ProMeTa (Professorial Meteorology Conference) 2026 in Karlsruhe

Professors from the University Partnership of Atmospheric Sciences (UPAS) sites discuss the future of the academic field of meteorology

From left to right: Thomas Birner (Munich), Ulrich Achatz (Frankfurt), Susanne Crewell (Cologne), Clemens Simmer (Bonn), Ulrich Löhnert (Cologne), Henning Rust (Berlin), Peter Spichtinger (Mainz), Felix Ament (front, Hamburg), Holger Tost (back, Mainz), Bodo Ahrens (Frankfurt), Johannes Quaas (Leipzig), Andreas Fink (Karlsruhe), Corinna Hoose (Karlsruhe), Joaquim Pinto (Karlsruhe), Insa Thiele-Eich (Bonn), Julian Quinting (Cologne), Leonie Esters (Bonn), Juan Pedro Mellado (Hamburg), Christoph Renkl (Bonn), Nikki Vercauteren (Cologne), Aiko Voigt (Vienna), Martina Klose (Karlsruhe), Peter Knippertz (Karlsruhe), Annika Uebachs (Bonn) Photo edited using AI. © Martina Klose

Twenty-two meteorology professors from nine universities across Germany met in Karlsruhe to discuss research, teaching and the future of the discipline as part of the UPAS (https://www.meteo-upas.de/) ProMeTa. The meeting was chaired by UPAS Chair Prof. Dr Corinna Hoose (KIT) and supported by UPAS coordinators Insa Thiele-Eich and Annika Uebachs (University of Bonn).

Topics covered during the two-day event included:

- Updates on research at the UPAS sites

- Review and trends in our degree programmes (no longer all bearing the name ‘Meteorology’)

- Development of a joint Master’s module for all UPAS sites with the working title ‘Future Challenges in Meteorology’

- Outreach: Schools & Social Media – How can meteorology reach the next generation?

- AI in meteorological education – current developments & opportunities

- Prospects for long-term collaboration within UPAS

Of course, personal exchanges were not neglected. The future of meteorology is being shaped together, and ProMeTa 2026 was an important milestone in this regard!