The international journal GAIA – Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society invites Masters students to participate in the GAIA Masters Student Paper Award. Masters students are encouraged to submit their results from research-based courses or Masters theses in the field of transdisciplinary environmental and sustainability science. Every year, one article will be selected by a jury as the winner of the GAIA Masters Student Paper Award. The Award is endowed by Selbach Environmental Foundation and DIALOGIK.
Julia Gobs receives the award for her article “Planting futures: School-based food forests and their contribution to holistic ESD learning”. In her master's thesis she examines the role of school-based food forests in education for sustainable development (ESD), highlighting their potential to strengthen human-nature connections and drive food system transformation.
Julia Gobs holds a Bachelor’s degree in Media Economics from Hochschule der Medien, Stuttgart and an interdisciplinary Master's degree in Sustainability Science at Leuphana University of Lüneburg. She currently works at a community-supported agriculture cooperative (WirGarten Lüneburg) and as a lecturer at Leuphana University, alongside her involvement in sustainability initiatives such as Acker e.V. and Essbarer Campus.
The Award jury commended her research for its transdisciplinary approach, methodological rigor, and practical relevance, particularly its integration of theoretical insights with real-world applications.