Universities are places of learning, innovation, and critical thinking — but they can also be environments where power is misused and bullying goes unchecked. In this thought-provoking public talk, Prof. Dr. Holly J. Stein takes a candid look at how and why bullying behavior persists in academia, and what can be done to challenge it.

Based on her long career across scientific institutions in the U.S. and Europe, Stein unpacks the cultural and structural conditions that enable toxic dynamics within universities. She examines how insecurity, status hierarchies, and institutional complacency intersect to protect bullies — and silence those affected. The talk aims to raise awareness, spark reflection, and encourage collective strategies for change.

About the speaker:
Prof. Dr. Holly J. Stein is a geochemist and emerita professor at the University of Oslo. She is a founding member of the Committee for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), and previously led the AIRIE Program at Colorado State University. Her unique perspective is shaped by a background that bridges the sciences and the arts — from field geology to classical cello performance.

Registration for the online talk.

This talk is organized in cooperation with the European Geosciences Union (EGU) and the Culture and Equality Unit of the University of Vienna.