Secrets of Self-Organisation: Leopoldina Annual Assembly Explores Autonomy in Machines, Living Organisms and Society
Cars move through traffic without human control, a plant cell is energetically autonomous thanks to photosynthesis, and a society regulates its affairs of its own accord. All these things function from within, according to their own rules, and are the subject of research in a wide range of disciplines. Autonomy is studied in human behaviour, technology, economic and financial markets, social structures, and in the shaping of law and politics. At this year’s Annual Assembly of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina on Thursday, 24 September and Friday, 25 September, researchers will report on their findings on autonomy.
Leopoldina Annual Assembly 2026
“Autonomy”
Thursday 24 September and Friday 25 September 2026
Leopoldina Main Building
Jägerberg 1, 06108 Halle (Saale)/Germany and online
The welcoming address will be given by the British microbiologist and Nobel Laureate in Medicine Sir Paul Nurse. The President of the UK’s Royal Society will speak on safeguarding scientific freedom in times of crisis. This will be followed by a keynote lecture by philosopher Beate Rössler (Amsterdam/the Netherlands) on “Autonomy in Digital Society”.
Friday’s lectures will cover a broad spectrum of disciplines – including engineering topics such as autonomous driving (Christoph Stiller, Karlsruhe/Germany), as well as social science questions concerning the autonomy of human decision-making (Ralph Hertwig, Berlin/Germany). Experts will discuss how the desire for autonomy can destroy democracies (Philipp Lepenies, Berlin), the perspective of fundamental rights and civil liberties (Susanne Baer, Berlin), and autonomy, law and global markets (Ottmar Edenhofer, Potsdam/Germany). The scientific coordination of the Annual Assembly 2026 has been taken over by Alexandra Freund, Bernhard Hommel and Wilhelm Hofmann from the Psychology and Cognitive Sciences Section.
One highlight of the Annual Assembly is the evening lecture on Thursday at 6 p.m. Automation psychologist Linda Onnasch (Berlin) will speak on “Automation, Autonomy, AI? How We Perceive and Interact with Technical Systems”.
As part of the Annual Assembly, the Commerzbank Foundation and the Leopoldina will jointly award the “ZukunftsWissen” Award. This year marks the tenth presentation of the award. Information on this year’s awardee, Charlotte Wendland, and her legal research on autonomy in family and inheritance law can be found here: https://www.leopoldina.org/en/newsroom/detail/legal-scholar-charlotte-wendland-honoured-with-the-zukunftswissen-prize
Microbiologist Regine Kahmann will be awarded the Leopoldina’s Cothenius Medal for her lifetime scientific achievement. Information on her research into the infection strategies of viruses and fungi can be found here: https://www.leopoldina.org/en/newsroom/detail/infection-strategies-of-viruses-and-fungi-cothenius-medal-awarded-to-regine-kahmann
The Annual Assembly will take place in a hybrid format. If you are a journalist and would like to attend the event, please register by email at presse@leopoldina.org. Please indicate whether you wish to attend in person or virtually. We would be pleased to arrange interviews with the speakers where possible.
The full programme can be found at: https://www.leopoldina.org/en/publications-and-dates/events/detail/autonomie
The event will also be broadcast live via the Leopoldina YouTube channel in German and in English: https://www.youtube.com/NationaleAkademiederWissenschaftenLeopoldina.
Media Contact:
Sonja Kastilan
Head of the Science Communication Department
German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
Tel: +49 (0)345 472 39-800
Email: presse@leopoldina.org
About the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina:
As the German National Academy of Sciences, the Leopoldina provides independent science-based policy advice on matters relevant to society. To this end, the Academy develops interdisciplinary statements based on scientific findings. In these publications, options for action are outlined; making decisions, however, is the responsibility of democratically legitimized politicians. The experts who prepare the statements work in a voluntary and unbiased manner. The Leopoldina represents the German scientific community in the international academy dialogue. This includes advising the annual summits of Heads of State and Government of the G7 and G20 countries. With around 1,700 members from more than 30 countries, the Leopoldina combines expertise from almost all research areas. Founded in 1652, it was appointed the National Academy of Sciences of Germany in 2008. The Leopoldina is committed to the common good
Weitere Informationen:
https://www.leopoldina.org/en/publications-and-dates/events/detail/autonomie
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