words, she summed up the constructive approach of the event well and sent a signal of hope to all those present.

We would like to thank GKS, GLS Bank, AIEQ and the event pool for their generous financial support, which contributed significantly to the success of the 3rd Québec-Bavaria Forum and enabled such an inspiring and cross-border exchange in this format.

Sustainability in its various dimensions - ecological, social and economic - is a highly relevant topic that is also characterized by intercultural perspectives. In a globalized world, questions of social justice in particular should increasingly be considered from an intercultural perspective, for example in the context of migration. The targeted focus of our event on all dimensions of sustainability allows for a holistic understanding of the topic and is further enriched by the comparison of culturally specific perspectives from Bavaria and Quebec. As part of the overarching theme of global change, the forum contributes to a better understanding of the dynamics of today's world, as well as creating links between societies, cultures and their representatives, which can have an impact in the field of sustainability beyond the event itself.

The varied program makes it possible to explore and discuss the topic from different perspectives (research - teaching - practice; Québec - Bavaria).

• reflect current research results and experiences related to Bavaria and Québec as impulses,
• conduct an interdisciplinary and intercultural dialog that can strengthen cooperation between stakeholders from different sectors in Québec and Bavaria,
• promote scholarly dialog and networking between different target groups (students, companies, academia, public institutions).

For more information and registration please contact Elisabeth Huber via email.