Science Talk with
Resilience has become a key concept of our time. But what does it actually mean to be resilient? And where does necessary adaptation end, and self-sacrifice begin? What is it that truly makes us resilient?
At the Science Talk on 30 April 2026, Prof. Dr Werner Greve will speak at phaeno Wolfsburg about the scope people have to shape their own lives – even under adverse conditions. The lecture will explore how identity, self-image and personal scope for action develop and change over the course of a lifetime.
Crises, disappointments and stress are part of life. Some can be influenced, others cannot. What matters is how we deal with them.
The lecture focuses on the question of how people can maintain their bearings when external circumstances create pressure or familiar structures break down.
How much adaptation is necessary to remain capable of acting? When does it become premature capitulation? What options do we have to actively shape our lives, and what happens to us when limits are imposed on us?
The developmental psychologist combines scientific findings with fundamental questions about shaping one's life and opens up a differentiated perspective on resilience as a developmental process.
When it comes to resilience, it is clear how important scientifically sound guidance is in times of social and personal uncertainty. In our Science Talk, together with Professor Greve, we create a space where research findings do not remain abstract, but can be related to one's own life. Questions from the audience are expressly welcome and broaden the perspective beyond the classic lecture format.
The Science Talk is a collaboration with the Volkswagen Group and will be offered in a hybrid format, both in person and as a YouTube livestream, in order to make it accessible to a wider audience outside the region.
Thursday, 30 April 2026
at 6:30 p.m., doors open at 6:15 p.m.
at the phaeno Science Theatre
Prof. Werner Greve teaches developmental psychology at the University of Hildesheim. His research focuses on the development of self and identity across the lifespan, coping with stress and critical life events, and evolutionary and philosophical psychology.
Previously, he worked at the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony, among other places. He is the author of numerous scientific publications and books on developmental psychology and identity research.
