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Université de la terre

The 20th
anniversary
edition
March 14 & 15, 2025
at UNESCO • Paris

History

2013 • The best is yet to come

Saturday April 27, 2013

The fifth Earth university took place on Saturday April 27, 2013 at UNESCO. It featured some 20 discussions and debates aimed at young people, heads of companies and the general public.
Some 50 experts and dignitaries were invited to contribute.
In all, 8,000 people participated in the debates.

Ecology and the questions it raises are issues that are both long-standing and recent at the same time. Long-standing, because the pioneering texts on the subject first began appearing a hundred years ago; yet recent, because after all, over the course of human history, what is a mere century?

The world – our world – is currently experiencing a period of exceptional change. By wanting to consume too much, innovate too much, build too much and harvest too much, we have put ourselves in the midst of a cataclysm – a cataclysm that we have created. Fortunately, ecologists, scientists and politicians have all sounded the alarm. But while it is urgent to change the way we live in the world, it is not yet too late to do so. Quite the contrary. The growing awareness and reactions can already be felt both at the individual and group level. Yes, we can counter this excessive movement and the disorder it causes. Across the globe, initiatives are being launched to help our society to evolve in its behaviour and ambitions. People are already changing their mentality. Determined to invent a sustainable and bright future for mankind, scientists are innovating in new ways every day, companies are making progress, citizens are adapting to ecological necessities, and governments are lending each other a helping hand. Individual and group awareness of the role we have to play is already proof of our capacity to think differently about our relationship with the world.

Since the first edition in 2005, The Earth university has adhered to this innovative movement. At a time when the world is mired in a crisis so severe that it raises doubts about the future, the 2013 edition wants to demonstrate that the best is yet to come. The world of tomorrow will be an exciting place, filled with opportunities for the advancement of mankind. Without seeming utopian, let’s count on the fact that a new, more socially responsible society is currently emerging.

Speakers

Olivier AIZAC
Managing director of the website Leboncoin.fr

Jean-Claude AMEISEN
Doctor, professor of immunology, president of the National Consultative Committee of Ethics

Guy AMSELLEM
President, Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine

Thomas d' ANSEMBOURG
Author, psychotherapist

Cyril AOUIZERATE
Philosopher, town planner, co-founder of Mama Shelter and M.O.B

Jacques ATTALI
Writer, president of PlaNet Finance

Jean AUDOUZE
President of the French National Committee for the UNESCO

Jean-Louis BANCEL
Chairman, Crédit Coopératif Group

Fabrice BARDECHE
Vice-president Ionis Education Group

Laurent BAYLE
Managing director, Cité de la musique

Laurent BECCARIA
Founder and director Les Arènes editions

Jérôme BEDIER
General Secretary, Carrefour Group

François BEGAUDEAU
Writer

Laurent BERGER
General secretary of the French Labour Union CFDT

Vincent BERGER
Dean, Paris Diderot University

Uwe BERGMANN
Head of Sustainability Management, Henkel

Stéphane BITTOUN
Managing director My Major Company

André BRAHIC
Astrophysicist, professor at the Paris Diderot University and at CEA Saclay

Jean-Paul CAPITANI
Director Actes Sud editions

Roland CASTRO
Architect and town planner

Christian COURTIN-CLARINS
Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Group Clarins

Cyril DION
Co-founder and spokesperson of the movement Colibris, managing editor of Kaizen

Geneviève FERONE
Director of Sustainable Development of the Veolia Environment Group, vice-president of The Shift Project

Eric FOTTORINO
Journalist, writer

René FRYDMAN
Head of the gynaecology-obstetrics service at the Foch Hospital

Jacques GENEREUX
Professor at Sciences Po, economist

Philippe GERMA
Managing director WWF in France

Georges HADDAD
Director of UNESCO’s Division of Higher Education

Serge HEFEZ
Psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, in charge of the family therapy’s unit in the psychiatric department for children and teenagers at the hospital of Pitié-Salpêtrière of Paris

Françoise HERITIER
Anthropologist, professor emeritus at the Collège de France

Luc JACQUET
Film director

JONONE

JUL
Author of comic strip, cartoonist

Jean-Claude KAUFMANN
Sociologist, Research director, French Centre for Scientific Research

David KEN
Photographer, president LOL Project Foundation

Rachid KORAICHI
Artist, painter

Yannick LEJEUNE
Internet director, IONIS Education Group

Antoine LEMARCHAND

François LEMARCHAND

Michèle LESIEUR

Jean-Hervé LORENZI
Chairman Cercle des économistes

Bertin NAHUM
CEO Medtech

Sylvie NICOL
Managing director, Beauty Care, Henkel

Natalie RASTOIN
Managing director Ogilvy France

Matthieu RICARD
Writer, Buddhist monk

François ROUILLAY
Coordinator of the Incredible Edible movement in France

Geoffroy ROUX DE BEZIEUX

Muriel de SAINT SAUVEUR
Mazars Goup Diversity director

Arnaud de SAINT SIMON
President, Groupe Psychologies

Eric SCHERER
Director of the prospective, the digital strategy and the international relations linked to the new media of France Télévisions

Michaël STORA
Psychologist, president of the Observatory of the digital worlds in human sciences (OMNSH)

Hapsatou SY
Founder of beauty salons Ethnicia, business manager and TV columnist

Denis TERRIEN
Managing director 3 Suisses International

Matthieu VILLIERS
Managing editor of Science et vie

Patrick VIVERET
Philosopher

Muhammad YUNUS
Economist, theorist of the microcredit, Nobel Peace Prize 2006

See all our speakers since 2005

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