Fynn M. Schmidt is a doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Science in Heidelberg. He studied sociology, economics, and political science in Münster and Guadalajara from 2017 to 2024. During his studies, he completed research internships at the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the GIGA Institute for Latin American Studies, and the Central American Parliament. From 2021 to 2024, he worked as a student assistant at the Chair of International Relations and Sustainable Development in Münster. Before joining Ulysseus European University as Research Cooperation Manager, he worked as a research assistant on the “Laterne” research project and as deputy managing director of the Center of Interdisciplinary Sustainability Research.

In his research, he focuses on the political ecology of the green transition. He is particularly interested in local socio-spatial implications and the discursive negotiation of green energy projects in Mexico and Mesoamerica. Further interests include the study of and experimentation with transformative research practices and new higher education teaching formats in sustainability research. 

Research in Progress 

• FUTURABILITIES - Being Able to Create Sustainable Futures, Enhancing Futures Capabilities (2025-2027): The R&I group FUTURABILITIES explores how European higher education institutions can foster “future skills” - that is, mindsets, methods, and reflexive capacities that enable students and educators to anticipate and actively shape societal transformations 

Completed Projects 

• LATERNE - Universities in the Anthropocene: Lighthouse Adoption and Transfer for Sustainable Development (2022-2025): In this project, the universities of Siegen, Münster and Osnabrück are analyzing how it can be possible to make lighthouse projects for more sustainability and global justice more widespread at universities. To this end, they are generating new knowledge about the role of lighthouse projects in university transformation processes at an analytical level drawing on the Whole Institution Approach (WIA). 

Publications 

• Kopp, T., Wiethüchter, J., Stademann, I., Schmidt, F., Heiland, N., & Caspari, S. (Eingereicht). Creating Realities on Trial: Experimental Organisational Development for Sustainability in Public Institutions. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy.
• Mamut, P., Wiethüchter, J., Schmidt, F., Lange, S., Wender, H., Stademann, I., Fuchs, D. A., Halbe, J., Kopp, T., & Lang, M. (2023). Nachhaltigkeitsaktivitäten an den Universitäten und in den Regionen Münster, Osnabrück und Siegen: Eine Inventarisierung im Rahmen des Projekts LATERNE.

Recent Presentations and Media Contributions 

• Presentation: Schmidt, F. (2026). El hidrógeno verde en México: cooperación internacional, reestructuración socio-espacial – y nuevos conflicts? Centro Universitario de Ciencias Económicas Administrativas, Universidad de Guadalajara. Zapopan, 23. Januar 2026.
• Presentation: Wiethüchter, J.; Schmidt, F. (2025) Navigating Agency and Structures: Preliminary results from an attempt to pursue slow science in a fast (science) world. RIFS Conference "Tough Conversations in Tough Times". Berlin, 04.12.2025.
• Presentation: Wiethüchter, J.; Schmidt, F. (2025) Attempting to pursue slow science in a fast (science) world – between encountering systemic boundaries and pockets of hope. 18th Conference of the International Society for Ecological Economics and 11th International Degrowth Conference. Oslo, 27.06.2025.
• Blog article: Schmidt F., Wiethüchter J. (2024). Das große Ganze betrachten – Inventarisierung und Vergleich von universitären Nachhaltigkeitsaktivitäten.
• Blog article: Stevelmans K., Kaehlert N., Schmidt, F. (2022). Integration von Global- und Zukunftsperspektiven in deliberative Beteiligungsformate: Wie kann das gelingen?